Ant-Man and the Wasp Plot Summary:
Following the events of Captain America: Civil War, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is on house arrest for violating the Sokovia Accords. But when Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) request Scott’s help exploring the Quantum Realm, he must risk everything to help his estranged friends. As the team pursues this mission, they must also contend with a mysterious individual known as Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen).
The formula to crafting a successful sequel is much more straightforward than any of Hank Pym’s scientific jargon: bring back the elements from the first film that audiences enjoyed and fix those areas that viewers were less enthusiastic about. Ant-Man and the Wasp succeeds on both accounts, recognizing what worked well in 2015’s Ant-Man and what did not. Where the sequel loses itself, however, is in one of the original movie’s greatest strengths. Scale.
That isn’t to say that Ant-Man and the Wasp fails to explore its titular characters’ size-altering powers. Quite the opposite would be true in that regard; the film actually utilizes these abilities to even greater effect than the last movie. The creativity weaved into each fight scene, car chase, and visual gag thanks to these powers is extraordinary. The action in the movie takes on a dynamic energy due to the impressive manner in which characters and objects continually grow and shrink, leaving each beat fast and exhilarating. Similarly, the sequel uses these abilities for comedic effect more often and effectively than the original film, capitalizing on just how zany this power set can be.
The scale in which this film suffers, then, is of the dramatic variety. The first Ant-Man was a breath of fresh air in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because the heroes weren’t trying to save the world. The problem with this sequel is that the scale and stakes feel even smaller, practically to the point of being insignificant. The majority of the movie revolves around three groups attempting to use the same technology for conflicting purposes, but the possibility of our heroes failing rarely feels consequential or likely. As a result, there is rarely a sense of suspense to propel the story forward.
Likewise, the tension between characters that created much of the first film’s drama largely is gone. Now that Hope and Hank have mended their relationship and Scott has gotten on good terms with his family, Ant-Man and the Wasp doesn’t offer these characters (or the actors portraying them) much in terms of conflict and catharsis. The film regularly highlights tension between Scott and Pym/van Dyne family due to Scott’s actions during Captain America: Civil War, but this animosity is typically told to the audience instead of shown and feels too similar to the family’s cold treatment of Scott in the first film. This lack of tension is truly disappointing after how much mileage the previous movie got from such relatable conflicts as family estrangement and deprives Ant-Man and the Wasp of any real substance.
That being said, this film does perform at least one task better than its predecessor. While critics of the MCU have long pointed at the franchise’s lackluster roster of bad guys, the cinematic universe has been on a hot streak the last two years delivering strong, memorable villains. This trend certainly continues in the case of Ava Starr/Ghost, whose motivation and surprising connections to the heroes make her one of Marvel’s most sympathetic antagonists. Hannah John-Kamen instills the character with a sense of pain and trauma that further achieves this end. While she doesn’t quite reach the highlights of Killmonger and Thanos, Ghost is a compelling foil for the title duo and boasts an equally stunning set of abilities.
The film’s returning cast members, meanwhile, continue to impress. After being the surprise star of Ant-Man, Luis (Michael Peña) once again steals every scene he is in. Paul Rudd is asked to carry more of the comedic weight of the film and naturally knocks the material out of the park. And Evangeline Lilly, the MVP of this movie, gets to flex her skills as an action star much more than in her last go around; seeing her kick butt as the Wasp is immensely satisfying following the last time we saw her as Hope and proves that the MCU is ready for more title heroines. On top of that, Lilly (along with Michael Douglas) is responsible for concretizing most of the film’s dramatic tension and stakes, and she does so quite impressively given what little she has to work with in the script.
Ant-Man and the Wasp is in many ways a perfect summer movie. Full of breathtaking action and sidesplitting laughs, the movie offers something to please almost every viewer. The sequel also has a ton of heart thanks to its focus on families and parental bonds.Its low stakes and small scale, however, prevent the film from becoming more than a fun spectacle. As when eating a tasty bag of popcorn, you’ll likely enjoy every bite but never get that stick-to-your-ribs feeling you experience after a full meal. And there is nothing wrong with that. We all love a good snack at times.
RATING: 7 OUT OF 10
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