"Ant-Man and the Wasp" (2018) Review

“Ant-Man and the Wasp”: another outstanding flick to add to Marvel’s summer movie extravaganza.

Directed by: Peyton Reed

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 2:05

Review by: Livi Edmonson

Everyone’s favorite pint-sized superhero is back in the long-awaited sequel to 2015’s “Ant-Man”, starring the beloved, always hysterical Paul Rudd. Only this time, the ant has a new partner in crime: the Wasp. Though some may call this new Marvel superhero addition Ant-Man’s “side-kick”, the Wasp (played by Evangeline Lilly) is definitely Ant-Man’s partner, if not more considering that she does most of his butt-kicking, dirty work for him the whole entire film.

For those unfamiliar with the Marvel predecessor, “Ant-Man”, it is about a pretty normal guy named Scott Lang, who became involved in a few crimes that had him end up in prison for a little while. Ultimately, he is a great family man who wants nothing more than to be a great role model for his beloved daughter, who he calls “Peanut”.

Also, for those who also haven’t seen “Ant-Man” or “Captain America: Civil War” where this hero makes a huge cameo, Scott becomes Ant-Man when he puts on a suit that turns him into the size of an ant and also connects him with other ants around him. So, yeah, he is quite literally an “Ant-Man.”. It is kind of a Spider-Man-like situation, except he never gets bit by an insect, which is the common stereotype and misconception of this superhero.

In this sequel, “Ant-Man” must accompany Hope van Dyne (the Wasp) and her father Dr. Hank Pym, the man who invented the pint-sized suits, on a risky journey into a “quantum realm” to help Hope reunite with her mother, who might still be stuck in there, after traveling through it many, many years ago. As if the task is not risky enough, the duo faces an even greater enemy and villain named the Ghost, who they must defeat before any further action involving the quantum realm can be taken.

Like the first Ant-Man flick, the film is filled with non-stop action, but the typical humorous banter you can expect to see in almost every scene. Of course, comedic actor Michael Peña is back to reprise his role as Luis, Scott’s hilarious best friend who is always, and I mean always stealing scenes from his co-stars. 

As many will be able to tell from the title, the Wasp obviously has a bigger, leading role in this film as well, and basically takes over every fight scene there is, whether Ant-Man is there or not. Talk about girl power, huh? The Wasp secures her position as maybe not quite an Avenger/leading superhero yet, but definitely as a strong female superhero that we can only hope to see more of in the upcoming MCU films.

Because Ant-Man is not as big of a Marvel Cinematic Universe hero as Captain American, or say, Spider-Man, audiences are probably not as familiar with his character role in the MCU, nor his backstory. With some Marvel films, audiences can go to the theater without knowing anything about them before-hand, as seen with “Spider-Man: Homecoming” released a year ago, or even 2016’s “Doctor Strange”. But with this film, you definitely should see not only the first “Ant-Man” flick, but also “Captain America: Civil War”. This second “Ant-Man”, even if you have seen both of these films multiple times, is very complex and hard to keep up with, so seeing these earlier movies are a great way to stay up to date with what is happening in the film.

If you really, really want to be a prepared audience member, I would most definitely recommend seeing the latest “Avengers” film, “Infinity War”, especially if you are planning to stay for the infamous Marvel post credit scenes at the end of  “Ant-Man and the Wasp”. Trust me, you don’t want to miss these post credit scenes, for they will absolutely blow your mind and are probably the most suspenseful parts of the whole entire film. But again, don’t bother staying for it if you haven’t made your box office trip to see the latest “Avengers” movie because no one likes spoilers, especially Marvel ones, am I right?

All in all, “Ant-Man and the Wasp” is an excellent summer movie that is perfect for the whole family. When comparing it to its predecessor film, I would say that the sequel does top the first flick, like most Marvel sequels do, but I wouldn’t say there is a dramatic difference between the entertainment level of the two films. Basically, if you already like “Ant-Man”, you’re going to have a blast at this movie! But just remember that if you aren’t familiar with the current timeline that the Marvel films mentioned earlier have going on, then you most definitely are in for a very confusing experience watching this movie. Go do your Marvel movie research!