Ant-Man and the Wasp (movie review)

Tiny in size but huge in laughs.

There are no spoilers in this review.

Wow, first things first, this is one of the funniest super-hero movies I've seen in ages. After the heavier themed, but the awesomeness of other Marvel creations including Avengers Infinity War, Deadpool 2 and even going back to Logan; Ant-Man and the Wasp is a perfect counter balance. It fits seamlessly into the timeline, but, unlike other offerings from the Marvel universe you won't need to have seen any of it's predecessors. 

So, the plot. In 1987, Janet van Dyne / Wasp shrinks between the molecules of a Soviet nuclear missile, disabling it but becoming trapped in the sub-atomic quantum realm. Hank Pym / Ant-Man raises their daughter Hope believing that Janet is dead. We then join Scott Lang/Ant-Man who is due to finish his sentence of house arrest after gallivanting to Germany and breaking loads of international laws in Avengers Civil War. 

Hank is brilliantly played by Michael Douglas & with the edition of Michelle Pfeifer as Janet both actors bring a level of sophistication and kudos to the movie. The interactions between Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope (Evangeline Lilly) are hilarious and (no surprise) they attempt to rekindle a relationship. 

When Scott dreams about Janet; Hank & Hope kidnap him and enlist his help in an audacious plan to try and rescue Janet from the quantum realm. This is somewhat complicated by a black market dealer Sonny Burch, that has been selling Pym and Hope the specialist equipment they need for their research. He ends up double crossing Pym and Hope and then the fighting starts, we are also introduced to a quantumly unstable masked woman who also wants the newest research for herself. She is the result of an accident at her father’s lab. Lang tries to help fight off this "ghost", but she escapes with Pym's portable lab.

Sonny Burch is played by the affable Walton Goggins, fans of US police drama's will recognise him from playing the role of Detective Shane Vendrell in the Shield (far left below). Yes, the same series that catapulted Michael Chiklis on to our TV screens and who would later play the role of The Thing/Ben Grimm in Fantastic Four.

  

What ensues is a mad caper with three different parties fighting for and capturing Pym's lab (which can of course be miniaturised and rolled around like a suitcase) whilst he himself travels through the quantum realm to find Janet. The fight scenes are awesome, the special effects are brilliant but more than anything the story, dialog and interactions between the characters are really funny. 

I don't like going on about special effects as these days, our expectations are so high, but once again Marvel does the biz and the effects are seamless.  The fight sequences are so well written and imagined,with items, vehicles, buildings and people popping from one size to another in a flash to bring an action packed feast to the big screen. We were of course reclining in fab leather chairs at the Arc Cinema in Wexford which, as always, rounded off the movie going experience.  

I've no hesitation in giving Ant-Man and Wasp a rating of 10 out of 10 planets. 

Special Effects = Sublime. 
Writing/Screenplay = Brilliant. 
Casting and Actors = Fantastic and Funny.

John The Captain Ryan