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For some reason, I did not see Ant-Man  in the movie theater. I kept with tradition and did not see Ant Man & The Wasp in the theater either, but the long holiday weekend gave me a chance to catch it on my home screen, which is just the right size for superhero who get their names from insects

DID I FALL ASLEEP? Surprisingly, no. But see below. I didn’t have time to nap!

DID I LIKE THE MUSIC? I’m becoming a big Christolphe Beck fan. (I also rewatched Edge of Tomorrow recently.)  The original Ant-Man theme is super catchy and the sequel rang up all the needed variations.

WHAT ELSE DID I NOTICE? Wow, this movie was so effortless and fun. And…well written. At first I was annoyed that Hank and Janet were endangering Scott’s house arrest by whisking him away to conquer the Quantum Realm, but then I realized it was just ONE of a nesting set of Ticking Time Bombs that ensnared every single character and kept the plot rocketing along: Scott’s house arrest, Hank and Hope’s window to get to Janet in the Quantum Realm, Ava’s disintegrating physical state, Luis’s bid on the security contract, Cassie’s soccer shoes.   (It’s the lack of ticking time bombs that still annoys me the most about GOTG Vol. 2.)

Effortless and fun are two words that can only conjure Paul Rudd, and he is superbly Paul Rudd-like in this movie. Ant-Man manages to expand to be more than 50 feet tall without his character growing much, but the original was such a pleasant blast of whipped cream, who cares. The Rudd effect carried over to the nice comedic touches. I loved that Giant Man uses a truck as a kick scooter, and that the MacGuffin involved everyone carrying around a building that had a handle on it.  The “I love Cassie” motivation got a little thin, but since these movies are about fathers and daughters, it’s still on trend.

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I have always loved Evangeline Lilly, and as the FIRST WOMAN SUPERHERO TO HEADLINE A MCU MOVIE, she’s a brisk mix of strategy, kicking ass and occasionally pining for her mom. The Wasp doesn’t have much backstory other than being really good at what she does, but I appreciated the natural athleticism that Lilly brought to the role, something that many other Marvel women on the screen lack entirely. No names.

Michael Douglas’s Hank van Dyne actually added many layers to the traditional Older White Man role. I liked that he was just a regular asshole who was jealous of other researchers, and did crappy things, and I liked when Bill Foster/Goliath (Laurence Fishburne) called him out on it. All of the characters in this movie were very human and their motivations were relatable and clear – including the “villain” Ghost, who just didn’t want to be in pain and/or die. Michelle Pfeiffer didn’t have too much to do as the original Wasp, but now we have Janet van Dyne in the MCU so much can be forgiven.

In fact, like Thor Ragnarok, Black Panther and Infinity War, even, Ant-Man and The Wasp was very generous with the whole cast, giving them all moments to shine. Okay Walter Goggins’ Sonny Burch was a little rote, but Jimmy Woo came through.

(Aside: have you noticed how much better the MCU movies have been getting since Ike and the Creative Committee were removed? Just saying.)

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There was one thing that annoyed me about the movie, and that was the Wasp’s boob armor. How come Ghost did not have boob armor? Do only hero women have boob armor? Is it because the original Ghost character was a dude? In real life, there is no such thing as boob armor, and if it did exist it would be dangerous. It looks like Captain Marvel’s boob armor will be somewhat subdued, but I found its prominence in A-M&TW a little troubling.

Also, it seems that between movies Ant-Man and the Wasp went fondueing, as shown in a PG flashback. I understand that the MCU must be chaste because of foreign movie standards, but even with two people as attractive as Rudd and Lilly the chemistry mostly extends to fight scenes and tiny building toting. There is something inherently inhibiting about the MCU!

Anyway, this movie was the perfect lagniappe between the bookends of the very heavy Avengers 3 and 4. And the ending – with Ant-Man in the worst place possible during the Snappening – was a nice set-up for the Quantum Realm taking a part in defeating Thanos.  That magical Marvel continuity strikes again.

WOULD I WATCH IT AGAIN: You bet!

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4 COMMENTS

  1. Agree with almost everything you said. This movie was loads of fun and really tight. Really more of an ensemble in many ways, which was good. Action scenes were terrific. Marvel’s gotten much better figuring out how powers should work in combat. And, yes, on the whole the movies have gotten better as the MCU has developed. It will all come crashing down one day, because things do, but I’ve given up waiting for the one that bombs which starts the collapse. (Crap. I just jinxed Captain Marvel, didn’t I?)

  2. I am surprised (but pleasantly so) that you liked this. I just hope that at the end of Captain Marvel there is a post credit scene with Captain Marvel, Hank Pym, Janet Van Dyne and Bill Foster as a kind of 1950’s Avengers.

  3. It was entertaining fluff, just like the first Ant-Man movie. Both are best seen if you watch with low expectations. Then you’ll probably enjoy them for what they are.

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