It has been a couple of years since Ant-man, the 2015 movie. We had Civil War where Iron-man and Captain America fell out. In Civil War we met Spiderman and T’challa, the Black Panther. They had their solo movies and then a few months ago Thanos came down in Infinity War and killed millions.
I’ve always asked myself the meaning of Infinity as used in the MCU. Does it mean a war that’ll never end? Does it mean a war that goes between realms? A war that is fought in different dimensions? I don’t know.
I didn’t walk to the theatres expecting any answers from Ant-man and the Wasp. We knew the movie is set before the events of Infinity War. So I went in just expecting a good laugh and a good heist. The first movie was a heist film, and it hella funny. I was going to the theatres for more of that. But I had questions. Where has Ant-man been? Were the FBI on his case too much he couldn’t leave house arrest during Thanos’ invasion? Or was he somehow in Infinity War, just too small to be seen?
Well, after the movie, I could say kind of. I don’t know too. Things are crazy. And I will try as hard as possible to make this a spoiler free review.
The whole movie takes place in less than 2 days. I could say a couple of hours. And the storyline is simple: Hank Pym and Hope, his daughter, have a plan to bring back the Wasp, Janet, Hank’s wife, who went sub-atomic 30 years ago while destroying a Russian (I believe) missile. You saw this in the first film.
What you also saw in the first film is Scott Lang, ant-man, going sub-atomic but managing to come back. So Hank thinks, if Scott could come back, then Janet must still be alive somewhat. And the plan is to get her from the Quantum Realm. There’s a lot of mention of “Quantum Realm” in this movie to an extent Scott asks if they just throw in the word Quantum every time. But to activate the tunnel that would send one to that realm, they (Hank and Hope) need a gadget from some dude and they need help from Scott who seems to have a message he got from the time he went sub-atomic. Also, they have a problem in the form of a Ghost called Eva who can move through anything. That’s the plot.
Like most of the recent Marvel movies, you’re drawn in immediately the film starts. And for the first few minutes you wonder if the whole opening sequence was on the two official trailers. As usual, the story is fast, and you get to find out about stuff very quickly while the film progresses. Except for the part where there’s a whole scene with slow explanation into the character and inspiration of the villain, Ghost. And this, though dragged out a bit, is worth it as once again Marvel have managed to create a villain who’s relatable, one you find yourself empathising for, and perhaps for some, even rooting for.
It is bad to root for a villain in a film. They want to have things their way, yet here you are imagining they could do it in a certain, easier way. This will definitely be a talking point as by the end of the film I was asking myself why the villain was even a villain. It seemed to me that the same outcome of the film could have been much easier if some stuff happened earlier on.
Though that shouldn’t worry you as this is a hilarious comedy, Sci-Fi, action, fantasy film. You’ll be laughing your heart out most of the film. Especially in any sequence involving Luis (Michael Pena). If you love how he tells a story and explains things, there’s more of that in this film with rapper T.I and the other guy as they struggle to build a Security Firm business despite being ex-Cons. Plus they call their security firm XCON.
Yes it is a comedy, but this is Marvel, and in some scenes you’ll be melting at the love of a father for his daughter (you know usual Marvel daddy things) between Scott and Peanuts, the daughter Cassie. If you don’t tear up in these scenes, you’re not human.
It is a film that takes you away from reality both in the real world where you’ll be seated watching, and in the MCU where other superheroes exist. The story absorbs you in itself with the cool fight scenes, the cool effects that are so well done, and the expanding and reducing of realities as Ant-man and the Wasp fight with the bad guys are dope! I know for one I will be imagining a lot of things whenever I see big and small cars because of the cool graphics in this film.
Just don’t walk out before you see the Post Credits Scenes. Because Thanos.
Because Thanos what? Lemme go watch for myself…….