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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is made up of heroes of all shapes, styles, and personalities. The films can be grand and stately or completely out of this world. And while some go for larger-than-life action and effects, in Ant-Man and the Wasp, Marvel once again goes for oversized laughs and an undersized hero.
Ant-Man and the Wasp catches up with Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang after his adventures with Captain America left him on house arrest and separated from Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and his daughter, Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly). But in the years since Scott went into the quantum realm and returned, they’ve been working on a way to return Hope’s long-lost mother, Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer), too. When Scott begins picking up on Janet’s memories, it seems that the timing is right—but they’ll have to evade a ghostly rival (Hannah John-Kamen), a shady businessman (Walton Goggins), and the FBI in order to make it happen.
Earlier this year, a massive ensemble of Marvel heroes teamed up for Avengers: Infinity War, a big, bold adventure, with years of complicated plotlines building up to a serious threat against the universe. And Ant-Man and the Wasp is pretty much its exact opposite. It’s unapologetically silly, with a cast that’s loaded with lovable goofballs. Rudd is as entertaining as ever as the reluctant hero, and Michael Peña makes the perfect comic sidekick.
It’s surprisingly sweet, too—a more family-focused film. The center of Scott’s life is his daughter, Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson)—so Cassie, her mom (Judy Greer), and her stepdad (Bobby Cannavale) all play a role in the film. And, at the same time, much of the action revolves around another family, as Hope and Hank work to bring back their beloved wife and mother. Despite the shrinking buildings and scientific breakthroughs, that makes the film feel simpler and more down-to-earth—the perfect movie for anyone who feels that Marvel’s movies have gotten to crazy and complex.
Still, the simpler story of Ant-Man and the Wasp also means that it isn’t quite as thrilling. The threats aren’t as severe, the consequences not as significant. There are several plotlines running through the film, but, just as the hero isn’t as big as the ones in other Marvel movies, the conflict isn’t, either.
Each Marvel hero has his own style—and Ant-Man’s style is definitely lighter (and a whole lot sillier) than most. It may not be as grand and thrilling as some of the other installments, but it’s still good for some thrills and plenty of laughs.
