Review Summary: Wild goose chase of a sequel is a step down from the original.
There are many that have praised Ant-Man and the Wasp as a much-needed light-hearted superhero flick, especially in the potentially depressing Thanos era of the MCU. That was fairly evident in the trailers to begin with. And I can definitely say I agree that this particular sequel is a needed change-of-pace for Marvel's ever-expanding universe. However, I left this particular MCU film comparing it to two other Marvel sequels. That would be Iron Man 2 and Iron Man 3.
If you're an MCU fan, chances are you know that's not a good sign. Yes, while Wasp does entertain and excite, it also (like those other two films) has way too much going on. By the time you reach the ending action sequence, it becomes a bit exhausting trying to keep up with all the characters. The first Ant-Man had a simplistic, straightforward approach that worked better and engaged better (though that film isn't one of my favorite Marvel films to begin with).
That being said, the central story of the film does work. The emotional motivations behind finding Hank Pym's long-lost wife (a well-cast Michelle Pfieffer, though she isn't given a lot of screentime) are convincing, and the payoff is well-executed. But it gets lost in the midst of one subplot too many. There's Scott's attempt to try and make sure he doesn't get caught leaving his house arrest. There's Luis (Michael Pena) and his attempt to try and run a security business while trying to help keep Scott's whereabouts quiet. There's a weapons tycoon out for personal gain. And, not to mention, there's a mysterious villain who's trying to resolve her controversial history with the Pym family.
Marvel films tend to rarely hit the bullseye with their villains. This time, the lack of a real focus in the story dooms Ghost from the start. She's capably played by Hannah John-Kamen, but her development is rushed. It's almost as if the writers had to hurry her backstory along in order to make sure everything else gets equal treatment in the story. It's a shame, because she is a unique antagonist. If they had given her more screentime and maybe given more time to reveal her development, she might would have been more memorable. I will say, however, that her part of the plot does wrap up nicely.
In the meantime, the business tycoon (played by Walton Goggins) is the subplot that seemed the most pointless. The overall film would have been so much more smooth-paced if the filmmakers would have kept him in just his first scene only. Not to mention, he is the most cartoonish character of the whole film (next to Luis, who still ranks as one of the most annoying sidekicks Marvel's had to date). Also, the multiple subplots keeps Scott's daughter Cassie from really getting much to do here also. Like last time, those scenes are definitely among the film's best, and you're left wanting more.
That being said, the humor hits more than it misses. Paul Rudd is given some genuinely amusing and fun bits early in the film (watching how he entertains himself in house arrest is entertaining). Rudd and Evangeline Lily are given plenty of great moments, even if they aren't given enough development apiece to justify themselves in the title roles. Laurence Fishburne is a nice addition to the cast, playing a former SHIELD operative who plays a bigger role in the film than you might expect at first.
The film has nice little touches here and there too. The visual effects are much smaller in scale here, refreshingly (the handful of scenes involving the "quantum realm" are highlights). The giant ants are given a few fun moments. There's a twist on Pfieffer's character that manages to surprise. The use of the characters as dollhouse figures in the end credits was a smart move. The callbacks to Civil War are hilarious. And the mid-credits scene is extremely effective. The film catches up to the events of Infinity War in dramatic fashion. Without spoiling anything, lets just say you're left really wanting that second part to come a whole lot quicker.
Upon leaving the theater, I didn't find this having a "must-see" feel like other Marvel films of the past decade. What could have been a very fun comic book movie instead turns into a complicated, sometimes convoluted ride. The film struggles with what it wants to be. It can be fun, but it has some serious stakes. It has a family-friendly feel, but carries too much foul language for younger audiences. It wants to be a convincing drama, but has too many characters and plot threads to execute this correctly.
This is a sequel that takes in new problems, while failing to solve the problems of the original. In the meantime, save for the mid-credits sequence, MCU fans won't find much sense of continuity in this movie. In other words, Ant-Man and the Wasp is mediocre at worst, inconsequential and serviceable at best.
My Score: 5.9/10
Content Concerns for Family Viewing: Ant-Man and the Wasp is rated PG-13 for "sequences of sci-fi violence and action". The violence, actually, is pretty tame for a PG-13 flick. The worst moment comes when we witness a factory explosion (from the outside), and we see dead bodies on the ground as a result. Besides that, there's a lot of fistfights and hand-to-hand combat. Someone's sleeve is set on fire. Someone is hit with pans, pots, etc. Ghost puts her fist magically through someone's neck (but the person is unharmed at the end of the situation). She also snaps someone's neck (at a distance). We see Ghost writhe in pain in a treatment of sorts. Guns are shot. A few cars are flipped over. Characters are pummeled (bloodlessly) by rapidly-grown objects.
The rating should have included language, as there's too much here to not notice. We hear two uses of "Oh J---s!", and one of "g--d---". The s-word is fully blurted out twice, and started (but not finished) two other times. There's also 11 uses of "d---", eight of "h---", three of "h---" and another seven of "oh my g--". Elsewhere, Scott misinterprets Dr. Pym's accusation of "quantum entangling" with his wife. A double-entendre involves a quote saying "if you two are done comparing sizes...". A quick flashback shot involves Hope and Scott kissing and caressing passionately. One joke involves Stan Lee discussing, "the 60's were fun, but now I'm paying for it!"
