By Cynthia Ayala

“As Scott Lang balances being both a Super Hero and a father, Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym present an urgent new mission that finds the Ant-Man fighting alongside The Wasp to uncover secrets from their past.” —IMDB

Marvel just continues to impress, but they have a formula, and that’s why they continue to be on top. Much like with all the other Marvel movies, Ant-man and the Wasp focuses on the characters, their dynamics, leaving all the heavy drama behind. Yes, there is drama but what makes the Marvel Cinematic Universe so great is the lightheartedness that makes the film move. This movie captures that so brilliantly. Ant-Man and the Wasp functions a lot like it’s predecessor, retaining a somewhat familiar storyline following Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne, he’s an ex-convict, again, the van Dyne family is doing their own thing and reluctantly need his help.

So the formula stays the same, but the mechanics on how the formula operates is what makes the film fun. The villain is interesting, she’s somewhat sympathetic once the viewer gets to know her and her story (not as sympathetic as Kilmonger, but still, Marvel is on the right track here). Marvel’s formula is changing, as they develop new stories and new ways to bring villains into the mix. Ant-Man and the Wasp is the perfect example of how it works so much. Hope finally gets her costume, and she’s been training for this her whole life, she is the one who trained Scott, so to see her in action, it’s great. Her fight sequences are more developed, because, again, she has been training for this her whole life and her father outfitted her with extra gadgets not just because he knows she knows can handle them, but because she is his daughter, who doesn’t want to spoil their children. And that’s great, it works for the story, making the scope of the story more action-packed. Viewers also get to see more of the dynamics and chemistry between the characters grow and come to alive in the film, making it a lot of fun.

That’s probably one of the best qualities of the film, the fact that the film didn’t lose the humor. Everything about this film is grander, from action sequences to dialogue. There is something to laugh about in every scene of the film, while the more serious scenes, allow themselves to be taken seriously while maintaining the fluidity of the story. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end, and while there are multiple villains in the film, coupled with various plot twists, the film doesn’t lose itself. Both villains serve a purpose for the story, and both bring something interesting into the story.

All in all, this film really allowed for Hope’s character to finally shine and show off what she’s capable of doing while not overshadowing the titular hero Ant-Man. (★★★☆ | A)

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—Film Credits—

Directed by Peyton Reed

Written by Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Paul Rudd, Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari

Based on Ant-Man by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby; Wasp by Stan Lee, Ernie Hart & Jack Kirby

Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Peña, Walton Goggins, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Tip “T.I.” Harris, David Dastmalchian, Hannah John-Kamen, Abby Ryder Fortson, Randall Park, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne & Michael Douglas

Rating | Length | Genre: PG-13 | 1h 58min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures