Director Peyton Reed's, "Ant-Man and the Wasp" is as much fun as you would expect with a nice balance of old and new. The film proves once again that bigger is not always better, even in the Marvel Universe.
That's not to say the film is lacking complexity. It most certainly is not.
We get to see the non-fugitive route taken by those who teamed up with Captain America in 2016's "Civil War." As FBI Agent, Jimmy Woo (Randall Park), explains in excruciating (but humorous) detail to Scott Lang/Ant-Man's daughter (Abby Ryder Fortson), her dad violated the Sokovia Accords by helping Captain America and is now doing the time for his crime.
With days to go in his two-year house arrest, Lang finds himself in the middle of another battle, this time somewhat against his will. During his brief spell in the Quantum Realm it turns out that Lang may have crossed paths with Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) the mother of Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and the wife of Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas).
While the three aren't exactly on speaking terms since Lang's actions turned all of them into fugitives, the three join forces to try and rescue Janet Van Dyne from the Quantum Realm. All while, of course, dealing with a black market dealer, Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins) and the molecularly unstable assassin, Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), both of whom have their own competing motives.
It seems like a lot, but the film pulls it off with some help from Paul Rudd's effortless performance and some serious ass-kicking from Evangeline Lilly as the Wasp. Much like the first film, it balances action with humor, often combining the two. The film has a sweetness to it as well. The dynamic between Lang, his daughter, his ex (Judy Greer), and her new husband (Bobby Cannavale) is the perfect example of this. House arrest seems to have done wonders for their non-traditional family dynamic.
What it does not do is overuse gags and bits from its predecessor. It holds onto the familiar, saving it for maximum effect and impact instead of over playing its hand.
While the film takes place prior to "Infinity War," it catches up quickly. Although, you'll have to stay through the credits to experience one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's best cliffhanger's to date.
...just for fun:
