Movie Review: ANT-MAN AND THE WASP

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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After the last Marvel release AVENGERS: INFINITY WARS fans of the series have been desperately awaiting the next film in the line, which is ANT-MAN AND THE WASP. With many unanswered question still remaining after the last releases, hope is that the new film will at least manage to assuage a few unrelenting questions. But will ANT-MAN AND THE WASP that comes with much hope attached to it live up to audiences’ mammoth expectations or will it be just another fly on the wall in the larger scale of things is what we analyse.

Starting off ANT-MAN AND THE WASP begins with Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang AKA Ant-Man living life within the confines of his home for the past two years after the happenings in CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL-WAR. Post Lang assisting Captain America in his fight against Stark, Lang has been put on house arrest with the threat that if he breaks the parameters of his new boundary or even comes in contact with quantum tech, he will be imprisoned for 20 years. With just a few days left till his house arrest is terminated, all hell breaks loose when Lang has a dream where he sees Hank Pym’s wife and daughter Hope. Confused with the sudden dream, Lang makes a call to Pym, who in turn reaches out and literally abducts Lang with the help of Hope. Once at the lab, Lang is told that Hank and Hope managed to open a tunnel to the quantum realm wherein Hope’s mother has been trapped for the past 30 years. And it was due to this that Lang, who has in the past visited the quantum realm, developed a link with Hope’s mother. But in the meantime, Ava/ Ghost, a young girl who has met with a quantum accident is hell bent on acquiring energy from the quantum realm to help stop her from phasing. While a battle ensues between Pym, Hope, Ant-Man and Ghost to acquire control of the quantum tunnel all hell breaks loose. Will Pym, Hope and Lang manage to rescue Hope’s mother, will Ghost harvest enough quantum energy or will the tech fall into the wrong hands is what makes up the rest of the film.

Right from the start it is evident that ANT-MAN AND THE WASP is unlike any of the previous films released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). With a focus more on human values, the film sees the family and emotions play a more integral part in the overall story and on screen happenings. However, this does not diminish the action. In fact, keeping with the MCU format ANT-MAN AND THE WASP does feature its share of action and humour well interspersed that keeps the viewer in his seat. From witty one liners to some high octane action, the film has it all.

But, the biggest drawback for ANT-MAN AND THE WASP is the fact that unlike previous MCU films, the villain in this one is rather underplayed. After the progressions in AVENGERS: INFINTY WAR, the audience expects nothing less than a menacing antihero or if you will, the villain. Unfortunately in the new release, the role of the villains comes across more as an individual who has been led down a nasty path against their will. With the main antagonist owning up to their dark past while displaying remorse for what they have done, the viewer is gets the picture that is contrary to expectations Ghost is in fact a lost soul in desperate need of realignment.

But it doesn’t stop here, instead ANT-MAN AND THE WASP comes across as more of a Disney film rather than a Marvel film for the plain fact that while typical Marvel films focus on interpersonal superhero relationships and their outcomes, this film follows Disney’s tried and tested method of instilling family values, with the good guys eventually saving the bad one who then turns over a new leaf to live a perfectly normal life. However, despite this, one must admit that ANT-MAN AND THE WASP does still make for a decent watch. With CGI and visual effects that are on point and a tight script, the film takes the viewer on a rollercoaster ride with references to past films and TV series thrown in for good measure.

On the whole, ANT-MAN AND THE WASP that makes for a good watch plays its role of acting as balm to assuage the anguish left after AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR perfectly. A light hearted film with true Walt Disney film values at its core, this is one film to watch just to complete the list of MCU releases that eventually will tie into the main plot of the next AVENGERS film.

At the box office, with SANJU still running, and the other Bollywood release SOORMA taking up a good share of screens, ANT-MAN AND THE WASP is likely to face a hard time raking in the numbers.

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