Ant-Man and the Wasp

The MCU as of right now is an absolute mess. We're living in a post-Infinity War world where futures are uncertain, audiences are shocked and depressed, and we're all anxiously awaiting the next chapter that isn't due until 2019 or 2020. However, Marvel has deemed it necessary to keep us held over with a couple of films that explain where other characters may be at the present moment, as well as delivering a bit of comic relief after the drastic end of Infinity War shocked us all.

Enter Ant-Man and the Wasp, the ideal palate cleanser for the depressed Infinity War fan.

2015's Ant-Man was the biggest gamble that Marvel could ever take. I knew so many people who were drastically down-talking the idea of an Ant-Man film, saying there's no way that it could work. But it did, in a similar means to Guardians of the Galaxy, being a rather light-hearted heist film that was mixed with familiar Marvel tones. It wasn't necessarily the most perfect film but it did deliver us some lovable characters and some great humor that made it worthwhile. Ant-Man even graced the screens in the follow-up, Captain America: Civil War, confirming his place in the universe indefinitely.

However, his absence from Infinity War led to a lot of questions being asked, and the sequel promised to answer them. But were these answers worth the wait and the extra time? Mostly.

The most important thing that must be said about Ant-Man and the Wasp is that it does manage to continue the trend that began with the original film of being a cheeky, light-hearted Marvel film with a boat-load of charm. It seems to double down on that for this round, because most of the time I spent with this film was spent laughing at some sort of visual comedy or other joke. It's definitely got a funny script under its wings, and a load of comedic actors who know just how to deliver some of the lines. Just like the original, you are bound to have an absolutely phenomenal time with this movie.

But like the original, outside of that charming atmosphere it seems like it kind of grinds to a halt, and I believe the biggest issue may be the villains of the film and what they add to the script. The characters as a whole are very, very dull, much like Corey Stoll in the first film, are that classic "one & done" type that really makes some of these movies feel like an unforgettable drag, even if you do put some pretty good actors like Lawrence Fishburne and Walton Goggins in their shoes. It doesn't really seem to help much.

Ant-Man may be small in some areas but it is mighty as a whole. Some of the arcs may be unforgettable but it is fun to watch and worth a 7.8/10 which places it in third place of the superhero films so far this year. If anything it does its job of filling the blanks left by Infinity War, with a little extra seasoning for good measure.