Ant-Man and the Wasp is now in theaters with a bigger (or littler?) adventure than ever before! This movie picks up after the events of Captain America: Civil War. Scott Lang is now living a very different life due to his actions in Captain America: Civil War. He is dealing with the consequences of his actions and trying to figure out how to be a good dad and also Ant-Man. As so often happens, just when things are about to be perfect things get turned upside down. Lang soon finds himself again on another adventure as he teams up with the Wasp.  This adventure leads to discoveries from the past and a powerful new enemy.

Story

The 20th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ant-Man and the Wasp shows that there are still a lot of different stories to be told throughout the MCU. As with the first Ant-Man movie, this is a film that is simple and a whole lot of fun. This isn’t the biggest movie in the MCU. The ramifications of the conflict aren’t world-ending, at least in the context of this film. The adventure that is taken isn’t overly surprising, and that is ok. It is a movie where motivations for the characters make sense. In fact, their motivations and reactions to what is happening really are what give the movie so much heart. The story is one that develops a relationship between those watching the movie and those in the movie. By the end of it, the audience definitely feels something for the people on screen. The story moves quickly and with the quirkiness that is expected of Ant-Man.

Quality

This is a film that is built upon the events of the first Ant-Man. While most of the film happens out and around San Francisco, there are still some scenes that require some special effects. As has been seen in some of the teasers and trailers, there is quite a bit of shrinking and also growing throughout the film. There are also some other effects that happen with some of the characters and locations. Overall, these effects are done quite well. If I were to have a critique, it would be that some of the vehicles and buildings looked like toys when shrunk. I would have liked to have seen them look still a bit more like their bigger state. However, this wasn’t a huge issue. Overall, this was a very enjoyable film to watch. The effects were solid and I never cringed because of a bad digital effect. There definitely were moments throughout the film where that could have happened (and has happened in other movies with similar effects). The quality gets a solid nod and does the MCU proud.

Characters

By the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp, the audience knows quite a bit more about the main Ant-Man characters. Hank Pymm (Michael Douglas), Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), and Scott Lang (Paul Rudd). Some of the characters around them also get some added depth. They all progressed in a way that was natural and made sense. In fact, every character in this movie made sense. So did their progression. As more details were added to their stories, their feelings and motivations became even more apparent. I found myself really feeling for some of the characters as they struggled throughout the film. There were also some really heart-warming moments that I really didn’t expect. The humorous ones throughout the movie were definitely expected. This movie built on the humor of the last one in a solid way that didn’t get tired.

Music

The soundtrack for Ant-Man and the Wasp is again composed by Christophe Beck. He composed the score for the first film. This was an excellent choice as he continued the story musically right where he left off. The result is a soundtrack that still has that bit of a heist feel to it but also has built upon it. One thing I noticed in this movie is that while Beck definitely has a unique feel for the Ant-Man movies, his scores also fit right in with all the other Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is a soundtrack that I’m sure I will dive into more and listen to on iTunes as time goes by. It’s fun and has energy.

Final Thoughts

I will never underestimate an Ant-Man film again. For both films, I went into the movie thinking that it’d be a fun ride. However, I really didn’t have high expectations. The scope of these films aren’t anywhere near the scale of the Captain America or Avengers films. However, what this film doesn’t have in scale and size, it does have in heart and humor. Throw some adventure on top and it makes for a very enjoyable flick. This is one that I look forward to watching multiple times. I knew this would be a movie that I found fun, but walking out of it I found myself wondering where in my top three MCU movies this fit. Only time will tell where it finally lands as it is very difficult to rank a movie immediately after seeing it. However, I do anticipate that it will remain near the top. I really enjoyed the story. The humor and action scenes are great. What really makes this movie great though is that it is a bunch of real people facing extraordinary challenges in a very real way. Because of that, it is easy to relate to various characters and really feel for them throughout the film. Definitely go out and see this film. You will enjoy it. I heartily give it a hat tip and can’t wait to see it again!

**Final Final Thought: Don’t forget to stay through the VERY end of the credits! There are two end-credit scenes. One of them is pretty incredible! The other is cute.**