Scott Lang is under house arrest for siding with Captain America during Civil War, with only a few days until his ankle tag is removed. He is banned from contact with Hank Pym and Hope van Dyne, who are still on the run. But Janet van Dyne, lost in the Quantum Realm for 30 years, has sent a clue to Scott. So Hank and Hope need him to help them. The trouble is that others have their eyes on Pym’s Quantum tech.
Arriving in the UK five weeks after its US opening (so as not to clash with Wimbledon and the World Cup) we are finally off on another caper movie. The story here is quite different from the first one, which is good. But rest assured, it’s every bit as funny as its predecessor.
Paul Rudd’s amiable good humour anchors the movie. But Michael Douglas (Hank) and Evangeline Lilly (Hope) both get their fair share of chuckles. And Michael Pena as bigmouth Luis grabs most of the big laughs, as he did last time. Laurence Fishburne, Walton Goggins, and Hannah John-Kamen are all terrific in broadly antagonistic roles.
Superb super-hero action
Which is not to say that it is all comedy. There is a lot at stake in the story, which leads to some great action. There is a fight early on between Wasp and baddie Ghost.
Wasp uses her flight and size-shifting powers, and Ghost her phasing ability: factor this in with martial arts, and this is one of the best super-hero action sequences you’ll see.
But there is also a fantastic car chase with vehicles and people size-shifting all the way through, and numerous other action moments: Scott in ant-hunting mode with his daughter is delightful.
Marvel, as usual, cleverly makes sure that we have an emotional investment so that the events of the movie matter to us. And we have several here.
Scott’s relationship with his daughter and the possibility that he will break the terms of his parole and ankle tag, the hunt for the lost Janet van Dyne, and even the motivations of Ghost. Plus, will Scott and Hope get it together? We care, and hooray for that.
Stay for the mid-credits teaser. There is a short scene at the end of the credits, but it’s not worth staying for.
I loved this film. It was hugely enjoyable, and I can’t wait to see it again.