Ant-Man and Wasp - The GB Take

Saw this today on my day off.  My overall impression was that it was a nice, small movie.

Now, what I mean by small isn't just a reference to the diminutive size of the heroes.  I mean "small" as in the movie's scope, particularly when measured against the universe spanning blockbuster that was Avengers - Infinity War.

Ant-Man and Wasp was a smaller, more personal film and that's a good thing.  Where the first one was a straight up heist film with super powers, this one is a straight up rescue the damsel in distress flick, with super powers.

I will avoid major spoilers, but a couple of (very) minor ones will creep in.  Be warned.

Ant-Man is the Gilligan's Island of the Marvel Archipelago.  Much like Gilligan, the science involved doesn't hold up to much scrutiny, but it's not really supposed to.  Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lily and even Michelle Pfeiffer do a respectable job of the science gobbeldy-gook and Paul Rudd stands in for the audience with a lot of nodding and "that's what I was thinking."

Also like Gilligan, a lot of the humour isn't nearly as funny as the writers intended.  I chuckled a few times, smiled a bit and generally wished they'd hurry up and get on with it instead of spending time with dialogue intended to be funnier than it actually was.

When the movie plays as an action film, it's generally decent.  To me, they'd have been better served with more humour in the action sequences to hit the comedy quota, but they chose to let the "comedians" in the cast carry that load and it is hit and miss at best.

There were a few missed opportunities on the action front as well.  We meet Laurence Fishburn's character, who we learn once grew to 21 feet in height as part of Project Goliath back when he and Michael Douglas were partners in research into size manipulation.  Do we see him get big?  No. 

Opportunity missed.

Fishburn and Rudd have a back and forth mildly funny banter about how big they each have been.  Evangeline Lily interrupts after we learn that Rudd maxed out at 65 feet.

When Lily later rescues a giant sized Rudd, does she grow big enough to pick him up and then quip "75 feet" deadpan when he comes around?  No.

Opportunity missed.

When villainous Ghost has our heroes bound to chairs and Rudd's Ant-Man asks if she plans to phase her hand into his chest and crush his heart, does she grab his crotch and smirk mercilessly?  No.

Opportunity missed.

I could do this all day.

Over all, about a C+ or B-, depending on the viewer's mood and affinity for the characters or actors.  Not great, not bad.  Middle of the road Marvel, maybe a little below.

Probably make enough to warrant a sequel and I vote for "Ant-Men and the Wasps" as the title.

As my buddy Barnum would say, "Your mileage may vary."