Fun Size

Excuse the pun but after the apocalyptic, gloomy experience of Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel's newest entry Ant-Man and the Wasp feels small. After Marvel left us with a cliffhanger ending with the stakes the highest they could possibly be, the story of a scientist trying to find his missing wife seems trivial by comparison. Despite this fact, the film mostly succeeds thanks to some slick action and the charm of its lead actor.

After the events of Civil War have left him on house arrest, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) thought his superhero-ing days were behind him. However, Scott suddenly finds himself kidnapped by scientist Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and his daughter Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) because they believe Scott may be the key to finding Pym's missing wife who disappeared in the dreaded "Quantum Realm" thirty years ago.

Like its predecessor, this film doesn't have any large threat or city-destroying super-weapon to stop. Content instead to be a simple heist story with some fun, size-shifting action set pieces. In the wake of the more serious-minded Marvel films, this almost feels like a nice break in the action. Although the story sometimes feels rushed and convenient (some rivals become friends way too easily), it succeeds thanks to a surprisingly witty script and an irreplaceable performance from Paul Rudd. Bringing a lot of likability to a character that could easily be obnoxious, he and Evangeline Lilly have real on-screen chemistry. The fun that the cast is obviously having saves the film from being just another run-of-the-mill story about a guy and gal who can shrink down to microscopic size and control ants to fight the forces of evil. You know, that old tale. — Forest Taylor

Directed by: Peyton Reed // Written by: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Andrew Barrer, Gabriel Ferrari and Paul Rudd // Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michael Pena, Walton Goggins, Laurence Fishburne, Hannah John-Kamen, Bobby Cannavale, T.I., Judy Greer, Randall Park and Michelle Pfeiffer // 118 minutes