Superhero Media: Ant-Man and The Wasp

I have a feeling that when the great sweep of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is done, or at least done enough that we're writing think pieces about it to fill up space in the pop culture narrative, that the Ant-Man film series will gain new appreciation. Seen as an also-ran, Ant-Man's story is one of the better crafted journeys, with a great cast and an emphasis on fun rather than action. Goofy, comedy, superhero, heist films that are fun to watch seems like more than enough for a series to be about, but add in Paul Rudd giving his best performances to date and it becomes something special. In many ways, Ant-Man and The Wasp was the film we, the audience, needed after the unrelentingly grim ending of Infinity War, a purely fun romp with a good heart and people we wanted to see again. Hell, I was thrilled to get more of Cassie, with Abby Ryder Fortson being so adorable in the role that I was able to bypass my mental block of associating children with work and just enjoy having her around. The scene where she wants to be her father's superhero partner is so well done I have no doubt she'll be accepting an Oscar at some point in her life. 

When Scott Lang has a weird dream about Janet Van Dyne, he's picked up by Hope and Hank Pym from his house arrest and a new adventure begins to rescue Janet from the microverse. Yes, I know they call it the Quantum Realm in the film, but I like the Silver Age comics name better, so Microverse it is. Like all good heist films, the team have to dodge law enforcement (Jimmy Woo and the FBI), rival gangs (Sonny Burch) and a stone-cold killer (Ghost) on their trail, but they get to do it with size-changing cars and giant ants. Damn, this is just a really fun film, how did it not do better? The resolution at the end, that Janet can just cure Ghost with "Quantum Energy" is a bit lame, but the emotional core of reuniting a family (as Scott's was in the first film) still provides a good conclusion. Including Bill Foster, but not making a "Black Goliath" joke is disappointing, but at least they didn't kill him with a robotic Thor. Then, of course, there is the real star of this series, Michael Pena as Luis. 

It's not just the "Luis rants" that are great, it's how well rounded this throwaway character is and how fun it is just to see him around. His scenes allow the actors to really let their comedy chops loose, with their having to play their characters as being described by Louis, idiosyncrasies and colourful tastes intact. You want one of the best examples of how much attention to detail Marvel Studios has in making these things? Scott's ringtone for Louis is a Morrissey song, scenes before we find out that Louis' aunt had a jukebox which only contains Morrissey songs. That's the kind of thing that wouldn't have mattered if it wasn't there, but because it is, the whole scene is made better for it. Isn't it crazy that Ant-Man, of all characters, and the Scott Lang version too, not only has two decent, big-budget films, but has somehow become a central element of the MCU? Scott Lang, reformed thief, closeup magician and funny dad, saved the universe in Endgame, saved Captain America in Civil War and looks to be a major Avenger in Phase 4. What a time to be alive. 

Oh, and Marvel Studios? Release "Luis Recaps the Marvel Universe" already, please.