Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018)

[JessePinkman]

1 hour ago, starri said:

Janet looks FIERCE.

Does. She. EVER!!! Hot damn.

And I'm loving the vibrancy of the blue in Wasp's costume. Damn she looks great.

[Kel Varnsen]

2 hours ago, starri said:

Janet looks FIERCE.

Michelle Pfeiffer looks like a scary badass with the grey hair.

I also like how on the titles lf each poster there is a little Ant-Man and a little Wasp in different locations. Except  in Paul Rudd's poster there is only a little Wasp and in Evangeline Lily's poster there is only little Ant-man.

[starri]

The only thing that worries me is that after Marvel has had a run of 4-5 movies with actual compelling villains, which seemed like they'd actually cracked the code. Ghost seems...kind of an unfortunate return to form.

[AimingforYoko]

4 hours ago, starri said:

Ghost seems...kind of an unfortunate return to form.

But, but...she's crazy and creepy!

[VCRTracking]

The Early Reactions Are In, and People Really Seemed to Like Ant-Man & The Wasp

[Fool to cry]

Ant-Man and the Wasp' Director on Wooing Michelle Pfeiffer and His Marvel Future

Excerpt:
 

Quote

"We used a double on the first movie. But the whole thing was, 'I want her to look like Michelle Pfeiffer, because that would be my dream casting for Wasp,'" Reed tells Heat Vision. "We cast this woman to be in the mask who had really saucer-like, Michelle Pfeiffer eyes."

[Raja]

Oh that was fun. My second favorite MCU II movie to The Winter Soldier and every bit as good as Black Panther and Infinity War I

[Wynterwolf]

That was an absolute blast.  There were just rolling giggles in the audience throughout and I can't wait for the next one.  This is easily in my top 5.  Have to think about ramifications for A4... but dang, the 'off the air' logo on the TV.  </3

[calliope1975]

I had so much fun. I think I might like it better than the first one. I know a lot of people think the MCU has a villain problem, but I'm glad there wasn't a true evil villain in this. Just a super shady businessguy and Ghost who had extenuating circumstances. Ant-Man doesn't need evil; it's too doofy and fun. 

Evangeline Lilly was perfect and such a badass. Paul Rudd continues to not age, and Michelle Pfeiffer was gd luminous. I adore Cassie so much, and I really hope Young Avengers are in the future. 

After having such a blast during the movie, I couldn't believe I got a knot in my stomach waiting for the mid-credit scene. I'm going to need to take a Xanax before IW2. I have so many thoughts and theories (likely wrong) about what's going to happen now. And the ending credit parting line about the XXX will return was just mean. 

[thuganomics85]

Better then the first one, and while it probably is still one of the more straightforward and, yes, "smaller" films/stories of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I really do enjoy it for what it is.  It truly is the little (sorry) things that just put a smile on my face.  I like that the main storyline is more personal and the entire world isn't at stake.  I liked that the villains aren't powerful megalomaniacs bent on taking over the world, and Burch was really the only bad person here, since Ghost was more someone who was driven by tragedy, pain, and desperation to do what she did.  I like that Scott's ex and her husband continue to actually be decent folks, who care for Scott and actually want him to have a good relationship with his daughter.  I like the small glimpses into what it is like being an ex-con and readjusting back into society.  And I love that Hope is clearly the biggest badass here, and there isn't any jealously or postering from Scott over it.  Again, a lot of this isn't exactly breaking the mold here, but in this day and age, it has actually become kind of refreshing.

While Paul Rudd has gotten to the point where he really can't disappear into a character anymore and is just Paul Rudd, I really can't think of anyone else who could be Scott/Ant-Man.  He really is the perfect choice.  And speaking of perfect choices, I continue to be amazed over how perfect Evangeline Lilly is as Hope/Wasp, after not being blown away by her in either Lost or The Hobbit films.  But they struck gold with her casting.  And while I'm not wild about the romances in most Marvel films, I'm digging the chemistry between Rudd and Lilly.  Rounding out the returning players, Luis and Scott's friends continue to be hilarious, and Michael Douglas is just such a dominating presence as Hank.

As for the rest, Walton Goggins is always a welcome sight, and I wouldn't mind if his character pops up again as one of the smaller, recurring criminals in this universe.  Between this and Ready Player One, I'm certainly glad studios are realizing the awesomeness of Hannah John-Kamen, and I hope it continues once her time in Killjoys comes to an end.  Laurence Fishburne and Michelle Pfeiffer didn't have much to do, but hopefully they'll be expand upon in future films.

All the action stuff was fun and entertaining, especially with out they messed around with the various changing in sizes of items (and people!)  Also liked the effect that they used for Ghost's fight scenes.

Good humor as expected as well.  I think my favorites where all the stuff involving the truth serum (especially leading to one of Luis' infamous recaps), Janet taking over Scott's body, and all of the Giant Man sequences.  Granted, I probably would just watch an entire segment with Scott thinking up of punny nicknames for all of the ants he works with.

I knew what was coming in the mid-credit scene once I saw that Scott was going off on his own, but that was still hard to watch.  Hope, Hank, and Janet all get dusted!  Damn you, Thanos!  I hope you feel the wrath of Ant-Man!!

A few minor quibbles aside (mainly that it was wrapped up too nicely.  I would think Janet would be suffering some major PTSD), I really enjoyed it and had a fun time.  I still can't believe that this concept and hero actually works.

Edited July 8, 2018 by thuganomics85

[Morrigan2575]

Thanks @calliope1975 and @thuganomics85 for the reviews (only read the first lines). I had planned on going today but, started getting 2nd thoughts after Jeremy Jahns and Midnight's Edge gave it "meh" reviews. 

Will stick to original plans and see it today, form my own opinion.

[Wynterwolf]

7 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

I would think Janet would be suffering some major PTSD

I thought that too, but then I think she said something like... '[it] changes you', so I felt like they were saying that since she was there for so long, she had come to terms with her situation in some way, but I think (hope?) we'll be hearing more about that in the future.  

One of the things I was impressed with was how they incorporated Luis this time around, in the first one he was great, but incoporating him felt a little choppy, but here he blended perfectly.  His 'truth serum' recounting got the biggest laugh in my theater.  

So now Scott is stuck in the Quantum Realm, but I wonder if Bill was dusted, and if he knows where they were and what they were doing, since they were getting 'particles' for Ava.  

[Raja]

5 hours ago, Wynterwolf said:

I thought that too, but then I think she said something like... '[it] changes you', so I felt like they were saying that since she was there for so long, she had come to terms with her situation in some way, but I think (hope?) we'll be hearing more about that in the future.  

One of the things I was impressed with was how they incorporated Luis this time around, in the first one he was great, but incoporating him felt a little choppy, but here he blended perfectly.  His 'truth serum' recounting got the biggest laugh in my theater.  

So now Scott is stuck in the Quantum Realm, but I wonder if Bill was dusted, and if he knows where they were and what they were doing, since they were getting 'particles' for Ava.  

If not Bill there is the ExCon van, surely they put a lo jack on it. The odds are minimal that all 6 to 8 who would know got snaptured.

[Wynterwolf]

6 minutes ago, Raja said:

If not Bill there is the ExCon van, surely they put a lo jack on it.

That's true... so even if Bill didn't know where they were, one of them will be able to find it.  I suspect Bill or Ava might be the only ones who know how to get Scott back, but it might not be relevant if Scott somehow runs into some other people in the Quantum Realm?  And then if he maybe rides a time vortex sometime else... interesting possibilities.    

[Samsnee]

What a waste of Michelle Pfeiffer

[Dee]

A big improvement from the first film, but not nearly enough Evangeline Lilly & Michelle Pfeiffer.

Michael Pena walked away with the film. His truth serum rant was an all-time classic.

[AimingforYoko]

52 minutes ago, Dee said:

Michael Pena walked away with the film. His truth serum rant was an all-time classic.

An extra layer for us Justified fans was Walton Goggins, of all people, telling Luis to get to the point.

[SeanC]

3 hours ago, Samsnee said:

What a waste of Michelle Pfeiffer

I wouldn't say waste.  She had some good, emotional scenes, and was set up for a larger role in sequels.

I think, on balance, I liked this one more than the first one.  The humour is better-integrated, and there's no moment where it feels like they ruined the more dramatic/emotional moments with unnecessary jokes, which was a problem in the first (and a lot of the mid-2010s MCU films, culminating in Ragnarok).

The scenes with Scott and Cassie are the highlight of the film.  The actress who plays Cassie is super charming.

When the crew left Bill Foster's office, I was a bit surprised, since it seemed odd that they'd cast Fishburne for such a small role.  The twist that he was working with Ghost was one of the new narrative developments in the MCU I genuinely didn't see coming.  Ghost isn't going to go down as a classic villain, but I don't think the movie is trying to make her one anyway, and her anti-villain motivation was a nice change of pace from most generically evil MCU villains.

[anna0852]

Love Cassie and Scott interacting in this one! Paul and Abby really do hit the father-daughter notes just right. And I love how he told her he'd be a terrible parent if he let her be a super hero.

On a shallow note, the longer hair is much more flattering on Evangeline. I was not a fan of the sharp bob-and-bangs in the first one. Didn't like on Bryce Dallas Howard in the first Jurassic World either, so maybe that's just me.

I about came out of my seat during those credit scenes. My god, talk about mood whiplash! Next April/May (do we have a release date for A4 yet?) can't get here soon enough. 

Cassie is either going to be a superhero to end all superhero's when she grows up or a villanous mastermind that puts Thanos in the shade. I'm not sure which. 

I really needed a funny and lighter MCU entry after the 'oh-holy-shit-did-they-really-just-do-that-oh-my-god-they-did-and-I-forgot-how-to-breathe' that was Infinity War and this definitely fit the bill. Until it didn't.

[Raja]

21 minutes ago, anna0852 said:

Love Cassie and Scott interacting in this one! Paul and Abby really do hit the father-daughter notes just right. And I love how he told her he'd be a terrible parent if he let her be a super hero.

On a shallow note, the longer hair is much more flattering on Evangeline. I was not a fan of the sharp bob-and-bangs in the first one. Didn't like on Bryce Dallas Howard in the first Jurassic World either, so maybe that's just me.

I about came out of my seat during those credit scenes. My god, talk about mood whiplash! Next April/May (do we have a release date for A4 yet?) can't get here soon enough. 

Cassie is either going to be a superhero to end all superhero's when she grows up or a villanous mastermind that puts Thanos in the shade. I'm not sure which. 

I really needed a funny and lighter MCU entry after the 'oh-holy-shit-did-they-really-just-do-that-oh-my-god-they-did-and-I-forgot-how-to-breathe' that was Infinity War and this definitely fit the bill. Until it didn't.

Comics Cassie Lang spoiler

Spoiler

Cassie does steal "some shit" from Hank Pym for the same reasons Ghost did and later becomes an Avenger

[Jediknight]

Woo needs to be in every MCU movie going forward.  He also needs to learn magic tricks, dude needs a win.

[Morrigan2575]

12 hours ago, SeanC said:

Ghost isn't going to go down as a classic villain, but I don't think the movie is trying to make her one anyway, and her anti-villain motivation was a nice change of pace from most generically evil MCU villains.

I agree, I quite liked Ghost/Eva, I thought the actress did a great job and the Wasp/Ghost fight scenes were fantastic. I liked that Ghost wasn't a typical villain. Hell I ratjer enjoyed that all 3 villains (some people seem to include With in that role) weren't really Villains. In fact I thought the nemesis in this film fit them theme/tone perfectly.

I also loved Scott/Cassie they really have a wonderful relationship and the Cassie actress is very good for a kid.

[Scarlett45]

16 hours ago, anna0852 said:

On a shallow note, the longer hair is much more flattering on Evangeline. I was not a fan of the sharp bob-and-bangs in the first one. Didn't like on Bryce Dallas Howard in the first Jurassic World either, so maybe that's just me.

 

I’m the opposite. I actually prefered the bob which as a style seemed to suit the character better at that point in her life. Evangeline has a strong face, the lanky brown hair doesn’t do her justice BUT makes more sense with her being on the run/building the tunnel. A bob cut like that takes a lot of maintenance. 

[VCRTracking]

Damn you Thanos!! *shakes fist*

I was enjoying the movie as a light pick-me-up after Infinity War and then the mid-credits scene happened to remind me with the entire Pym family gone and Scott trapped in the Quantum realm.

[Silver Raven]

Did Janet Van Dyne have any other comics persona besides the original Wasp?

[Fukui San]

47 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

Did Janet Van Dyne have any other comics persona besides the original Wasp?

No, I believe that Janet Van Dyne's only superhero persona over the years was The Wasp. I don't see any other personas on this history of her. However, The Wasp has been a mainstay of The Avengers from the beginning, and for large swaths of time she was Avengers Chairperson, efficiently running the Avengers even as Cap, Thor, and Iron Man were members, and it was no big deal. Janet was the boss, maybe half or a third of the time over the last three decades? It was a good deal more progressive than the beginning movie Avengers in that way. It's really too bad that the movie Avengers didn't see fit to have her on board.

[Lantern7]

That was fun. Paid too much for admission ($20; I didn't want to wait an additional half-hour for the "conventional" version) and soda (criminal), and I sat through eight trailers . . . but AMTW was worth it. After the sad note AIW went out on, we needed fun in the MCU, especially since we have to wait seven months for Captain Marvel. I mean, who cares that the drum-playing ant at the very end was in the trailer?!? Well, I do. A little. I'll let it slide

Great film. Perfect year for Marvel. I like the idea of Scott as the "everyman" hero (at least compared to most of the adult heroes). The Pyms were fun and professional, as well as patient given that they had to deal with Scott. X-Con guys were great. Ghost wasn't really a villain per se, and the actual bad guy was a weak link . . . then again, Birch is following Thanos, so that's understandable. The gags not covered in the trailer were also great. Just a lot of fun. At least until after the main credits. I thought the ashes would dissipate into nothingness. I guess that I remembered that scene from AIW incorrectly. Of course Thanos took out Hank, Janet and Hope. I'm hoping Scott comes into the next Avengers movie, just for the awkwardness with the guys he battled in Germany.

ETA: Maybe Jimmy Woo is the new Coulson? I had pegged Everett K. Ross for that, but Woo makes more sense.

Edited July 8, 2018 by Lantern7

[dkb]

I loved it, so much fun! I think I would put this one over the first one for me. It felt funnier and had more heart I think.

Gotta agree with posters above, I liked Ghost/Ava as a "villian" or a better term would be antagonist; felt bad for her and horrified about the pain she must feel every minute. Hope she will become a member of team antman and the wasp.

Luis is just perfect and everyone in the theater was rolling at the truth serum stuff and the return if Luis's storytime.

[Lantern7]

Also, I’m now hoping Luis appears in the next Avengers movie, just so he can do one of his recaps.

[kirinan]

I liked this even better than the first one, and I really enjoyed the first one. I actually teared up a little when Hank and Janet and then Hope and Janet saw each other again, and am content to wait for more Michelle Pfeiffer in the sequel I'm sure will be coming. She is every bit as beautiful--in a different, more mature way, of course--as she was in Ladyhawke so many years ago. And let's just face it, Paul Rudd is one of the most likable actors working today. I wonder what his Dorian Gray portrait looks like, because I swear he looks almost no older than he did in 1995, when I first saw him in Clueless (okay, so I exaggerate, but only a little).

The best part, to me, was the reaction in our theater to the first in-the-credits scene. People went absolutely NUTS; I've never heard that much reaction to one of the post-movie scenes. I was completely unspoiled, and even though I normally don't mind spoilers at all, I'm glad I didn't know. The impact was huge that way.   

Edited July 8, 2018 by kirinan

[Raja]

My audience let out a groan like we were punched in the gut.

[Enigma X]

I won't be able to see this until next weekend. I can't wait.

[Wynterwolf]

1 hour ago, kirinan said:

The best part, to me, was the reaction in our theater to the first in-the-credits scene. People went absolutely NUTS; I've never heard that much reaction to one of the post-movie scenes.

My theater collectively gasped, which was... very cool? but also you could just feel the energy deflate after the high everyone had been on during the movie.  I knew what was coming (which I am very glad about, and the reason I had purposely looked it up, because I had expected something like that and I needed to know who it was going in).  And then the last scene, the 'no broadcast logo' on the tv hit me hard.

[phalange]

I've been waiting forever for this and it did not disappoint.

Scott is such a good dad to Cassie and I love their little fort. I totally want to go down the stairs-turned-slide they built. The "world's best grandma" trophy was cute and I like how it came back into play later. That whole scene of Scott and Hope trying to get the trophy from Cassie's backpack was great. Hope was 100% the biggest badass in this one. All her fight scenes against the dealers and against Ghost were well done. And I completely understand why she was mad that Scott didn't tell her about going to Germany. I love their relationship though, so I'm glad it all worked out. Hank being totally done with them whenever they'd flirt/make googly eyes was funny. And the scene with them and Cassie in the shrunken down car at the "drive-in" was adorable.

Hank and Janet's reunion in the quantum realm and Janet and Hope's when they returned were all nicely done. I like that Janet felt for Ghost/Ava and ended up healing her. Ghost was a good antagonist for a lighter movie like this and it was easy to understand her motivation for trying to get her hands on the tech after everything she was put through. Also, it's probably just me, but I was stoked to see Hank encounter tardigrades, a.k.a Earth's coolest species. 

Luis was, of course, one of the best parts. I was hoping he and his long-winded stories would be back, and they were! Even with truth serum (it was truth serum!) it still takes him a million years to get to the point and I love it. The one guy yelling "Baba Yaga!" when Ghost showed up had me in stitches. 

The mid-credit scene when Hope, Janet, and Hank got dusted had everyone in the theater gasping. What perfectly awful timing. I wonder if Cassie and her mom and step-dad got dusted, too. A lot of people left (do people seriously not know to stick around by now?) and then even more left before the post-credit scene. I remembered seeing the ant playing the drums in the trailer and I was wondering when it was going to show up and thought maybe it had just gotten edited out of the final draft. The t.v. screen showing a broadcast warning was eerie. That ant is living his/her best life, though. 

[tennisgurl]

FUCK YOU THANOS!!!

Seriously though, that was a great movie, I loved every minute of it. I loved the fist Ant Man, but I think I actually liked this one even more. The plot was more streamlined, and the emotional threads, especially the relationships between parents and children (even with Ghost and her father figure) worked really well. The relationship between Cassie and Scott is so adorable, and I thought the improving relationship between Hope and Hank seemed very earned, as was their quest to get to Janet. Cant wait to see more of Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet, I already like her a lot, and I want to see of the powers she seems to have picked up. But, god, that ending was brutal. Everything is all happy, then them WHAM, the Pyms are dust and Scott is trapped in the Quantum Realm, and thats just the people we saw, who knows what happened to the rest of the supporting cast. 

The two post credits scenes really were very chilling, it was honestly pretty impressive how creepy they made a few quick scenes. The camera going to a light dutch angle as we go from the Quantum Realm to the clouds of dust where Hank, Janet, and Hope used to be standing was very effectively creepy, as was the second scene of the now empty house, with just that emergency broadcast going on, with everything else dead silent. Until the giant ant started rocking out on the drums, of course. I knew it was coming, but it was somehow even more gut punching than I expected. People in my theater actually gasped! 

Paul Rudd is just so likable, and Scott is a fun hero to hang out with. He has such a amiable personality, and its fun to see a hero who is kind of a normal guy in the midst of all this comic book wackiness, and is ready to point out the things he sees as ridiculous. "Do you guys just add quantum to everything?" "We look like ourselves at a baseball game." Love the rest of the cast as well, with Evangeline Lilly being very tough with a lot of warmth as well, Michael Douglas being commanding without being stuff, and Michael Pena stealing every scene, just like in the original. I actually thought Luis and his friends were used really well here, much better than I thought they would be. They were comic relief, but its a comedic movie, and they actually did impact the plot and help out quite a bit, and were generally fun to have around. I also liked seeing more of Scott's ex and her new husband, and their friendship with Scott, especially his ex wife's constant anger over the FBIs treatment of Scott, only to be reminded by her cop husband that, yeah, they can do pretty much anything they want. It was also fun to see Randall Park, who I always like, and he fit into the movie really well. In general, it was a great cast, and everyone got fun stuff to do. 

Speaking of actors I love, I adore Hannah John Kamen (who is awesome and wonderful on Killjoys!) so it was great to see her on the big screen again after a few other big roles lately, and I thought she was a really good, unique "villain" for the MCU. Really, I liked how, despite there being three different factions trying to stop the heroes, no one was there to destroy or enslave the world, or do any other supervillany. The FBI is just doing their jobs, Burch is just an arms dealer trying to make some money, and Ghost and Bill Foster were just trying to save Ava from dying of her intangibility powers. It technically makes it a smaller movie (some pun intended) than a lot of MCU films, but I think it works really well, especially coming off of Infinity War. I like that the MCU is open to trying new things, and having villains who have different motives than destroying the world or taking over stuff. It keeps the movies fresh and different. And I was happy that all the villains survived (unless they dusted), and that Ava was saved, and might even be turning to the side of good, considering Scott and company were getting stuff for her treatment. She would be a fun character to have around as a morally grey ally to show up sometimes to help out. 

[wingster55]

Waste of Michelle in this one. I get she may have more in a potential sequel but I'm skeptical. The plot was pretty thin...they focused too much on humor. Plus I wanted to know about Bill and Ava's fate. 

 

Why did the FBI arrest Hank and Hope? 

Also why was Hope mad that Scott went to Germany. From what I remember of CW, I thought Scott was kidnapped. 

[Dee]

Scott willingly joined Team Cap at the behest of Sam.

[Raja]

7 hours ago, wingster55 said:

Waste of Michelle in this one. I get she may have more in a potential sequel but I'm skeptical. The plot was pretty thin...they focused too much on humor. Plus I wanted to know about Bill and Ava's fate. 

 

Why did the FBI arrest Hank and Hope? 

Also why was Hope mad that Scott went to Germany. From what I remember of CW, I thought Scott was kidnapped. 

Hank and Hope were wanted for Conspiracy to violate the Sokovian Accords by providing super tech to Scott Lang. That they just didn't trust the authorities and the courts so just went underground, rather than fight with lawyers like Scott did who ended up with 2 years house arrest, was probably due to Hank knowing the government would seize his technology.  Something that S.H.I.E.L.D. even with Hydra embedded refused to do maybe in hope that Hank would come up with more stuff later.

Scott was never kidnapped, he was recruited by The Falcon to join team Cap and woke up in the van from sleeping

[Sakura12]

I was wondering if they were going to tie this movie to Infinity War. Then they did. Fuck you, Thanos. That poor ant is he stuck in that loop forever?

I love Luis telling his whole life story to get to where Scott is now. I also liked that this was a smaller scale story and not another world ending catastrophe. Ghost not being evil to be evil was a nice change of pace, even though they had a second villain filling that spot. Ana had an understandable motivation. I'm glad Janet was able to help her with her new powers. They should call her Quantium Wasp to keep with Scott saying they just put quantium in front of everything.

With the Worlds Greatest Grandma trophy for Scott. If he stays with Hope and Janet becomes Cassie's Grandma. She possessed Scott so he was the Grandma. Lol

[Shannon L.]

We found this to be thoroughly enjoyable.  My husband and I expected to enjoy it, although, I was worried based on a couple of scenes in the trailer that it would get too silly.  But it didn't and we were surprised to find it even better than we expected.  I heard it called "Marvel Lite" by a critic and while I understand the criticism, I think it's exactly what we needed from Marvel right now, especially following the drama in IW. There was a lot of laughter throughout the whole movie.

Speaking of which:  We had totally forgotten about IW and that this happened before all of that.  So, the credit scene came as a complete shock.  I mean, even when Scott was trying to get them to answer him, it didn't cross my mind until I saw the ashes.  I'm guessing most people in the theater also forgot because there was a collective gasp with a few "omg!" and "Holy shit" comments coming from crowd.  While all of the end credit scenes have ranged from "Ok, that was cute", to "Wow" and everything in between, I think this was the most surprising one in a long time, if not ever.

Evangaline Lilly was fantastic as an action/Super hero and I thought the actress who played Ghost did a great job (and she looked so much like Emily Blunt that they could be related, imo).

[benteen]

Fun movie, I enjoyed it.  I appreciate the change in pace.  Terrific work by Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas and Michael Pena.  Really appreciate the de-aging FX, which is always fun to see in a movie.  Good, creative action and great location work.  The mid-credits scene didn't disappoint either.  I was glad to see Michelle Pfeiffer, who has had a nice comeback the past two years though I wish we could have seen more of her.

I still don't think we got a real good explanation as to why Scott was willing to risk everything (particularly looking after his daughter) to help Cap.  Yes, I said Cap. ;)

I liked the actress who played Ghost, liked her powers and backstory but the great role Marvel has been on with villains lately ends at 5.  Ghost was too much of an afterthought and while Walton Goggins is always fantastic, his character was more useless to the story than even Sam Rockwell's Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2.

[wingster55]

11 hours ago, Dee said:

Scott willingly joined Team Cap at the behest of Sam.

We weren't really shown that, Scott just showed up in a random van. 

 

6 hours ago, Raja said:

Hank and Hope were wanted for Conspiracy to violate the Sokovian Accords by providing super tech to Scott Lang

Weren't the accords after the first Ant-Man? So why would they be on the run? They didn't break any laws at the time. 

[Wynterwolf]

44 minutes ago, wingster55 said:

We weren't really shown that, Scott just showed up in a random van.

Driven by Clint, after a scene where Sam said he "knew a guy" (referencing his interaction with Scott in the first AntMan movie).  And based on Scott's reaction to meeting Steve, it seems a reasonable assumption that Scott was extremely enthusiastic about being asked (by Clint and probably Wanda, and as Dee said at the behest of Sam) to help Steve, getting us from point A in San Francisco to point B in the garage.  

 

44 minutes ago, wingster55 said:

Weren't the accords after the first Ant-Man? So why would they be on the run? They didn't break any laws at the time.

The way I interpreted it, Hank and Hope wanted to keep control of their tech, but because of what Scott did in Germany, it was under the jurisdiction of the Accords, so when they continued to use it on their own, it was a violation of the Accords and subjected them to arrest.  Which was why they were hiding from the authorities and on the run.    

Edited July 9, 2018 by Wynterwolf

[ChelseaNH]

36 minutes ago, wingster55 said:

So why would they be on the run?

Because they provided the technology that Scott used during CA:CW.  Aiding people who violate the Sokovia Accords is a violation of the Sokovia Accords.  There's a chance they could have prevailed in court (Scott stole the suit) but as mentioned above, they didn't trust the system.  And Scott didn't act like he was dragged to Germany against his will; I don't know why "dragooned" is the default setting over "volunteered."

I'm in the camp of liking the smaller scale movies just fine; not everyone has to save the world.  And it helps with Marvel's long-running third act issue.  Most of the time, the third act is a big action spectacle, but the action doesn't have much suspense.  Will the Avengers defeat the alien invasion?  Of course they will.  I think CA:TWS had a third act that finally had real suspense.  Not whether Team Cap would save humanity from Project Insight (of course they will) but whether Cap would have to kill his newly-rediscovered best friend to do it.  Here, the third act had more options than just victory or (unthinkable) failure.  Granted, I was pretty sure that Janet would make it back and she'd be able to fix Ava, but that was a conclusion I came to during the third act, not right before it started.

The other thing about scaling down the villain threat is that they're already dealing with something big and scary: the Quantum Realm.  They could have made that the villain, and I would have been just fine with it.

I had a good time, and I look forward to seeing it again.

[Raja]

1 hour ago, wingster55 said:

 

 

Weren't the accords after the first Ant-Man? So why would they be on the run? They didn't break any laws at the time. 

The Accords went into effect at the beginning of Captain America Civil War and if I was Hank Pym I would think that any government would use that excuse to seize the Pym Particles and would go under cover myself.

[VCRTracking]

Civil War is on TV right now and it's at a moment where I'm reminded of Scott's "We just look like ourselves going to a baseball game" line!

Edited July 10, 2018 by VCRTracking

[DeathQuaker]

So overall, great movie. I could have done without evil business dude being a third person to escape from, felt like it cluttered up the plot---though they did provide the opportunity for some great fights and car chases.

Ghost disappointed me for two reasons: first, I miss the anti-corporate schtick from the comics version. Second, because her plot seemed to be lifted wholesale from Jason Wilkes' story from season 2 of Agent Carter: character becomes intangible due to lab explosion, character needs resonance chamber to maintain stability, character grows desperate and hostile as condition deteriorates, solution to character's problem is drawing transdimensional/quantum energy from brilliant lady scientist (evil in AC, good in AM&tW). Sure she gets a cool suit and he gets to kiss Peggy Carter (I think she gets the short end of the stick there) but it was just weirdly similar to me. Maybe it's just me. To boot she also gets no character development other than it hurts, I'm evil now!

My favorite ant-agonist was Bill Foster, liked his story, his personality, trying to go to extremes but to do the right thing. I really want to see an Avengers 1970 tale with him, Janet, Hank, and a few others (I realize with the actors' ages it's not feasible, but I can dream).

[benteen]

Yeah, I'd love to see an pre-MCU movie involving Hank, Janet, Bill...I know Wakanda was isolated during this point but find a way to throw in T'Chauka as well.  I'd definitely see that.

[tennisgurl]

4 hours ago, DeathQuaker said:

Maybe it's just me. To boot she also gets no character development other than it hurts, I'm evil now!

I would have liked more focus on Ava and her backstory with SHIELD, but I thought she worked fine, especially as she isnt really a "supervillain" who has some super plans to take over the world or something, she has a simple, but understandable motive, and she didnt need a whole lot more development for what we got for now. She was a desperate person who had become slightly unstable due to her increasing desperation and constant trauma and started to cross lines, and I thought it made sense. She wasn't really "evil", and when she was stabilized, she seemed to be ready to turn herself in for her crimes, and had gotten herself together more (pun slightly intended) and you could see how desperation to live can drive people to extremes. I thought it worked. The whole movie is kind of almost a side story (and thats not a bad thing!) so I dont mind that she was kind of on the side of the side story. I think they left it open that she could come back as an ally later on, and maybe we can get more from her and her motivations. It was kind of the way I felt about Nebula on the first Guardians movie. I thought she was a good antagonist, but I thought she was a bit underused and wanted to see more of her. Then she came back in the sequel and got more development and was more of an uneasy ally to the heroes, and by the time we see her in Infinity War, she is basically an anti hero instead of a villain at all, and is really a well formed character. I can see them doing something similar with Ava, albeit with less high stakes drama. I liked that the villains are more like "people trying to get the thing" like in a lot of screwball action movies instead of full on super villains. After Thanos and his world killer crownies, it was just what I needed. 

A few more thoughts I've had since the first movie. Paul Rudd playing Scott as possessed by Janet was actually really good, and I totally saw the difference between Scott and Janet instantly, even beyond him clearly saying and doing things that Scott wouldn't do. And I think they played the scene as a good mix of funny and sweet. I also loved the fight scenes between Scott, Hope, and Ava while they all used powers against each other. It was really well done, and they used their powers creatively, and its what I want in a superhero battle. It felt very comic book. The effects for Ghost were also really great, especially as you can see glimpses of her as she leaves places. Its super creepy and I loved it. I also loved the Stan Lee cameo. It might be my second favorite after the Guardians 2 cameo. Both because you can read it as "old man did a LOT of drugs in the 60s and is now convinced he is seeing thing" or, on the meta level "Stan Lee created Ant-Man in the 60s and now he is being trolled by his own creations". I also like the continuing theme of the problems that ex cons have in integrating themselves into mainstream society, and how hard it is for them to get legit work, even when they want to go straight. They dont go super hard on it, but I like that its a reoccurring theme in the Ant Man movies. Its played in the background, but I like that it comes off as real in such a goofy series of movie. Like, Scott being unable to even get a shitty fast food job as an ex con, despite being a nonviolent offender with a masters degree, is one of the realist things I've seen in the MCU.  

Edited July 10, 2018 by tennisgurl

[blueray]

On 7/8/2018 at 2:41 PM, kirinan said:

The best part, to me, was the reaction in our theater to the first in-the-credits scene. People went absolutely NUTS; I've never heard that much reaction to one of the post-movie scenes. I was completely unspoiled, and even though I normally don't mind spoilers at all, I'm glad I didn't know. The impact was huge that way.   

My theater was surprised by this a lot people gasped and I was one of them. Then one lady said really loud "wait that was in that other movie".

Anyhow I really enjoyed this movie. It was funny and entertaining. I like how Engline Lilly basically played Kate especially when she broke out of the handcuffs.  Stan Lee's appearance was good, it got laughs in the the theater.