ANT-MAN AND THE WASP Review — Lisa Johnson Mandell feels it’s somewhat less than Marvelous

I know that Star Wars burnout is a big thing now, but is anyone else cooling off on the Marvel Comics Universe? Ant-Man and the Wasp is supposed to be a “much-needed MCU palate cleanser,” but I see it as just one more jello salad on a seemingly endless MCU buffet. Light, fluffy and jiggly at times, it’s sweet enough, but without a lot of real substance.

There’s no doubt that Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Michael Pena as his best bud/security business partner, and Randall Park as the agent charged with keeping an eye on Lang, are infinitely engaging, but the rest of the crew is painfully earnest and humorless, especially Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank Pym and Evangeline Lily as his daughter Hope Van Dyne (does anyone remember or care why they don’t have the same last name?)

It’s difficult to summarize the plot, because there are too many dueling bad guys to keep track of, and too much fake science to make sense of. Also, if you don’t remember much from director Payton Reed’s original Ant-Man movie, or the last Captain America outing where the two briefly join forces, you’ll be scratching your head through most of Ant-Man and the Wasp.

In brief, Michelle Pfiefer, as the wife of Pym and mother of Van Dyne, is lost in a teeny tiny quantum realm, and only Ant-Man can save her. Meanwhile, several teams of bad guys are trying to steal Pym’s technology for their own evil purposes, and Lang is trying to successfully complete the terms of his two-year house arrest while also trying to save the quantum world (and yes, they even joke about the word “quantum” being thrown around ad nauseam.)

I just wish the film could stand on its own six legs and had a little more bite—that more seemed to be at stake. While the intricate details are hard to follow, it becomes crystal clear early on how things will be resolved in the end. I guess if you’re just in the mood to sit back, watch shrinking car chases and laugh at simple jokes, this is the film for you.

And one more thing: Make sure you stay for both tags at the end—unless of course you haven’t seen Avengers: Infinity War. Then you’ll be lost.

Rated PG-13

1 Hour 58 Minutes

If you were intrigued by this ANT-MAN AND THE WASP review, get times and tickets at Fandango.com.