Ant-Man and The Wasp was never going to receive the same level of critical acclaim as Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War but the signs are all pointing to it being another win for Marvel Studios. However, there's no getting around the fact that a lot of critics weren't overly keen on Peyton Reed's sequel and the reviews were more of the B-/3* variety rather than being overwhelmingly positive.
Having seen the movie, it's surprisingly easy to see why. Yes, it's a lot of fun and there's plenty here to talk about but as enjoyable as it is, there's no denying the fact it's a little too straightforward and basic.
In this article, we're delving into everything that did and didn't work in Ant-Man and The Wasp, explaining the sequel's good points and touching on the things that didn't really work as well as they should have. So, to take a look at the entire list, all you have to do is click on the "View List" button.
Didn't Work: An Underwhelming After-Credits Scene
Ant-Man and The Wasp's mid-credits scene may have been amazing (more on that later) but the after-credits scene is something of a let down for fans who waited through the credits. Marvel has had fun at our expense before - remember Spider-Man: Homecoming? - but a giant ant playing the drums in Scott Lang's apartment seems like a weak attempt at levity based on what's happened minutes earlier.
I understand the why of this scene but there are better ways to reward fans and another Captain Marvel tease would have been good, especially as her movie is up next. Still, no one is forcing us to stay so now you know what's coming, you can make your own decision about whether it's worth it!
Did Work: The Wasp
The first wave of reviews for the sequel pointed to The Wasp being a highlight and they weren't wrong! Evangeline Lilly is fantastic as the hero and while she was very good in 2015's Ant-Man, it's nice to see her stretch her wings (pun intended) and play this character, getting top billing alongside Scott Lang.
Seeing her join The Avengers is now a must as it feels like we've barely scratched the surface of what Hope can do with her suit and powers. In fact, it would be no bad thing for The Wasp to get her own movie based on what we see in this movie and it's great that every time you think the spotlight will be shifted to Ant-Man, it's actually The Wasp who saves the day. Honestly, it works from start to finish.
Didn't Work: Not Enough Janet Van Dyne
If you were excited to see Michelle Pfeiffer play Janet Van Dyne then you'd best hope and pray Marvel makes an Ant-Man 3 because she doesn't get a whole lot of screentime here. The original Wasp doesn't actually show up until near the end of the sequel and then gets only a handful of scenes. It's clear that Peyton Reed is laying the groundwork to explore her new powers but that makes this no less disappointing, even if it does mostly make sense for her return to have been saved for the final act.
We never learn how she survived in the Quantum Realm or what she was doing for thirty years; how did she not go mad? What did she eat? How does she know so much about it? These questions probably will be answered somewhere down the line but for now, don't expect an awful lot of Janet.
Did Work: The Humour
Ant-Man and The Wasp is a very funny movie and while fans have often found fault with the level of humour in Marvel movies, we get the right amount here and it all works really well. There's not really a single joke that falls flat and the dynamic between Scott Lang and Hank Pym is a definite highlight.
Luis is, of course, once again hilarious as are the rest of his fellow ex-cons, while nearly every character gets a moment to shine in this respect and it never once feels awkward or forced. Personally, my favourite moments in this respect comes when Bill Foster is in the middle of explaining his plan but continuously interrupted by Scott's ridiculous ringtone. It smartly turns a classic trope on its head.
Did Work: Teases For What Comes Next
The movie drops a lot of interesting hints about where Ant-Man and The Wasp could go next in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but it's what Ant-Man and The Wasp means for Avengers 4 which is most exciting. In the mid-credits scene, Scott ends up being trapped in the Quantum Realm after Hope, Hank, and Janet all turn to dust after Thanos snapped his fingers and wiped out half the universe.
That's a great way to tie this movie into the events of Avengers: Infinity War (even if the Mad Titan's attack wasn't referenced throughout the rest of the sequel) and the fact that Janet mentioned time vortexes to Scott at the start of the scene has to mean that will come into play in Avengers 4. After all, it would explain those set photos showing Ant-Man meeting 2012-era Captain America and Iron Man!
Didn't Work: It's Too Simple
This is both a good thing and a bad thing. While it's certainly not the end of the world for Ant-Man and The Wasp to be a fairly straightforward affair, an argument could definitely be made that the movie doesn't take enough risks and that a slightly smarter story could have elevated it to being placed alongside Marvel's top-tier releases. As it is, it's very much in the middle of the pack right now.
That's not a terrible place to be considering the fact the studio has never released a bad movie but at a breeze 1 hour, 50 minutes, an extra twenty minutes to flesh out some characters and add a subplot or two could have made a huge difference. It will be interesting seeing how many deleted scenes we get.
Did Work: The Family Dynamic
If Ant-Man and The Wasp has a theme, it's family. In every respect, that works brilliantly in the movie no matter whether we're talking about Hope and Hank, Scott and Cassie, or even the dynamic Ant-Man has with The Wasp and his ex-wife. When so many other Marvel movies have high stakes, it's actually nice to see the spotlight put on something like this rather than heroes vs. heroes or alien invasions.
As the studio continues releasing three movies a year, it will be interesting seeing whether or not we get these smaller tales amidst those that deal with world-ending threats and cosmic conquerers.
Did Work: The Action
It almost feels redundant to point out that the action scenes in a Marvel movie are very good but they really are top notch here and Peyton Reed delivers some really inventive and clever moments which help Ant-Man and The Wasp stand out from the crowd. It's a shame we don't really get much more Giant-Man than what was in the trailers but those scenes work as do the ones featuring the titular heroes when they're tiny (The Wasp's fight scenes are a huge highlight because she's a total badass).
Did Work: The Flashbacks
Ant-Man and The Wasp features a couple of flashbacks and, damn, Marvel Studios has really nailed those de-ageing special effects! A movie featuring a young Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne now feels like a very real possibility and while I'm not sure that's a priority for Disney, it's nice to know it would work.
These flashbacks also do a nice job of fleshing out the pasts of characters like Hank, Janet, and Bill, serving the story in an effective way. Personally, I think it was a missed opportunity not to tie Ghost's work with S.H.I.E.L.D. into an event we've seen in the MCU before now but that's a minor complaint.
Didn't Work: Not Enough Surprises
There was a time when Marvel showed far too much in their trailers, something which meant we could pretty much spell out the plot of an entire movie before seeing it. While they've been pretty good in recent years, it's a shame that the Ant-Man and The Wasp previews do indeed show far, far too much and that means this sequel boasts relatively few surprises as a result. That's obviously a real shame.
Yes, there are a few unexpected twists and turns and it's not like everything was spoiled but I don't think there are more than one or two scenes which we didn't see at least some of in TV spots and the like. With any luck, Marvel learns from this and won't go back to bad habits. We'll see on that front.
What did you guys think worked in Ant-Man and The Wasp? Are there things, in your opinion, that didn't? As always, let us know your thoughts on that in the comments section down below.
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