Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Pena, Walton Coggins, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne, T.I., David Dastmalchian, Hannah John-Kamen, Abby Ryder Forston, Randall Park, Divian Ladwa, Goran Kostic, Rob Archer, Sean Kleier, Benjamin Byron Davis, Michael Cerveris, Riann Steele, Hayley Lovitt, Langston Fishburne, RaeLynn Bratten, Madeleine McGraw, Tim Heidecker, Suehyla El-Attar, Stan Lee.
It does make a wonderful change to see a superhero film that doesn’t exactly see the heroes of the piece going out to save the world, or even the Universe, that it can come down to even just being able to save a single life, to thwart the immoral, the ones driven by personal greed or even perceived revenge, then in the realms of the graphic novel hero, Ant-Man and the Wasp is quite honestly up there with the best of them.
It comes down to the feeling of regret, of overcoming a hurdle that doesn’t require the taking down of a titan or a despot, an alien with a blood-thirst that can only be quenched by destroying the Earth, there is perhaps far more distrust and loose morals in a corrupt businessman or bent detective that need taking down everyday than there is a threat from beyond the stars; and it is feeling of familiarly that we can imagine the little guy, the small woman, being able to feel 50 foot tall when the chips seem irreversibly down.
Whilst Paul Rudd captures the spirit of Ant-Man with exceptional humour and timing, it is perhaps to Evangeline Lilly and Michael Douglas to which the pathos and just under the surface sorrow truly holds the film in such high regard. Ms. Lilly has finally bid a find farewell to the character Kate Austen in Lost, one that proved herself readily and with great charm as the lead female role. She has become an actor of great versatility, very much in the same extraordinary way that her co-star Michelle Pfeiffer underwent such dramatic transformation from the arguably disastrous early films of her career, notably the unforgivable Grease 2, and into the realms of hard hitting and perfect roles in films such as Dangerous Liaisons, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Dangerous Minds and of course as Selina Kyle/Catwoman in Batman Returns.
It is in this moulded experience of a lifetime’s work that Michael Douglas also carries the passion of the film, the sense of renewal that has been forever his fortitude, has once again carried him to the very pinnacle of his powers on screen; a remarkable and seasoned performer, to be able to have the ability to span five different decades in both television and film, to come back from disappointments, setbacks and the possibility of passing on before he had chance to strike out on screen again. It only makes his portrayal as Dr. Hank Pym all the more compelling; the sadness in one’s eyes is not easy to fake, and there is a huge pull on the audience’s heart as they watch this veteran of cinema give such a dramatic, and studious, presentation.
As the third phase of the Marvel Comic Universe draws to a close, and with the highly anticipated Captain Marvel and the as yet fully disclosed The Avenger 4 film title, Ant-Man and the Wasp is an enjoyable romp through the more lighter moments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe but one that also knows how to punch below the belt and make the audience feel the emotion of loss and all too fleeting hope. Ant-Man and the Wasp packs a punch and with it an enjoyable sense of fun.
Ian D. Hall