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• In a word: EXCELLENT.
Now, some more words...
Yeah, they did it again, those Mighty Marvel Movie-making Mavens. If you liked the first bugged-out flick, this sequel does not disappoint. Kudos once again to director Peyton Reed (I can only wonder what Edgar Wright would have done.), and to everyone else involved. I had a great time watching this movie, as they found a way to continue the "heist" style adventure, while deftly incorporating some amusing and heartwarming relationships between family, friends, and a resuming romance. Some of the funny gags are forced comedy. But most of the humor is naturally derived from the offbeat characters and the outlandish situations. In other words, it works. The audience I saw this with were literally laughing out loud at the silly shenanigans, as intended by the filmmakers. And they REALLY responded perfectly to the-- stinger-- ending (pun intended)! I was beginning to wonder how they were going to tie THAT in. Shhhhh!
Paul Rudd is fantastic once more, displaying a flair for comedy that is razor-sharp, yet never overdone. Michael Peña is at his scene-stealing best, along with his cronies Tip "T.J." Harris, and David Dastmalchian. Michael Douglas is just spectacular throughout, playing such a lovable grouch.
Evangeline Lilly once again proves to be too much woman. All the advance whining about her character's costume design can be flushed in favor of her actual performance which is stellar, and sexy, and bad-ass. In fact, the Wasp may be the most bad-ass of all Marvel's non-enhanced superheroes. I think she's definitely better than Black Widow in a fight (the former gold standard).
Little Abby Ryder Fortson as Scott Lang's daughter Cassie is every bit as adorable as before. Aw, heck, I'll go ahead and say she's BETTER than before. That kid has SKILLZ! And her screen chemistry with Rudd is pure magic.
The guest-cast and new additions are also pitch-perfect, including Laurence Fishburne, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, and, of course, The Pfeiffer! Walton Goggins is always fun to watch. And Randall Park is a gem.
Incidentally, Fishburne has reportedly admitted to considering himself a "Marvel guy," and he had previously pitched his own ideas on how he could become part of the MCU. Personally, I dislike cross-pollination within a specific movie genre. Nevertheless, Fishburne is GREAT as Perry White, and he's wonderful here as Bill Foster (a.k.a. Black Goliath in the comics).
Another interesting note is how this film handles its "villains." But I'll say no more about that here.
Stan Lee's cameo is another hilarious entry into that collectible sub-series. Gotta love Stan The Man!
Composer Christophe Beck turns in another solid musical score. When the rapid-fire bongo drums accompany a Michael Peña close-up, we know that a funny flashback is next, as Peña narrates all the flashback characters in his inimitably sassy motor-mouth style! Watching Evangeline Lilly perform street-sassy moves while speaking in Peña's voice is a total crack-up. I need to see the out-takes!
Not that many, to be honest. Because they've already established such a tongue-in-cheek flavor for this corner of the MCU (one that I appreciate better than that of the Guardians movies), I don't feel the need to scrutinize any lack of logistics concerning science, physics, or techno-babble. Sure, I find it impossible that a shrunken van can suddenly enlarge beneath a full-size SUV and hurl the other vehicle into the air without crushing itself or its passengers. But we're talking about a universe where a kid can wear a gloved outfit with boots, and still climb walls and cling to ceilings. Such are the vagaries of a comic book movie.
And, of course, I couldn't help thinking about how impossible it must be for a person shrunken down into the micro-verse could still breathe air, let alone survive for a great length of time. Aside from breathing, what would they eat and drink? How could they live without the sun? How could they avoid going insane? These are legitimate questions, but I was willing to set them aside in favor of an engrossing adventure story.
No, I guess I had the biggest problem with them getting too cute with the giant ant gags. The very first of these in the previous film was great. But some of the stuff they try to get away with here pushes it into the groaner territory.
I was seated next to two foreign guys who, I could tell from their accents, were German. After confirming this as the end credits rolled ("Ah! Sprechen sie Deutsch!"), the two Caltech employees remarked on how lively American audiences are, as opposed to those in their homeland. They got a big kick out of the open laughter, and gasps of surprise, along with the reaction to the first post-credits scene. And yes, they thoroughly enjoyed the movie, too.
All in all, a good time at the cinema!
And, as always, Your Mileage May Vary!
Cheers!
