You've got to Marvel at their success
FILM REVIEW:
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP (12A)
SHOWCASE CINEMA DE LUX PETERBOROUGH, OUT NOW
CAST: PAUL RUDD, EVANGELINE LILLY, MICHAEL DOUGLAS, HANNAH JOHN-KAMEN, MICHAEL PENA, LAURENCE FISHBURNE, RANDALL PARK, WALTON GOGGINS, BOBBY CANNAVALE, JUDY GREER, ABBY RYDER FORTSON, TIP ‘TI’ HARRIS, DAVID DASTMALCHIAN & MICHELLE PFEIFFER
RUNNING TIME: 1 HR 58 MINS
DIRECTOR: PEYTON REED
How do Marvel do it?
Celebrating their tenth anniversary after Iron Man launched the MCU – and they’re still yet to make a major misstep.
This sequel to Ant-Man continues that enviable golden run by providing a highly enjoyable romp that may just be the best pound-for-pound family-orientated Marvel movie yet.
It also shows that they can switch it up between darker and stellar fare such as the recent Avengers ensemble Infinity War to a more light-hearted offering such as this – but by retaining the integrity of the cinematic universe and making it completely relevant to the timeline.
Which for those who have seen the impressive Infinity War can be viewed in a mouth-watering mid-credits scene, which ties up Ant-Man’s (Paul Rudd) – and potential major role for Avengers 4 – omission from the blockbuster.
For those wondering where the miniature superhero was in the last Avengers outing – with Hawkeye’s whereabouts the only mystery now unexplained – he has actually been under house arrest for two years for his role in the events of Captain America: Civil War where he turned into ‘Giant Man’ and wreaked havoc in Germany.
This has left Scott Lang/Ant-Man able to spend more quality time with his daughter (Abby Ryder Park) as he grapples with the consequences of his choices of being both a father and superhero, particularly with potential love interest Hope Van Dyne/Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) and her father Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) completely snubbing him after he stole his suit to help Team Cap without with their permission – which forced them into exile.
But after he has a vision of Hope’s presumed-dead Mom Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) in the Quantum Realm – an alternate dimension which can only be reached by tremendous subatomic shrinking – they reconnect contact as they attempt to save her and bring her back to the real world.
But several ‘spanners’ are thrown in the works by the mysterious quantum-energy wielding Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) – aided by Pym’s former colleague Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne who is trying to find her alter ego Ava Starr a cure – a rogue black market technology trader Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins), and a excellent turn by comedic actor Randall Park as FBI agent Jimmy Woo, who is constantly on the case of Lang to make sure he doesn’t revoke his house arrest by leaving his home.
Michael Pena also joins Park by giving this movie a really amiable comedy undertone – putting it up there with Thor: Ragnorak as the funniest MCU film – as he returns as Lang’s best buddy Luis, after forming a security camera firm with him.
See the ‘truth’ serum scenes for some of the best yet.
But despite the added comedic edge from returning director Peyton Reed, the movie is kept grounded with a compelling storyline that is another worthy and watchable addition to canon – and experiencing Lilly ‘stinging’ bad guys by kicking ass as the Wasp is always good value.
In fact, this movie is probably the first Marvel movie that non-comic-book fans could truly enjoy – as it panders to both the family and hardcore fan demographic in equal measures.
So set your antenna for the cinema – as this will definitely get you buzzing.
Rating: 4/5 Gavin Miller
OUT THIS WEEK IN PETERBOROUGH & SPALDING...
SHOWCASE CINEMA DE LUX PETERBOROUGH:
THE MEG (12A), SHOWCASE CINEMA DE LUX PETERBOROUGH, FROM TOMORROW
It probably won’t actually be the ‘biggest’ film of the month in terms of box office takings, but it’s definitely the biggest film in other areas - by boasting a 70-foot prehistoric killer shark that should have been extinct for millions of years.
What’s not to like about that? Throw in Jason Statham (Fast and Furious series) as expert sea diver and former Naval Captain Jonas Taylor, who must confront his fears - after narrowly surviving a previous attack by the same shark which was discredited - to save people trapped in a sunken submersible that is surrounded by the terrifying creature.
And early reviews are saying it’s chompingly-good fun . . .
MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN (PG), SOUTH HOLLAND CENTRE SPALDING, FROM TOMORROW
Musical fans are getting spoiled this year as this toe-tapping sequel comes on the back of the goodwill generated by The Greatest Showman - ten years after the beloved original.
Amanda Seyfried’s Sophie learns about her mother’s (Meryl Streep) past while pregnant herself - experiencing Donna’s young life as she’s portrayed by Cinderella’s Lily James.
This pretty much covers the fun her mother had with the three possible Dads of Sophie seen in the first film - and knowing she’ll be a young mother Sophie realises she’ll have to take risks like her mother did. Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth return to join newcomers such as War Horse’s Jeremy Irving and Cher.
THE DARKEST MINDS (12A), SHOWCASE CINEMA DE LUX PETERBOROUGH, FROM TOMORROW
This hopes to reverse the flailing fortunes of dystopian teen dramas (The Maze Runner, Divergent Series etc) coming from the producers of Stranger Things on the back of Alexandra Bracken’s acclaimed novel. When teenagers mysteriously develop powerful new abilities they are declared a threat by the government and detained - but a resistance group forms to fight back and reclaim control of their future.
SHOWCASE CINEMA DE LUX PETERBOROUGH:
DOG DAYS (12A), FROM TOMORROW
UNFRIENDED: DARK WEB (15), FROM TOMORROW
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, FROM TOMORROW
THE FESTIVAL (15), FROM TUESDAY
FLASHBACK: HEATHERS (15), TOMORROW AT 7PM
FLASHBACK: SPIRITED AWAY (PG), SUNDAY 2PM & WEDNESDAY AT 7PM
SOUTH HOLLAND CENTRE SPALDING:
THE INCREDIBLES (PG), OUT NOW
MARY SHELLEY (12A), TODAY AT 6.30PM
