Fittingly, the Ant-Man films have always been 'smaller scale' MCU films. Much like how Ant-Man himself can grow from small to GIGANTIC, what started out as a little heist film about a divorced ex-con named Scott Lang has now become something multiverse-threateningly HUGE. While some might miss the 'smaller stakes' of the original, this is just natural progression. I've always been fond of Scott, and he remains a likeable guy who *isn't* an a-hole/egotistical jerk (unlike certain other Avengers...who shall remain lifeless), but someone who cares about others, stands up for 'the little guy' and does what needs to be done for the greater good even if it means self-sacrifice. Although at the start of this film he's basking in the warm glowing warming glow of the fame that comes with being an Avenger, he remains NOT a jerk thanks to his family who bring him back down to Earth/keep him grounded. This includes his daughter, Cassie (whose life he missed out on 5 years of thanks to being stuck in the Quantum Realm), Hope van Dyne (who he's got a good relationship going on with) and her parents, Hank Pym & Janet van Dyne.
When Cassie, who proves herself quite adept at SCIENCE like Hank, unintentionally causes a signal to contact someone from Janet's past in the Quantum Realm...the family of five gets sucked into it. The journey's as trippy as you'd expect, and if nothing else, the Quantum Realm allows for craziness UP THE WAZOO, as we're treated to all manner of weird and wonderful sights including truly bizarre flora and fauna, living buildings (that are suspiciously phallic-like in appearance) with tentacles, a past character we thought lost who's undergone some interesting changes...and Bill Murray (basically playing Bill Murray). Last time Janet was here, she unwittingly helped someone who turned out to be Kang the Conqueror. He was banished (which she didn't know until *after* she'd helped him) and almost got free, but she trapped both herself and him in there until she was freed in the second movie. Now she's back, he wants a gizmo that she made unusable (thanks to those helpful Pym Particles) put right again so he can use it to escape and destroy the multiverse or whatever...you know, the usual bad guy life goals.
Scott finally gets some bonding time with his daughter, though probably not quite in the way he was hoping for. At one point he utters that instantly iconic line from the trailer: "I don't have to win...we both just have to lose." as he's getting beaten, and that's what I think makes Scott Lang/Ant-Man a true hero. Although he's fighting a battle he can't possibly win against an all-powerful enemy, he's willing to remain defiant/fight for the people he loves (as well as everyone else) until his last breath. Also, Paul Rudd's just so easily likeable as Scott. Meanwhile, Hope (Evangeline Lilly, sporting a new super-short 'do. It's more 'practical' for fighting...but I preferred her previous hair) remains Ant-Man's equal as the Wasp when it comes to mastering the shrinking/enlarging fighting-style. These two have been through a lot and it's nice to see them working together like a well-oiled machine. She and Ant-Man are true partners, helping/saving each other at various times, and Hope proves herself just as selfless as Scott towards the film's end.
Cassie (previously played by Emma Fuhrmann, who I personally thought did a lot with a little during her all-too-brief appearance in Avengers: Endgame, managing to create a very *real* effectively emotional moment with Rudd during their reunion scene), has been recast with Kathryn Newton (who's come a long way since her recurring role on the TV series Supernatural among other things). This version of Cassie is clearly smart...except when she isn't, but that's not really her fault since she didn't have all the necessary information to prevent her mistake she makes at the start of the movie (when will MCU characters learn that keeping secrets is BAD?). In between father-daughter-bonding, with occasional typical moody teen behaviour and getting in on the action with a suit of her own (she can handle herself in a fight just like the others), Cassie at least *admits* to her mistakes/tries to make up for them. She's certainly not the worst of the 'younger' generation of characters we've met in the MCU thus far.
As for the 'older' generation, Hank/Janet (along with Hope) catch up on the time they lost together as a family in amongst all the craziness going on. They each have a role to play/get to be awesome in their own ways (Hope's aforementioned kicking butt, Hank coming to the rescue at a pivotal moment and Janet handling herself admirably without the aid of a suit). Michelle Pfeiffer especially gets to shine, as we see the weight of what Janet's been carrying with her all this time and she goes toe-to-toe/holds her own against the film's villain (make no mistake, he *is* the VILLAIN. No sob story excuses killing trillions, which Janet rightly points out to him). I've seen much praise for Jonathan Majors' performance as Kang, and I'll admit that when I watched the first trailer for the movie, he did give off a quietly menacing vibe that was rather effective (better than those OTT villains who have to YELL all their lines). However, his taking-a-really-long-time-to-say-anything-and-get-to-the-point (he's like an Ent that way) got rather old/tiresome after a while and I think some have overpraised him a bit by claiming he's the 'best part' of the movie. He's a formidable foe...but still one I wanted to see Scott defeat.
There's been conflicting opinions about this film, some praising it and others condemning it (yes, there's lots of CGI...but that's to be expected given they're in the QUANTUM REALM). While it does go overboard at times, that's par for the course. It's still a decent entry in the story of possibly the most underappreciated Avenger in the MCU and it definitely feels like there's more to tell.
When Cassie, who proves herself quite adept at SCIENCE like Hank, unintentionally causes a signal to contact someone from Janet's past in the Quantum Realm...the family of five gets sucked into it. The journey's as trippy as you'd expect, and if nothing else, the Quantum Realm allows for craziness UP THE WAZOO, as we're treated to all manner of weird and wonderful sights including truly bizarre flora and fauna, living buildings (that are suspiciously phallic-like in appearance) with tentacles, a past character we thought lost who's undergone some interesting changes...and Bill Murray (basically playing Bill Murray). Last time Janet was here, she unwittingly helped someone who turned out to be Kang the Conqueror. He was banished (which she didn't know until *after* she'd helped him) and almost got free, but she trapped both herself and him in there until she was freed in the second movie. Now she's back, he wants a gizmo that she made unusable (thanks to those helpful Pym Particles) put right again so he can use it to escape and destroy the multiverse or whatever...you know, the usual bad guy life goals.
Scott finally gets some bonding time with his daughter, though probably not quite in the way he was hoping for. At one point he utters that instantly iconic line from the trailer: "I don't have to win...we both just have to lose." as he's getting beaten, and that's what I think makes Scott Lang/Ant-Man a true hero. Although he's fighting a battle he can't possibly win against an all-powerful enemy, he's willing to remain defiant/fight for the people he loves (as well as everyone else) until his last breath. Also, Paul Rudd's just so easily likeable as Scott. Meanwhile, Hope (Evangeline Lilly, sporting a new super-short 'do. It's more 'practical' for fighting...but I preferred her previous hair) remains Ant-Man's equal as the Wasp when it comes to mastering the shrinking/enlarging fighting-style. These two have been through a lot and it's nice to see them working together like a well-oiled machine. She and Ant-Man are true partners, helping/saving each other at various times, and Hope proves herself just as selfless as Scott towards the film's end.
Cassie (previously played by Emma Fuhrmann, who I personally thought did a lot with a little during her all-too-brief appearance in Avengers: Endgame, managing to create a very *real* effectively emotional moment with Rudd during their reunion scene), has been recast with Kathryn Newton (who's come a long way since her recurring role on the TV series Supernatural among other things). This version of Cassie is clearly smart...except when she isn't, but that's not really her fault since she didn't have all the necessary information to prevent her mistake she makes at the start of the movie (when will MCU characters learn that keeping secrets is BAD?). In between father-daughter-bonding, with occasional typical moody teen behaviour and getting in on the action with a suit of her own (she can handle herself in a fight just like the others), Cassie at least *admits* to her mistakes/tries to make up for them. She's certainly not the worst of the 'younger' generation of characters we've met in the MCU thus far.
As for the 'older' generation, Hank/Janet (along with Hope) catch up on the time they lost together as a family in amongst all the craziness going on. They each have a role to play/get to be awesome in their own ways (Hope's aforementioned kicking butt, Hank coming to the rescue at a pivotal moment and Janet handling herself admirably without the aid of a suit). Michelle Pfeiffer especially gets to shine, as we see the weight of what Janet's been carrying with her all this time and she goes toe-to-toe/holds her own against the film's villain (make no mistake, he *is* the VILLAIN. No sob story excuses killing trillions, which Janet rightly points out to him). I've seen much praise for Jonathan Majors' performance as Kang, and I'll admit that when I watched the first trailer for the movie, he did give off a quietly menacing vibe that was rather effective (better than those OTT villains who have to YELL all their lines). However, his taking-a-really-long-time-to-say-anything-and-get-to-the-point (he's like an Ent that way) got rather old/tiresome after a while and I think some have overpraised him a bit by claiming he's the 'best part' of the movie. He's a formidable foe...but still one I wanted to see Scott defeat.
There's been conflicting opinions about this film, some praising it and others condemning it (yes, there's lots of CGI...but that's to be expected given they're in the QUANTUM REALM). While it does go overboard at times, that's par for the course. It's still a decent entry in the story of possibly the most underappreciated Avenger in the MCU and it definitely feels like there's more to tell.