ANT-MAN AND THE WASP (PG-13)

   ANT-MAN AND THE WASP picks up two years after the events in CAPTAIN AMERICA:CIVIL WAR, where our hero Scott Lang was greatly effected. Know right off the bat though, if you are expecting more earth shattering revelations like we got in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, you will be disappointed.
       That's not to say that this self contained story of Scott Lang, Hank Pym and his daughter, Hope Van Dyne is a waist of time because it's anything but. It's a two hour action comedy, that like the first one, is big on heart and fun. After the breakneck pace and heavy handedness of INFINITY WAR, it's nice to take a breather and have some fun with characters who, in a smaller sense(no pun intended) have alot to lose here, but the sense of earth ending urgency is toned down here for a less stressful and enjoyable adventure for the audience.
       Paul Rudd returns as Scott Lang and gives his best and most comfortable performance to date. I'm also very pleased that Michael Douglas received more screen time as Doctor Hank Pym. His performance brings a certain nobility to the film. Evangeline Lilly is given more to do here as Hope Van Dyne, The Wasp and Hank's daughter. She is a pleasure to watch in this role. Michael Pena returns as Luis, the comic relief of the film. You get nothing more and nothing less from him in this one. The new character additions are hit and miss for me. Walton Goggins is waisted as one of the villains, Sonny Burch. His character is one note and offers very little threat to our heroes. Hannah Johnson-Kamen plays the films supposed big villain -The Ghost but the screenwriters quickly disarm her from being the villain by making the audience empathetic to her situation and back story. We end up caring for her way too early in the story.
     With his second crack as director of this franchise, Peyton Reed  does a very good job of creating a sequel that is as fun and enjoyable as the first one. He knows his way around telling a story about tiny heroes with big hearts.
      The script is credited with 5 writers but does manage to tell a pretty clear cut story without falling into the trap of having too many cooks in the kitchen.
      The special and visual effects are amazing as we all come to expect in super hero movies. I saw this in 3-D and think it is not necessary to be seen in this format, solely because it is a 3-D conversion. See the 2-D version instead.
        Last up not least, I also have to give props to film composer Christophe Beck for creating a score that compliments the action taking place on the big screen. His score, at least for me, is a stand out.
       Be sure to stay for the two bonus scenes, the first during the mid credit break and the second after the credits finish rolling.
      I give ANT-MAN AND THE WASP a B+. It's a sequel that is as big and fun as the first one, however, in the grand scheme of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it only provides a tiny piece to the overall puzzle.