Ant-Man And The Wasp: Is The Sequel Better Than The Original?
Is this more a Winter Soldier or a Dark World?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the biggest movie franchises of all time, and still manages to release hit after hit, even after 20 movies. Yet with sequels, the studio tends to be very hit and miss.
The Winter Soldier, Thor Ragnarok, and Infinity War were all far better than the films that preceded them in their respective franchises, and Civil War and Guardians Vol 2 were as good if not better than their predecessors, but the rest of the MCU sequels have left a lot to be desired.
Iron Man 2 and 3, Thor: The Dark World, and Avengers Age Of Ultron all fell below the standard set by the movies that came before them. With Ant-Man and The Wasp, Marvel have a chance to add another sequel to their win column.
As expected, Peyton Reed's second instalment in the MCU is much the same as his first. It is a fun comedy movie and, while it isn't one of the best the studio has put out, particularly when considered against the last three movies, Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, and Infinity War, it is a more than enjoyable watch.
But the question is, did Ant-Man and The Wasp manage to improve on 2015's Ant-Man, or has the franchise regressed like so many others before it?
8. Comedy
Both Ant-Man and its sequel are classed as comedy movies before anything else, which is to be expected from any Paul Rudd movie. This is precisely why the Anchoman actor was brought on board, and though it was certainly a gamble, it paid off big time.
Rudd's Scott Lang was obviously one of the funniest aspects of the 2015 hit, as well as his sidekick Luis. Both are on point for the sequel as much as the first movie, as is the inclusion of giant ant humour, whether they are being fed at the table or playing the electric drums.
Ant-Man and The Wasp does have one major comedic aspect that Ant-Man does not, present throughout much of the movie, and that is Jimmy Woo. Though Randall Park's character had a serious job, and should have been seen as an enemy to Lang, he made us laugh every time he was on the screen, particularly with Rudd.
If both movies were being judged as pure comedies, Ant-Man would get the point. Simply because the sequel deals with heavier issues in the disappearance of Janet Van Dyne and the subsequent reunion with her Husband and Daughter. But looking purely at the comedic moments of both movies, there is one winner by the slightest of margins.
Winner: Ant-Man and The Wasp