Post-credit and mid-credit scenes existed long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe started making extensive use of them. However, the MCU has taken the use of credit cookies to a whole new level. Almost all (almost) the MCU movies has had interesting mid- or post-credit scenes, or sometimes both. But Ant-Man and the Wasp arguably has the best ever mid-credits scene. Dare I say it beats the hilarious after-credits scene(s) in Deadpool 2.
Coming back to Ant-Man and the Wasp. It is an endearing take on the life of con-turned superhero Ant-Man/Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) post his adventures in Captain America: Civil War. As explained in Avengers: Infinity Wars, Lang is under house arrest. An unimaginative 'intro' involving Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and his daughter the Wasp/Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) sets the premise for the movie. Immediately after that, we are taken straight into the life of Lang, who has only days to go till his house arrest is complete.
Rudd, who is also one of the writers of Ant-Man and the Wasp, has proven his comic timing for decades now (think Mike Hannigan from Friends). And, he is at it again aided ably by Michael Pena as Luis. The two ex-cons now run a business—a security firm—with Luis being the face of the operation and Lang working from home. Everything seems normal until the ghosts of his short stint in the quantum realm, at the end of Ant-Man, catches up with Lang.
What follows is a whirlwind of hastily put together and unnecessarily convoluted sequences. Though it must be said that the action sequences and the 'shrinking and supersizing' scenes, teased in the trailer, are delightfully crafted. At the end, everything works out perfectly and they all seem ready to live happily ever after. Enter mid-credit scene. I cannot say what happens here without giving away a Thanos-sized spoiler.
The performances in Ant-Man and the Wasp are mostly underwhelming except for Rudd. The lovely Lilly gets more screen time and gets to do more fighting than Rudd. It was a welcome change, but even her expanded role pales in comparison to some of Lilly's previous performances such as Tauriel in The Hobbit film series. Not to mention The Hurt Locker. Michelle Pfeiffer and Laurence Fishburne do not get to do much in their small roles. Hannah John-Kamen, who had a minor role in two episodes of Game of Thrones season 6, portrays the mysterious Ghost. Her raw potential shone through in a challenging role. Douglas does justice to his role.
In short, Ant-Man and the Wasp is modest and self-aware film. While it may not generate the kind of sustained excitement that the bigger MCU films, especially Infinity wars, did, it is a must-watch for MCU fans. For others, it is a fun entertainer.
Film: Ant-Man and the Wasp
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Hannah John-Kamen, Michael Pena, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne
Rating: 3/5