'Ant-Man and The Wasp' scores decent reviews

Though we won’t be seeing it on this side of the pond until after the World Cup’s done and dusted, the reviews for Marvel’s Ant-Man and The Wasp are in.

And it looks like director Peyton Reed has made a pretty good fist of this sequel, starring Paul Rudd’s diminutive superhero and Evangeline Lilly’s Hope van Dyne, aka The Wasp.

At the time of writing it has a sturdy 90 percent ‘fresh rating’ on Rotten Tomatoes, though that does, perhaps, make the critical landscape sound a little better than it is.

For example, Empire writes: “There’s no getting away from the fact that Ant-Man And The Wasp, as fun as it is, lacks the sheer, mind-blowing heft of Infinity War… In this new era of Marvel over-achievement, it really does feel like a lesser work.”

This seems to be something like the consensus, and though it’s obviously not trying to compete with the Avengers, it will always pale by comparison, with the last multi-hero Marvel outing, having landed just a few weeks back.

Still, the reviews are generally positive, and for some, the relief from the ‘heft’ of Infinity War is appreciated.

“A blast of pure popcorn fun, and something of a palate cleanser after the weightier likes of Black Panther and Infinity War,” reckons Total Film.

Giving it a B-grade, Collider writes: “The movie takes nothing, including itself, seriously, and just runs on as a nice caper with relatively low stakes and goofball humor.”

Adds Mashable: “Isn’t the funniest Marvel movie ever made, or the deepest or the coolest or the most creative. But it just might be the nicest, and that counts for something.”

Others have hailed the way it really leans into the comedy (after all, Paul Rudd is best known for his comedy performances).

“This latest entry in the unstoppable Marvel Studios takeover of the world is probably the most amusing film the company has made since the Kevin Feige reign began a decade ago,” writes The Hollywood Reporter.

Not all are so forgiving, however.

“This is one of those Marvel products peddling self-aware detachment as a defining narrative strategy…It feels less like a feature film than a meme somebody made about an Ant-Man trailer,” writes Entertainment Weekly.

In summary, if you’re looking for something with the emotional weight of Infinity War, you may be barking up the wrong tree. But if think you’ll be glad of the respite, have at it.

It hits cinemas in the UK on August 3.

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