Ant-Man and the Wasp (dir. Peyton Reed)

I had to rack my brain upon entering the cinema for "Ant-Man and The Wasp", mostly as I was utterly bemused as to where we were in the Marvel cinematic universe, and perhaps more churlishly of me, the slightest recollection to the the proceeding original back in 2015, "Ant-Man".

Not that I didn’t enjoy Peyton Reed's slapstick-heavy superhero offering (a directing credit he was given after Edgar Wright was ousted amidst creative differences) which starred Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas- on the contrary. Yet there have been almost 10 Marvel films released since that original, and I'm hardly the first person with the belief that it can get a tad difficult and a little exhausting attempting to figure out where you stand within the Marvel stratosphere.

You’re unlikely to find a more innocuous appearing individual then Ant-Man, as our hero Scott Lang (Rudd) relies heavily on his quick-wit and cunning intellect - most notably with his criminal past - as well as the auspices of Hank Pym's (Michel Douglas) robotic inventions.

Regardless of his appearance, the 2015 original took us all by surprise by churning out a much more exciting and entertaining superhero film than one would think of a film about a man who shrinks down to ant size and fights crime in the sprawling San Francisco landscape, and it was mostly down to it's ability to fuse entertaining set pieces with well-rounded characterization.

And there was fun to be had. Despite only making half of what the normal Marvel movies make - a modest $531 million worldwide gross - a sequel was always on the cards; especially when you've got the hard-hitting seriousness of "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Black Panther" hitting your screens within six months of each other - breaking all kinds of box office records - Marvel likes to take a second and remind us that it's not always about glitz and glamour in their billion-dollar superhero franchise, sometimes it's about heart (suffice to say it's a pleasure to see a further Marvel offering that doesn't take itself too seriously and really cares about it's characters emotions)

But let’s get back to my opening statement, and remind ourself of where we are in the pantheon of cinematic superheroes. We begin just after "Captain America: Civil War", with the events that preceded in Germany now having left Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) under house arrest as a result of his actions. Dutifully watching over him is eager-beaver FBI agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park), who's been tasked with keeping him from leaving his apartment, and more importantly, away from fraternizing with any members of the Avengers contingent - and adorning his insect suit for any shenanigans that might result from this.

But before long, Lang is visited by hallucinogenic episodes, seemingly related back to his time in the quantum realm (watch Ant-Man for exposition). HIs old acquaintance Hank Pym's wife Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), who is trying to contact him, and has been missing some thirty years, stranded in the realm much to the chagrin of her loving husband. Pym's daughter Hope (Evangeline Lily), a.k.a "The Wasp" is made aware of these visions, and tasks Lang with helping her and her father enter the realm and save their mother once and for all.

Cut to Pym, Hope and Lang venturing off to their secretive lab, but not before the mysterious villain "Ghost/ Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen) attempts to thwart such an endeavor, as this nefarious individual hopes to use Pym's lab for her own personal reasons. Add to the mix the shrewd and lascivious greed of arms-dealer Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins) who also aims to use Pym's lab for solely self-serving reasons, the team must team-up to get the lab to a safe place long enough to rescue their beloved ally.

If certain Marvel offerings depend heavily on over-the-top action and bother little with anything else, "Ant-Man and The Wasp" is the perfect antidote to this. Though there are several extraordinary set-pieces on display here, director Reed is perfectly happy letting the interpersonal squabbling between the characters take up much of the screen time. And it's a welcoming pleasure. With the help of the film's five main screenwriters - Rudd being one of them - "Ant-Man and The Wasp" packs a emotional punch rarely seen in the Marvel canon, whilst also juxtaposing this with occasional moments of slapstick humor and laugh-out-loud gags.

Playing much more like a "Deadpool" movie (though admittedly more child friendly) than anything else, here's yet another Marvel sequel that nobody asked for but will inherently enjoy. Supporting roles from Michael Pena, as the motor-mouthed friend of Lang is perfectly cast, and has the best-scene in the movie in an extended gag whilst under the influences of truth serum, further proves the point that "Ant-Man and The Wasp" is more interested in it's comedy than anything else - and good for it. Laurence Fishbourne turns up long enough to play the disgruntled former work acquaintance of Hank Pym, Bill Foster - and gives a typically watchable and nuanced turn.

Despite there being over indulgence of the dry humor at certain intervals, here is a fresh and inventive addition to the Marvel series - one which gives you fun and entertainment, and the occasional breathtaking set-piece.

Rating 3.5/5.