The Grinch

Year: 2018

Director: Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Cameron Seely, Rashida Jones, Pharrell Williams, Kenan Thompson, and Angela Lansbury

Tagline: It's never too early to be annoyed by Christmas
Synopsis: Unlike the neighboring Whos down in Whoville, the Grinch cannot stand Christmas.  So, with his loyal dog, Max, he plots to keep Christmas from coming.

Review

I grew up with the Chuck Jones How the Grinch Stole Christmas animated film.  For various reasons, I never saw the Jim Carrey version.  Going in to The Grinch, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect.  Coming out of the film, I was pleased with having seen it, but at the same time, I was a little disappointed about some things. 

Let's start with some of the film's struggles.

The 1966 version of the story is 26 minutes.  The Grinch is 86 minutes.  That means an hour's worth of backstory, side story, and padding.  Yes, Fred the reindeer is cute and has a sweet little story line.  But he really isn't needed.  Sure, Cindy Lou Who is kind and has an endearing little story line.  But that isn't really needed either.  The power of the original film (and the book, for that matter) is in its succinctness.  While the padding is nice, and colorful, and at times fun ... ultimately it is still padding that detracts and waters down the core of the story.

Speaking of watered down, this Grinch is quite watered down from the original.  He's far more misunderstood and lonely than mean.  This Grinch doesn't seem to have "garlic in his soul."  On the one hand, that makes him more likable and relatable.  We don't mind spending an extra hour with him.  But it also diminishes the power of his final transformation.

When I heard that Benedict Cumberbatch had been cast as the Grinch, I was excited.  I was expecting something along the lines of Smaug from The Hobbit.  Sadly, that is not what we got.  It seemed Benedict didn't even want to compete with Boris Karloff's Grinch.

Also a let down was the narrator.  I have nothing against Pharrell Williams, but he does not have a suitably epic narrator voice.  Again, did they decide to not even try to compete with Boris Karloff?

Lastly, if you must do a new version of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," do it justice and do the whole song in a manner the story and song deserve.

Now for what the film did right.

The world created in the film is gorgeous and fun.  It has an appropriately Seussical look and feel with lots of bright colors and curvy shapes.

It's nice to see that the Grinch and Max have a better relationship.  It's obvious that despite his faults, the Grinch truly cares for his loyal dog.

I'll admit, I was excited when I recognized Angela Lansbury's voice as the Mayor of Whoville.

The highlight of the film is the Grinch's heist scene.  He uses an array of clever gadgets and gizmos to help him clear out the entire town in one night.  That part is terrific.

I also have to give The Grinch major props for including real Christmas songs.  Yes, it has "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and "The Christmas Song."  But I was pleased that "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Silent Night" both featured prominently.  Thank you.  And if you were worried,  "Welcome Christmas" (aka the "Da Who Doray" song) is also present.

The film is rated PG for an incident where one of the young Whos loses his clothes in a mishap and has to cover himself with a very large cookie.  I don't recall anything else.

While I do think the Grinch's redemptive transformation is watered down in this version, The Grinch still has a good message about kindness and reaching out to others.  And those are certainly things we need more of in this world.

If you need a family film to get you in the Christmas spirit, The Grinch is a colorful, clever, and enjoyable option.  I don't think it will ever be a holiday staple*, but it's certainly worth seeing.  Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go hunt down the 1966 animated version and listen to the Thurl Ravencroft version of the song.

* My Christmas staples are Muppet Christmas Carol and Prep and Landing ... in case you were wondering.

*** Spoiler Section ***

Seriously, what is up with screaming goats?  First there was one in Small Foot, now there is one in The Grinch.  Are screaming goats a thing and I just haven't heard about them until now?  I'm so confused.

As cute as Fred the reindeer is, and as sweet as it is that he comes back to help at the end, I didn't like that part.  Yeah, they needed Fred to serve some purpose in the story and show kindness to the Grinch.  But in that climactic moment, Fred's help undermines the power of that scene in the original.  We lose this important part: "And then the true meaning of Christmas came through, and the Grinch found the strength of ten Grinches, plus two!"  It is the Grinch who rescues the falling sleigh with newfound strength from his newfound understanding.  Fred is sweet, but in this version, that triumphant/transformative moment is lost.

Quotable Quotes

• "This is the loudest snow I've ever heard in my life." -- The Grinch
• "Today we will do mean things, and we will do them with style." -- The Grinch
• "If I'm gonna be Santa, then I need to get into character." [Reads that Santa is always jolly.] "Well, that's never going to happen." -- The Grinch
• "I put on a tie." -- The Grinch

ISFS

First Man

Year: 2018

Director: Damien Chazelle
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, and Ciaran Hinds

Tagline: One giant leap into the unknown
Synopsis: A look at the life of Neil Armstrong as he goes from test pilot to the first man on the Moon.

Review

From my elementary school days, I knew the name Neil Armstrong.  And I knew he was the first man to walk on the Moon.  I also knew he safely returned from the Moon.  So when I say that First Man kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next, it's a pretty high compliment to the filmmakers.

Watching this film is probably as close to being an astronaut as I'll ever get.  And I'm OK with that.  The filmmakers opted for many tight shots and perspective shots.  At times, you feel you are seeing what Neil and the other astronauts would have seen -- and only what they would have seen.  We first see the Moon, for example, only through a small window.  The visuals are amazing, but they can also feel claustrophobic and dizzying at times.  Being an astronaut involves a lot of spinning, it would seem.  If you get motion sick easily, be warned.

The visual highlights of the film are, rightly, the Apollo 11 launch and the Eagle landing on the Moon.  The filmmakers clearly pulled out all the stops to make those scenes as visual and visceral as possible.  As close as they could, they make it feel like you are there.  I'll never know what it was like to watch the actual Apollo mission on live television.  This will have to do.  And it delivers.

As the story unfolded, I realized how little I actually knew/remembered about the Gemini and Apollo space programs.  I only remember a little from my history classes.  I vaguely recalled that there were serious setbacks and that astronauts lost their lives.  But it wasn't as real to me.  First Man does a beautiful job putting some of those things in perspective.  While Neil is the focus of the film, we see him interact with friends in the program.  And, with him, we feel loss when tragedies happen.  The cost of the space program has never been more real to me.

There's a powerful scene just before the Apollo 11 launch that has the head of the manned space program reading through a prepared contingency statement ... just in case Neil and Buzz don't make it back from the Moon.  I've always taken it for granted that they went to the Moon and came back.  It's sobering to realize it wasn't that certain.

Although there is much about NASA, the other astronauts, and the space race to the Moon in First Man, ultimately, those take a backseat to the personal story of Neil Armstrong.  This is less a story about how we got to the Moon, and more a story about Neil's physical and emotional journey during those years.  As one critic I read noted, Neil and his wife Janet are the only well-rounded characters in the film.  The others are intentionally rather flat, because this is Neil's and Janet's story.  Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy do an amazing job telling that story.

First Man isn't a romanticized view of Neil Armstrong the hero.  Rather it's an intimate view of Neil Armstrong the human, the father, the husband, the friend, and also the astronaut.  It could be argued that the film is as much about coping with the loss of a child as it is about landing on the Moon.  And I believe the story is better for that.

I also quite enjoyed the film's soundtrack.  There were some fitting 60s songs thrown in.  But it was mostly the score I enjoyed.  The filmmakers use less-common instruments, like a theremin, to give the music a unique sound.  And the music for the Apollo launch and Moon landing are sufficiently epic.

First Man is rated PG-13.  There is no violence or sexuality in the film.  But there are off screen deaths, heavy themes, and one F-bomb (shouted by a character at their absolute breaking point).  I don't recall much (if any) other language.

I quite enjoyed First Man.  It's a thoughtful look at the personal life of a man most of us only know from history books and video clips.  It was also a very real look on what the Gemini and Apollo astronauts went through.  If you are interested in space or in biopics, I recommend First Man.  But if you are prone to motion sickness, maybe wait to see it on a smaller screen.

*** Spoiler Section ***

When asked at the final pre-flight press conference, Neil declines to answer what personal item(s) he'll be taking to the moon.  I was pretty sure I knew what the movie would portray.  And I was not disappointed.  It was a fitting emotional climax to the movie.  Neil made it to the moon, and he came to terms with his daughter's death.

Apparently the film raised some controversy because it doesn't depict the iconic moment when Neil and Buzz plant the American flag on the Moon's surface.  The flag is shown in subsequent shots, but the moment isn't a focal point.  Some felt that made the film somehow "un-American."  I disagree.  But more to the point, the film isn't about NASA or the U.S. landing on the Moon.  It's about Neil.  It's about his journey, physically and emotionally.  His moment with Karen's bracelet is the emotional climax the film needed.  Making a big to do about planting the flag would have detracted from that moment.  First Man is about an American triumph, but not about American exceptionalism.

Lastly, I loved the final scene of the movie: where Neil is in quarantine and Janet comes to visit.  I kept wondering what on earth they could possibly say to each other in that moment.  What could they say that wouldn't be cheesy or corny or saccharine-filled?  The filmmakers must have wondered that too, and came up with the perfect moment.  Neil and Janet say nothing.  At least nothing with words.  It works so well.

Quotable Quotes

• [Draws the Earth and the Moon on two blackboards] "That's to scale." [Having done the math, a young scientist comes in and moves the moon over a few inches.]  "It was almost to scale." -- Deke Slayton
• "Your father's going to the moon."  "Oh.  Can I go outside and play?" -- Janet and Mark Armstrong
• "Houston, this is Tranquility Base.  The Eagle has landed." -- Neil Armstrong
• "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." -- Neil Armstrong

ISFS

Smallfoot

Year: 2018

Director: Karey Kirkpatrick and Jason Reisig
Starring: Channing Tatum, Zendaya, James Corden, Common, LeBron James, and Danny DeVito

Tagline: Not every legend is a tall tale.
Synopsis: After he is banished from the yeti village, Migo sets out to prove that the mythical "smallfoot" (i.e., humans) exist.

Review

It's not often that I have such mixed feelings about a movie.  But they are certainly mixed for Smallfoot.  Let's start with the good stuff.

Going into the movie, I had no idea it was a musical.  That was not part of the trailers I'd seen.  And yet suddenly Channing Tatum's yeti, Migo, starts singing about a perfect day.  Surprisingly, Channing Tatum has a pretty good voice.  There aren't a lot of songs on the soundtrack, but they were all better than I would have expected from a film that didn't label itself a musical.  The best of the bunch (which should definitely receive an Oscar nod) is "Wonderful Life," sung by Zendaya's yeti, Meechee.  For me, that sequence was the highlight of the film.

The story is clever and overall well told.  It is fairly predictable, but has its fun moments.  Reversing the "bigfoot" myth is fun.  And the film certainly tries to have some big ideas and depth to it.

Smallfoot is also pretty funny.  There were some excellent moments that had a Looney Tunes type feel (think poor Wile E. Coyote).  And I quite enjoyed the "gibberish" that the yetis perceived the humans as speaking (whereas the humans perceive only growls from the yetis).  There were quite a few times where I chuckled during the movie.  And there were moments when kids in the theater were laughing out loud.

While there's nothing outstanding about the animation, it is bright and colorful and certainly never detracts from the story.

As for the characters, they are all likable enough (well, except Fleem, who is supposed to be annoying ... I think).  But they are also rather bland.  None of the characters were particularly memorable.  They were just stock characters who happened to be yetis.  The character I liked best was actually Percy, the human.  He had enough substance to him and even got a decent little character arc.

So, why the mixed feelings?  That has to do with the film's theme and message, which is a double-edged sword.  On the one side, the story is about being curious, asking questions, and seeking truth.  All of which are good.  On the other side, however, the film has a decidedly anti-religious bias to it.  The start of the film makes that especially clear as it talks about "laws written on stones" and "creation stories."  The film seems to equate religion with blind faith and obedience, which is what the yetis live with at the start.

But religion and questions are not diametrically opposed, as the film strongly suggests.  Seeking truth and having faith can go hand in hand.  Indeed, my own religion was founded because a young man (Joseph Smith) had questions and sought for the truth.  And the truth he found changed the way millions the world over see the world and the purpose of life.  And the Book of Mormon -- which he translated -- doesn't tell people to blindly follow arbitrary rules.  It specifically directs readers to ask and know for themselves.  True religion is not about protecting people from the truth or the harsh realities of life.  And while commandments and religious rules/laws are there for our protection, it is not in the way the film portrays.

That said, I'm not saying the film is bad.  I don't know how overt that anti-religion message was meant to be.  I think it detracts from the story, but doesn't ruin it.  Rather, it invites discussion.  I'm not a parent, but it seems like this is a film that it is fine for children to see, so long as it is with their parents who then are willing to have a discussion about the subject matter.  And I figure that's a good thing, because kids are going to be exposed to these ideas anyway.  That's just the secular world we live in.

If you need a family film to see before the holiday season kicks in, you could do far worse than Smallfoot.  It's colorful, has good music, and mostly has a good message.  It can certainly lead to some family discussions.

*** Spoiler Section ***

How come the yeti don't seem to have noses?  And how does their machine produce that much of a cloud cover?  Also, what's up with the screaming goat?

Quotable Quotes

• "A life that's full of wonder is a wonderful life." -- Meechee
• "You want to save a species on the verge of extinction?  Save me!" -- Percy to Brenda
• "Am I missing a tooth?" -- Percy

ISFS

Alpha

Year: 2018

Director: Albert Hughes
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Johannes Haukur Johannesson, Natassia Malthe, and Jens Hulten 

Tagline: Leaders are born from survival
Synopsis: Around the time of the last ice age, a young man gets separated from his tribe.  In order to survive he befriends man's best friend.

Review

There's something wonderful about a well-told story.  Even if it is a simple, familiar story, when it is told with skill and sincerity, it can be a thing of beauty.  That's the case with Alpha.

The story takes place during the last ice age, when men were hunter/gatherers in tribes.  Keda is a young man on the cusp of adulthood and has finally earned the right to journey with his father and others of his tribe to an annual bison hunt.  Far from home, Keda gets separated from his father and friends and is left for dead.  The rest of the story follows his journey home.  On his way, he takes in, cares for, tames, and befriends an injured wolf, who he names "Alpha."  Together they face what nature throws at them during their quest to survive.  Thus is forged the bond between men and dogs (well, future dogs).

Is Alpha historically or scientifically accurate?  Probably not, or at least not entirely.  Did I care while watching the film?  Not in the slightest.  Instead, it is the almost mythological version of boy meets dog that all dog-lovers want to believe in.  Alpha is emotionally accurate and thus emotionally satisfying.

Alpha is also beautiful.  If the cinematography doesn't get nominated for an Oscar next year, I'll be seriously surprised and disappointed.  It's not just that the scenery is gorgeous, the framing of the shots is beautiful too.  There's also a shot with a masterful use of slow motion.  But my favorite shot is a sort of split screen moment.  Part of the scene is in the trailer, so I'm not spoiling anything here.  The bottom of the shot is underwater, with Keda trapped under the ice of a dark blue lake.  The top of the shot is Alpha on top of the ice surrounded by wintery white.  I don't care if the shot required green screens and/or CGI; the shot is epic and amazing.

The filmmakers made an interesting choice for the language of the film.  Instead of being in English, the dialogue is in an unknown foreign language, one that sounds sufficiently prehistoric.  The movie is then subtitled.  As a former film student, reading subtitles is no big deal to me.  I thought it was a neat touch really.  And there's not a lot of dialogue in the story to begin with.

There was only one thing in the film that I found fault with.  For all the realism of the settings, the clothes, the way of life, and the language, Keda has absolutely perfect teeth.  It is only in a few shots where there is a close-up that includes his teeth, but they are so bright white and straight that it is jarring.  It was enough to throw off my suspension of disbelief for a moment.  The makeup team dropped the ball there.

The film is rated PG-13.  Alpha is a survival story, which means our heroes must survive all sorts of peril from both beasts and the elements.  There are deaths.  There are injuries.  Nothing is ever graphic though.  I only looked away when Keda was eating still squirming bugs.  Bleh.

If you love dogs and the role they play in our lives, I recommend seeing Alpha.  And even if you are a cat person, you can still go and enjoy a beautiful, well-told, well-acted, survival/coming-of-age story.

*** Spoiler Section ***

In case you are worried, Alpha lives to become part of Keda's tribe (because he lives too).  The film's final shot is pretty epic: the tribe of hunters - in silhouette - walking forward, joined by Alpha and her grown pups.  Man and man's best friend: united.

Quotable Quotes

• "Raise your head and your eyes will follow." -- Tau to Keda
• "You are my tribe." -- Keda to Alpha

ISFS

Christopher Robin

Year: 2018

Director: Marc Forster
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Jim Cummings, Hayley Atwell, Bronte Carmichael, Mark Gatiss, and Brad Garrett

Tagline: Sooner or later, your past catches up to you.
Synopsis: Winnie the Pooh helps a now-grown Christopher Robin set his priorities straight.

Review

After the non-stop action of Mission: Impossible - Fallout, the quiet, gentle pace of Christopher Robin was quite the change.   I've actually seen it twice at this point.  Upon the first viewing of Christopher Robin, I liked it.  Upon the second viewing, I liked it a lot.  Maybe it was because I was prepared for the slower pace and the (at times) bittersweet mood.

Winnie the Pooh has never been one of my favorite characters.  He's likable enough.  But I always found Eeyore, Rabbit, and Owl to be more amusing (and perhaps more relatable).  So I'm very glad that the whole gang is back in this tale.  Yes, it is mostly Pooh, but Piglet and Tigger also get their moments to shine.  It's Eeyore, though, who steals the show.  His self-deprecating, deadpan humor perfectly suits the tone of the film.  I love Eeyore.

Of course this movie isn't about the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood.  It's about Christopher Robin, who is all grown up.  He is perhaps too grown up.  Through a montage (told in a chapter style reminiscent of the books), we see highlights from Christopher Robin's life and see how he has come to his current state.  Through that, we also meet his wife and daughter, both of whom are missing Christopher Robin as much as his old childhood friends.

The story that follows is very much what you'd expect.  And that's OK.  We know the path Christopher Robin will take, because it's the path we want him to take: first back to the Hundred Acre Woods, then to his happier self, and at last back to his family and a re-prioritized life.  There's nothing new or unexpected in the journey, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable or charming as we tread familiar ground with familiar friends.

One thing I appreciated about the film, it never tries to explain things.  Christopher Robin never questions Pooh's existence, just how he came to be in London.  The only explanation for anything that happens is Pooh's comment regarding the tree passage that leads to the Hundred Acre Woods.  He simply says it is where it is needed, which Christopher Robin promptly dismisses as silly.  It is amusing that he should find that silly, while never questioning that such a tree portal exists in the first place.  But that's part of the magical charm of these stories.  They need no explanation.  They just are.  Just like Pooh Bear.

The film is rated PG.  I've been puzzling over why.  There is one short montage scene that shows Christopher Robin as a soldier in a very dangerous situation with explosions in the background.  Or perhaps it is because the theme of finding your inner child again goes over the heads of actual children.  There was certainly nothing offensive in the film.  But its tone has a certain melancholy to it at times.  You might say the film is more an Eeyore than a Tigger.

If you are looking for a sweet and gentle film to top off your summer, I recommend Christopher Robin.  The story may not tread any new or surprising ground, but it's still a charming "expotition" [expedition] and adventure with lovable and funny friends.  As the film ended, I had a smile on my face.

*** Spoiler Section ***

There's a quirky little mid-credits scene featuring the Winslow office workers on holiday at the beach.  Also at the beach is a fellow singing and playing the piano.  That fellow just so happens to be Richard Sherman, of the Sherman brothers.  They wrote countless classic Disney songs, including "Winnie the Pooh" and "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers."

Quotable Quotes

• "I've cracked!"  "I don't see any cracks.  A few wrinkles, maybe." -- Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh
• "Doing nothing often leads to the very best kind of something." -- Winnie the Pooh
• "I suppose [the tree's opening is] where it needs to be."  "That's a silly explanation."  "Why, thank you." -- Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin
• "I don't remember being cheery." -- Eeyore
• "[singing] The most wonderful thing about tiggers is ... I'm the only one!"  "He does that a lot." -- Tigger and Eeyore
• "Thanks for kidnapping me, Heffelump." -- Eeyore to Christopher Robin

ISFS

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Year: 2018

Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Alec Baldwin, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Vanessa Kirby, and Michelle Monaghan

Tagline: Some missions are not a choice.
Synopsis: After a mission goes wrong, Ethan Hunt and his team must race against the clock to prevent a greater disaster orchestrated by old and new enemies.

Review

Wow.

If you were to look up "blockbuster action spectacle" in the dictionary, I think you'd find a picture of Tom Cruise and the IMF (Impossible Mission Force) logo.  Because seriously.  Wow.

I love superhero movies.  And I know that the only way they are feasible is through the use of digital effects.  And certainly those actors put a lot of time, effort, and energy into their roles.  But when you watch Ethan Hunt do a HALO jump out of an airplane, you know perfectly well that Tom Cruise did many, many, many such jumps in order to practice and perfect the scene.  When Ethan Hunt is zipping around the Arc du Triomphe on a motorcycle going opposite traffic, you know Tom Cruise was really there, really doing that.  Yes, in a controlled environment.  But a real environment.  Digital effects just can't mimic the visceral feel of practical stunts.  And that is the Mission: Impossible franchise's bread and butter.

Of course Fallout, like its predecessors, is more than just one action sequence after another.  I mean, it is.  But there's also a thought out plot, with clever twists and misdirects.  There's humor.  There's some heart.  But mostly, there's terrific characters.

I've never liked James Bond.  I could never get into Jason Bourne.  Napoleon Solo was fine.  But Ethan Hunt is terrific.  I love his on-the-fly, figure-it-out-as-we-go-and-hope-it-works style.  Maybe that's because it reminds me of a certain fedora wearing archaeologist's style.  In some respects, Ethan seems superhuman.  But most of the time we see that he is very, very human.  And Fallout does a great job showcasing that side of Ethan.  He doesn't win every fight (perhaps even most fights) all on his own.  He gets battered and banged up and needs the assistance of his team.  He has to improvise and switch from plan B to plan C to plan D.

Also returning for this mission are Luther (who gets a couple of surprisingly serious scenes), Benji (who ever lightens the tension with his humor), and Ilsa (who is as beautiful, dangerous, and enigmatic as ever).  Joining them is Secretary Hunley, who seems to have fully embraced his switch from the CIA to the IMF.

New to the scene are the White Widow (an amoral woman focused primarily on profit and self-preservation) and a "it's nothing personal" CIA operative (played by Henry Cavill).  Yes, Superman has grown a mustache and joined the CIA.  But not really.  August Walker is a far cry from Clark Kent.  And apparently the prep work for the two characters is also quite different.  To be Superman, Cavill had to look ripped.  To do the stunts required for Fallout, he had to truly be ripped.

Ghost Protocol is still my favorite in the franchise.  I'd say Fallout is neck and neck with Rogue Nation (which Fallout is a follow up to).

The film is rated PG-13 for violence and swearing.  The violence is the same as the previous films.  Annoyingly, one character in Fallout does shout the F-word.

I thoroughly recommend Mission: Impossible - Fallout.  The action alone is jaw-dropping and worth the price.  But the film also has the same humor, clever twists, and relatable characters as its predecessors.  I hope another mission comes to the IMF in a few years.  Although how they can keep topping the previous film's stunts is beyond me.

*** Spoiler Section ***

That Julia (Ethan Hunt's former wife) is in the film is revealed in the trailers.  But the trailers nicely don't reveal what her role is.  Not that it is a big surprise as the story unfolds, but it works so much better that way.  And I loved what her role in the film was and how things played out in the climax.  The final scene between Ethan and Julia was, in my mind, perfect for this franchise and true to the characters.

Quotable Quotes

• "What's the plan?"  "Hope they've never met."  "Hope is not a plan!"  "You must be new." -- Walker, Ethan, and Ilsa
• "That was Ilsa."  "Shut up."  "Very interesting.  It's good to see you again, Ethan." -- Lane and Ethan
• "What are you waiting for?"  "I'm jumping out a window!"  "Oh.  Sorry.  I had it on 2D." -- Benji and Ethan
• "What's he doing?"  "I find it's best not to look." -- Ilsa and Benji

ISFS

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Year: 2018

Director: Peyton Reed

Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangaline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michael Pena, Laurence Fishburne, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hannah John-Kamen, and Abby Ryder Fortson
Tagline: Real heroes.  Not actual size.
Synopsis: Still on house arrest, Scott Lang tries to figure out how to juggle being Ant-Man and a good father while being embroiled in an adventure with Hank Pym and Hope Van Dyne.

Review

Marvel is basically on fire this year.  And the great thing about their movies is each has a distinct enough feel to keep things interesting.  This year has brought us Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and now Ant-Man and the Wasp.  Each is fun, action-packed, and enjoyable.  But each is also quite different.  Right now, Ant-Man and the Wasp is just the movie we need ... especially after the world-changing (universe-changing) events of Infinity War.

I was pleasantly surprised by the first Ant-Man.  If you enjoyed that one, you are sure to enjoy this one.  The story, though, is more of a sequel to Captain America: Civil War, as the main characters all deal with the repercussions of that.  The story is thus more personal and grounded (again, something much needed after Infinity War).  Much of the movie focuses on the relationships between fathers and daughters: both Scott and Cassie and Hank and Hope.  Those relationships drive the plot and the characters.

It's nice to not have the entire world at stake for a change.  That was one thing that was so enjoyable about the first film.  It was on a much smaller scale (pun intended).  And rather than taking over the world or altering the state of the entire universe, the antagonists are doing what they are doing for either personal reasons or business.  There's not really a villain per se.  And it works.

The biggest reason Ant-Man and the Wasp is the MCU film we need right now is that it's light and funny.  Like, it's really, really funny.  I laughed the entire way through (well, not during the mid-credits scene, but I laughed again during the post-credits scene).  It's not quite the same style of humor as Thor: Ragnarok.  But it was still enjoyable to me.  The film has perhaps the best seagulls gag since Finding Nemo.  And watching things shrink and/or embigify never gets old.

All the characters from the first movie are back, including Luis, Kurt, and Dave.  Their roles are smaller than in the first film, but they are just as funny.

Scott is as charming and down-to-earth as ever.  I love that he is (mostly) an ordinary guy thrown into this extraordinary world.  He's not trying to balance brain surgery or managing a gigantic corporation or running an entire kingdom.  He's trying to figure out how to be a good dad and have a day job.  He's the most relatable of the Avengers.

This time around we get to see Hope in action as the Wasp.  She takes up her mother's mantle with some intense action sequences.  Wasp has some serious skills.  And the film has some pretty awesome action.  Between the humor and the action, there is never a dull moment.

The film is rated PG-13 for the usual Marvel reasons.  There might have been less swearing in this one than in the first Ant-Man.

I highly recommend Ant-Man and the Wasp.  It has great action, terrific humor, and the right amount of heart.

*** Spoiler Section ***

It seemed inevitable that the mid-credits scene was going to tie into the events of Infinity War.  And boy does it ever.  I'm looking forward to seeing just what it will mean for the next Avengers film and what roll our shrinking heroes will (or won't) have in that storyline.

The post-credits scene nicely leaves us with a chuckle.

Quotable Quotes

• "So cranky."  "Do you want a juice box and some string cheese?"  "Do you really have that?" -- Hope, Hank, and Scott
• "You can do it.  You can do anything.  You're the world's greatest grandma!" -- Cassie to Scott
• "So, it's truth serum."  "It's not truth serum!"  "Walk like duck, talk like duck ..." -- Luis, Uzman, and Kurt
• "Do you guys just put 'quantum' in front of everything?" -- Scott

ISFS