#especially if he likes really unrealistic action movies or something - that makes it even funnier | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

kinetic-elaboration · 4 years ago

Text

December 29: The Wrath of Khan

Today’s movie watching was Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

My overall impression versus TMP is that this is clearly a smoother and more consistently entertaining film. It has a definite story with very little filler, good pacing, a lot of great little dialogue and character moments, and a strong conflict at its center.

But its sci fi bona fides are much weaker. Like by a lot.

Mom and I are talking a bit about Genesis and the more we talk, the weaker it appears to me. First, it’s not really as believable, imo, as a lot of Star Trek. Maybe it’s because it’s not alien based, but I just have a harder time suspending disbelief to think this is possible. Second, it’s not clear why anyone thought this was a good idea. I mean, as McCoy immediately pointed out, it just seems so CLEARLY dangerous: an object meant to foster creation that could so easily be the worst weapon the universe has ever known--nothing could go awry there! Third, the reason for creating such a device isn’t obvious at all. Carol mentions the “growing population” and “food scarcity” but nothing we’ve ever seen of the Federation implies they’re running out of space. Or, frankly (Tarsus IV aside), food. And fourth, there really isn’t any point to Genesis in all its particulars in this film. Like, obviously, its actual purpose is a plot device to resurrect Spock. Within just this film, it doesn’t do anything. Khan wants it, for some reason I’ve already forgotten even though I just saw the film, and he gets it, but I didn’t even notice that happening, because it was so unimportant. His REAL mission is his single minded revenge fantasy on Kirk. Genesis is just a McGuffin/space filler/plot device for the next film.

And honestly that’s not such a big deal, except that when you compare it to TMP, ,and its central idea of a human made probe that gained so much knowledge, doing what we taught it to do, that it became sentient and then started searching for the meaning of life, and how this relates to the search for meaning experienced by the main alien lead, and how his search, in that film and throughout the series, is a mirror for humans and OUR need for purpose... well it just seems really weak. “We made this really dangerous and unrealistic thing for no reason whoops!”

Mom is now criticizing Kirk for being too slow on the uptake when he first encounters the Reliant, which is fair. That’s pretty OOC of him. The idea that he’s too old for space is both one that I must personally disregard, and one that the film would have you discard, since we’ve already heard from TWO characters, the people who know him best, that his best destiny is as a starship captain, and command is his proper role. And that he might be a little rusty is also not a great explanation imo, because the rust was supposed to have come off in TMP. So, plot hole probably.

We were trying to do some math--TMP is at least 2 years post 5YM and TWOK is at least 10 years post TMP, so at least 8 years post TMP. I can understand more rust growing but like... he was already an Admiral in TMP and the idea that he was out of practice with actual command was a big part of his arc there. So it doesn’t seem warranted to do that again.

Also, the way he was commanding poorly in TMP was very IC: he was pushing too hard, trying too much, caring too much about the mission and not enough about...the laws of physics. That’s very Kirk. Being slow on the uptake, caught with his britches down--that’s not Kirk. Plus, with no one to call him out on it, like Decker did in TMP, his poor command doesn’t seem like a big character obstacle to overcome but just like...sloppiness all around.

I thought Khan was over all... just not that interesting. I guess I’m just not into the obsession/revenge plot. Also...idk man he didn’t seem that super to me. He outsmarted Kirk, like, once, and Kirk outsmarted him like 4 times. He tortured some people--but regular humans can do that. He used those sandworm thingies, which is also something humans could do. Overall, he didn’t seem to have any particularly special skills. The only time he really seemed like a worthy adversary for Kirk was when Kirk wasn’t really being IC himself.

I’m also not into the fridging of his wife. Think how much cooler it would have been if she’d still been alive! The only non-super human in the bunch and she’s still there! Ex-Starfleet and bitter!

The K/S in this film is very soothing. Imo they are clearly together here, and the whole film is better if you assume they’re boyfriends and everyone knows. That Vulcan convo that Spock and Saavik have? Waaaaay funnier if you think she’s talking about his boyfriend (”not what I expected....very human” “Well no one’s perfect”). Every time they call each other ‘friend’ like ““friend”“? All the Looks? The birthday gift?

Also the “I have been and always shall be your [friend]” scene is a wedding I will not be taking criticism on this opinion. Could it have been written more like a vow? I think not. It’s not quite This Simple Feeling but it’s the best this film has in that regard.

I liked Saavik and I do think she’s one of the better later-movie additions (though I only like her, as far as I can remember, when played by Kirstie Alley). She didn’t necessarily strike me as super alien, though, at least not at first... But I appreciated how persistent she was about the stupid test, and her regulation quoting. I enjoyed her. I also liked how she was obviously Spock’s protege, which makes her Kirk’s step-protege, and they had just a little bit of that awkward dynamic going on. (”Did you change your hair?”)

The Bones and Kirk relationship was great in this film. You can really feel their friendship and their history with each other. Bones knows him so well and can be honest with him, just when Kirk needs it most.

I also love how Kirk has the SAME conversation with both Bones and Spock (re: being a captain again) but with Spock it’s sooooo much flirtier. In case you weren’t sure what the difference in these two relationships is.

Bonus: this bit of dialogue: Spock: “Be careful, Jim.” / Bones: “WE will.” Lol Spock people who aren’t your boyfriend do exist.

Obviously, I cried during THAT scene. Honestly AOS should have taken note about how to do emotional scenes like that: they come after the main action is over and the villain is defeated. Then they hit at the right time and to the right degree. Kirk just slumping down after Spock dies....like he’s boneless...like he doesn’t know what to do... I CANNOT.

I feel so bad for him that I’ll even forgive him that awful eulogy. Spock died for Genesis? Uh, no, he died for the Enterprise, and for YOU. Spock is the “most human”? You shut your whoreson mouth

I remember hating both Carol and David but I actually hated them less this time, Carol especially. My mom is being really harsh about her, though, which makes me feel less confident in my assessment. I mean first off, she’s the inventor of Genesis, which is a pretty big strike against her. Second...pretty lame to keep Kirk from David. Although I did some vague math and Kirk would only have been about 21, still in the Academy, when David was born, so you can see how that would work out. Also, she distinctly says “Were we together?” which means they were not--this was a fuck buddy arrangement for sure. More complicated. But it still feels weird to retcon that, like, he’s known THIS WHOLE TIME that he’s a dad and we’re only learning about it now, as an audience.

Anyway I’m getting off track. Carol. What to make of her? Is she unstable? Is she still mad at Kirk? My mom points out that she just decided on her own that David would want to join Starfleet if he knew Kirk was his father--whereas what seems to have happened instead is he didn’t just become a civilian scientist like his mom but became her specific protege--working on a project where everyone was probably handpicked by her? I would assume? Also..he hates Starfleet. Not to put everything on the mom, but how did that happen?

Also...going down the rabbit hole of this and feeling awkward about it... but David KNEW Kirk. As “that guy you hung around with.” That means Kirk was in his life for quite a while, long enough for him to have memories, and long enough for those memories to still be with him even into his 20s. But he was never allowed to know who Kirk was. That means Carol’s rule must have been “You can see your son but you can’t tell him who you are” which in some way seems meaner to me than just “please don’t contact us again.” If he was already on his way into space, that could even make sense--”I know you’re not going to be able to be a family with us, so let’s not pretend, let’s make a clean break now.” But that wasn’t what happened!

Anyway whatever not to be HAICG!Kirk about this or anything lol

David is mostly annoying because he’s so anti-Kirk lol. I found him least annoying when he came around to Kirk at the end. Another big strike against him: he wore his sweater tied over his shoulders in such a Preppy manner. I honestly don’t see what about him is supposed to be reminiscent of Kirk.

David/Saavik was definitely happening lol. I wish I could have heard that conversation. It sounds like she told him a lot!!! Not sure why she attached herself to this particular annoying human so fast but I guess she did.

....I think that might be all. The uniforms and general styling were much better than TMP (though less funny/entertaining), and it was certainly an enjoyable overall yarn. A lot to pick apart and critique but in a fun way. Will probably watch The Search for Spock soon.

#the year 2020 #2020: star trek #2020: fandom thoughts #star trek tos

4 notes · View notes

fydk-translations · 6 years ago

Text

Cine21, Jan ‘19 issue: Kyungsoo interview

[mild spoilers for swing kids]

Q. Let’s start from Swing Kids (2018), your latest. Ro Kisoo goes about ruffling feathers, and his flashiness stands out from the rest of your filmography. I had a lot of discussions with the director on what was best for Kisoo. There was [a boy in] an old reference picture almost exactly like Kisoo’s character. He was in an old school uniform and wore his army cap tilted; even his pants were wide and baggy. He seemed trendy for the time and I drew a lot of direction from the picture.

Q. Ro Kisoo expresses himself through dance. What sort of experience was it for you, as his actor? When I stand on stage as an EXO member, our choreography and formations are already determined. It was harder as Kisoo because there needed to be emotion in every one of his movements and expressions. I was especially worried about conveying the scene where he dances to David Bowie’s Modern Love in a way that the viewers would find refreshing and freeing. It reminded me of my first time trying to dance - frustration because my body wouldn’t listen to me, how good it felt to get each move down. Also, I could dance as I pleased because the director would capture the whole routine and the big emotions. Big movements for happiness, fast ones for frustration. To be honest, I was surprised by the final cut of that sequence. I didn’t realize how brightly I had been smiling. That dancing is something happy and to be enjoyed is what I’d felt as a musician too, but I had felt this so strongly that the smile came naturally.

Q. It wasn’t something you planned to act out, but constant dancing is of course tiring, and that starts to show on your face. I’ve seen other actors say that actors who also know how to dance are better at filming action scenes, so it seems that your music career helps your acting one. All that happens when you try to put emotion into motions you aren’t comfortable making is that you ruin the movements and expressions. So for scenes where they’re both important, like the Modern Love one, I made myself familiar. When my body can move without my input, it’s possible to be expressive. All I could do was practice. Action scenes and dancing do have a lot in common, so I did have a little know-how from applying what I had already learned.

Q. The first and second halves of Swing Kids have totally different tones. As its leading actor, you must have put a lot of thought into handling the clash well. There was a part that I worried over for a while, without straying too far from how Kisoo would feel. The film’s tone shifts after the arrival of a supposed friend, Kwang-guk, to the prison camp. Kisoo’s mood worsens, but a sour face would have thrown off the intended tone. Kisoo wasn’t supposed to get too caught up in the atmosphere of that scene, and I kept his expression flat.

Q. It also seems like acting dryly ties in with your own disposition. I wonder all the time why, in acting, anger has to be obvious, why there needs to be yelling. Because I’ve never expressed my anger that way. I usually try not to let my emotions complicate issues. Of course, I have to adjust because characters have their own personalities, but I went with what felt natural to me for Kisoo.

Q. Swing Kids features both snappy cuts and long takes. Did you worry about how the editing room would preserve the rhythm of the scenes? I found it interesting rather than worrying. I liked the long takes because those let me get immersed in a location. I had so much fun with the scenes like the one where Kisoo keeps thinking about tap-dancing even in his sleep, and it would cut away each time with a tak-tak-tak! I really wondered how the end result would turn out. The Modern Love scene in particular, because (Park) Hyesoo and I had practiced and filmed for it separately. I was curious about what kind of picture that would make after editing, and I’m very happy with how it turned out. (laughs)

Q. There were a lot of iconic lines from the tvN drama 100 Days My Prince (2018). Bad delivery for the funny ones like “am I the only one uncomfortable?” and “the feeling you feel” would have weakened a sageuk, but you did really well with them. I don’t really dwell over how my lines should be said. The lines with the potential to become popular might have been funnier if their deliveries were lighter. But that wouldn’t make sense for a crown prince who had just lost his memory. To be honest, I did have some concern over making them more palatable. In the end, the answer was that I should just speak as the character would speak. That’s how I decided on the delivery.

Q. Conventional wisdom says that, for TV dramas, one must act in a way that the viewer will know what your character is feeling even if they’re not paying full attention. It seems your acting in 100 Days My Prince ran contrary to that. In the first half, you didn’t look at Hong Shim like you were in love. I think I just did what felt right. It would have been more romantic to look at each other like honey could fall from our eyes, as the saying goes, but that was unrealistic and wouldn’t have felt natural.

Q. Actor Sung Dongil said in an interview once that when he acts, he thinks of meeting the number 100 when acting with another. If the other is acting at a 70, he acts at 30. I think you make a good case for this with My Annoying Brother (2016) and Room No. 7 (2017) - in Room No. 7, actor Shin Hakyun made much larger actions than you, and in Brother, actor Jo Jungseok put much more flare into his character. I totally get what you’re saying. If there’s a character who brings the energy up, it’s good for watchability and tone and manner to have another who brings the energy down. I also learned how to lend realism to characters from Hakyun sunbae and about Jungseok hyung’s acting style.

Q. You’re the type of person who works diligently outside of the spotlight. I found that, in Room No. 7, you were constantly moving about in the background of some scenes, without distracting the viewer. Some of those parts came from talking with the director, but I wanted to fill up the space too. I found it fun to find things to do as my character that wouldn’t get in the way of the other actors. Even if the camera angle would barely catch a finger and I could honestly relax, I’d rather be doing something.

Q. The two most disparate pieces in your filmography are director Lee Byunghun’s Be Positive (2017) and the movie series Along with the Gods. Your acting as the problem soldier Private Won was especially convincing in Along with the Gods: Two Worlds (2017). I thought there was nothing smooth about acting as Won Dongyeon, and that was reflected in-universe with the film. I have yet to serve in the military, and I’d never put a noose around my neck over the guilt of causing another’s death. The director helped me a lot. We talked about his personal experiences, as well as the characters. Much of my base [for Private Won] were films and other indirect experiences.

Q. In a previous interview, you said that Private Won was the most saddening of your characters and that you probably wouldn’t act as someone that pitiable again. I found it amusing how he was introduced as a problem soldier who kills an innocent and thus might get hate. Right, that’s not wrong... (with a seeking gaze) but doesn’t he make you feel sorry for him? He made a mistake that killed someone, wasn’t able to defend himself to anyone - I felt so bad for how much he suffered from circumstance. I understand why some would hate him, but I still think of him as the most saddening of my roles.

Q. To be honest, while your acting as Private Won can be commended, the character himself is not admirable at all. People might misunderstand the actor because of the character. Many of your previous roles were of troubled, depressed youths let down by society. Did you not worry as an actor? Not at all. It’s not like all my roles have been dark, and I try to express a part of myself with each character anyway. I think, as long as I keep trying new things, the people who think that way will stop misunderstanding me.

Q. Then in that regard, Swing Kids’ Ro Kisoo is an important point for you. Very. He’s a very dear figure to me. I wonder what will come next? What do I have left to show? It’s exciting to think about.

Q. I can’t help but wish to see you a character with a lot of aegyo, maybe because you dislike it so much that even variety programs comment on it. (laughs) I think it’d be a fun role. I don’t hate the thought. (laughs)

Q. When you appeared on Naver’s Actor Chatter, you mentioned that if you could film a drama with actress Kim Hyesoo, you’d like it to be an introspective office drama where you’re a new recruit to her team. Then Park Kyunglim said, “And not a rom com? Kim Hyesoo might have a word with you!” To which you said, “With me? How could I (dare)...” Why do you think it’s so impossible? How would that even happen! I’d be incredibly honored, but there’s no chance of it happening.

Q. Maybe if your character was like Jung Haein’s in JTBC’s Something in the Rain (2018), where noonas dote on his cuteness... That’d be really nice. I’d like to try being in a drama like Secret Affair (2014) too. I look forward to melodramas in the future, and trying out thrillers...

Q. Yeah, you were good in I Remember You (2015). Really? (laughs) Someone like him is good too, but I’d like to try acting as a completely average person. I’d rather embrace a variety of characters, not just one type.

Q. It’s Okay, It’s Love (2014) and Cart (2014) were your first and second released projects, respectively. You had to act as a victim of ALS; I wonder how you prepared for it when you’d never even gotten acting lessons before that point. For that, I had watched documentaries for indirect experience that I could use with my imagination to make [it seem believable].

Q. I heard that writer No Heekyung helped you a lot as you were starting out? It’s a given that she taught me skills, like how recounting things in staccato will help me with my pronunciation, but she talked with me about the characters too. I absolutely want to work with her again. I really enjoyed Live (2018) and its focus on daily life; my favorite of her projects is the film The Most Beautiful Goodbye (2011). I related to it a lot.

Q. I’m curious about how you figure out characters when aspects of them don’t overlap with you. Right now, are you more the type to conduct deep research, or the type to think it out? I look inside a lot. Of course I do my research too, but I leave the next step to my imagination. Sometimes seeing the actual props on set help, but the more I think through my character’s personality and mentality and how he would act or speak, the more the set seems to build itself. That’s what I’ve been doing so far.

Q. There are actors who write diaries in-character, or go through the day performing their character’s routines, or make exhaustive notes on their role. Mm, I don’t write anything down. My favorite scripts are clean and light, and I just keep it all in my head. My memory isn’t great, so I think trying to be exact would make acting too complicated for me. It’s easier for me to play things out mentally and then concentrate hard on set.

Q. Didn’t you say that yelling at your mom in Cart was very hard for you, because it’s something you’d never done? How did you resolve it back then, and what do you do with similar impasses now? I played everything out in my head then, too. I just did it on set. How would I get angry when I’m by myself? I’m too shy to practice being angry in my room all alone or with the EXO members helping. (laughs)

Q. So you’re the type who just needs to be on set. I’m still not good at yelling. During Cart, I just said to myself (makes a sad face) “I’ll just do it when I get there,” but acting it out was actually thrilling. It was a huge thrill to feel what I’d never felt and to do what I hadn’t done.

Q. When I view your filmography, I get the sense that directors love your eyes. You get unique close-ups that show off the fleeting emotions in your gaze. Is there anything in particular you do to act with your eyes? Uh... (thinks for a long time) I don’t do anything except stay in-character. My eyes are a bit weak. Whenever my immune system drops or I get too much sun, they dry out quickly and turn bloodshot. It would bother the viewer if I blink too much during a touching moment, so I put a lot of focus on my health. My eyesight is honestly really bad. I can’t monitor well on set, so watching the fully produced release, when I can have glasses on, will be my first time properly viewing myself. I can’t wear contact lenses either. I’m told it’s because the surface of my corneas aren’t curved like normal. When I put in lenses, my eyelids will push them down. So I wear glasses.

Q. There must be a certain comfort to live with the other EXO members, who also have their own acting projects. It’s closer to gratitude from their support than comfort. We don’t talk about our acting. Like I mentioned earlier, I get too embarrassed to practice acting with them.

Q. Have you ever given advice they took? I don’t. They’ve pointed out to me when I was slouching or hanging my head before, but we’ve never given each other acting advice. It’s not like I have any seniority. So how could I, when we’re all in the same boat? (laughs)

Q. There are people who police what it means to be a man - including in terms of physical build - and like to suggest actors who fit their mold for certain genres [over other actors who don’t]. It was very gratifying for me to watch you find success in 100 Days My Prince, maybe because you defy those definitions. I don’t think much of their advice either. The admiration you feel from someone’s abilities, personality, or mentality is what matters. And I act for myself - I just want to figure out my own path, and to give my best in order to show my best.

Q. Every time, without fail, you seem unsure whenever someone compliments on your ability or charm. Yet, no matter how I look at it, you have high self-esteem. How would you reconcile this? When someone keeps complimenting me, I feel embarrassed. Like I’m seriously going crazy (laughs). Even by my own judgment, I think I have a pretty high self-esteem; it’s important to have self-esteem. Except it might not be connected to my abilities, but with my well-being instead. I have to stay firm so that I’m not ruined by stress, so that I can keep going.

Q. During last year’s appearance on Knowing Brothers, I saw you say you hoped to be a farmer one day. You like cooking too, so I was wondering if you wanted a life like you’d see in Little Forest (2018)? (laughs) The Little Forest series (2014) from Japan is a big influence for me. I’d like to cook with what I grow, and to live in good health in a small, quiet home. I don’t know when it’ll happen, but I hope it’s possible by my late thirties or early forties.

source: @wallnuut | translation: fydk

#translation #t:interview #2019 #d.o.#kyungsoo #exo #fydk

275 notes · View notes

that-shamrock-vibe · 6 years ago

Text

Movie Review: Ant-Man and the Wasp (Spoilers)

Spoiler Warning: I am posting this review the day the movie is first shown in the U.K, now I know that is over a month after it was released elsewhere but I have been told not to post any spoilers about these films until certain people have the option of seeing it. In any case if you have not yet seen the movie go and see it then come back and read on.

Ant-Man and the Wasp vs Incredibles 2:

Before going into my character analysis for the movie I want to reaffirm what I said in my non-spoiler review about the connections between this movie and Incredibles 2 and why I think Disney has self-sabotaged itself and the victim is Marvel.

Firstly I enjoyed both movies, I saw both movies before the mainstream U.K. and at the time of this review have already posted my spoiler review for Incredibles 2 so don’t feel I’m spoiling anything here. But yes I thought Incredibles 2 was a near perfect movie, it had been 14 years in the making and the wait paid off. I also thought Ant-Man and the Wasp was a very charming and enjoyable movie and a good follow up to the first film.

The only issue with the two being released so close together, again mainly in the U.S. rather than here in the U.K, is that both movies and franchises are essentially family superhero movies. Yes Incredibles centres on that family dynamic but Ant-Man deals with father-daughter dynamics as a B storyline both with Scott & Cassie and Hank & Hope, but also now in the sequel we have the mother-daughter dynamic with Janet & Hope as well as the husband-wife dynamic with Hank & Janet.

In my opinion, having both movies so close to each other particularly both being Disney properties, was a mistake. Not only because both had a lot of expectation going in but also when you look at the opening weekend box office for both movies. Incredibles 2 made over $182 million whereas Ant-Man & the Wasp made just under $79 million, both of which obviously don’t count the U.K. because the U.K. had over a month to wait for either film and yes Ant-Man did beat its first movie opening weekend but a Disney Pixar movie has beat the latest movie in a 10 year juggernaut franchise.

Characters:

Scott Lang/Ant-Man:

As I have said before, this is Paul Rudd’s franchise and he certainly proves why just in the first 10/15 minutes. The scene where Scott is playing with daughter Cassie in his house because he can’t leave the house were very charming. I love the fact he built those cardboard tunnels and giant ants to simulate what it is like to be Ant-Man pulling off a heist was very cool. I especially like how it played into Cassie’s arc in the movie but I will get into that when I talk about Cassie.

Speaking of him not leaving the house; I loved the exposition as to why he couldn’t leave, it was because he sided with Cap against the Sokovia Accords but was released from the Raft on the condition he completed a 2 year house arrest stint. It brings the movie into somewhat present day minus a few months and also gave exposition as to why Hank or Hope weren’t in Civil War.

Also I liked seeing repercussions to him going to the Quantum Realm at the end of the first movie, not only with that “dream” state he was in but also the link he gained with Janet. I was slightly worried when it first started that it was going to be another PTSD story akin to Tony Stark in Iron Man 3 but thankfully it was not.

This did also get him back into his superhero antics. When he was essentially abducted by Hope, I liked the fact that the chemistry was still there, I did not really see it there in the first movie so thought this time around it was still there but again I didn’t vest much into it.

Paul Rudd’s comedy when in scenes with Hank & Hope was excellent. I loved how he stated that he destroyed the suit under Hank’s orders but then Hank got mad saying it was his life’s work but then when he revealed he didn’t actually destroy it his reason for not doing so was because it was Hank’s life’s work. It was really funny. Also the wing and blaster envy he was getting from seeing Wasp in action was also funny.

I also enjoyed the size jokes with the new Ant-Man suit malfunctioning causing Scott to not be able to control the size he goes. Particularly at Cassie’s school when he was stuck as essentially a midget but realistically child-sized, Paul Rudd sold those scenes beautifully.

Hope van Dyne/Wasp:

Just for the record, Hope is not my second favourite character in this movie, but because her name is in the title and she is who she is I thought I should put her second, in reality she comes just above Cassie.

The reason for this is, Evangeline Lilly essentially played an angry nagging den mother in this movie and I was promised The Wasp. Now yes I have made my peace with the fact the comic-book version is Janet van Dyne and to be fair we did see her as the Wasp so I am okay with that but considering throughout the first movie Hope was vying to be put in the field and then the look on her face when she finally got the suit at the end was so rewarding that we were left gagging for her to shine here...then it didn’t even seem like she appreciated it half the time. She was moaning at Scott for leaving to go to Germany with the Avengers, she was moaning when Scott told Luis where the laboratory was which then led Burch to them, she just seemed like she was looking for any reason to be mad at Scott.

Also, I have said it since I saw the first image of her from the movie, I HATE the fact she has long hair in this movie. Wasp is supposed to have a short messy bob or a pixie cut. How she had it in the first movie was perfect for the character yet here, I know it has been two years and hair does grow, but it just seemed unrealistic to have that much hair in that small helmet. The two theories I have for this is Evangeline Lilly said she just wanted long hair or they wanted her to resemble Michelle Pfeiffer. Either way I was not keen. It seems that every female character in this universe needs long hair and a face full of makeup regardless of the tone of the actual character.

And that’s another thing, there were times in this movie when Hope’s hair looked shabby and she wasn’t wearing make-up, yet in the next scene after she’s suited up and finished fighting she retracts her helmet and suddenly her hair looks silky and she has a full face of make-up...either that suit deals in great hair and beauty or there is a continuity error right there.

Now despite my issues with the character, I did still like Hope in the movie, mainly when she was fighting as the Wasp and at the end when she’s reunited with her mother. She had one of my favourite lines in the movie which was when the heroes were cornered by Sonny Burch before that brilliant car chase and after seeing him she just goes “Seriously? This guy again?!” which made me laugh because I also didn’t understand why he was in the movie.

I wasn’t a big fan of the costume; Yes it was supposed to match the Ant-Man costume of this universe which is very much motorcycle attire but this time around with wings however, I thought the costume at the end of the first movie looked a lot better. Yes bare arms on a protective suit aren’t exactly practical but that’s more or less how the character looked in the comics, or with no helmet.

Now there were apparently plans to debut the Wasp in Captain America: Civil War and have her accompany Ant-Man, after seeing this I am thinking maybe they should because it wouldn’t have been for a whole movie and maybe she would have come across better both there and here for being included. Although I did like her line to Scott saying “If I had come, you wouldn’t have got caught”.

Overall I am not overwhelmed by Evangeline Lilly’s first on-screen outing as the Wasp but I don’t think I am underwhelmed either. I am slightly disappointed both because this is the first instance of a female Marvel superhero to have her name in the title of a movie and also the fact there are talks of Wasp leading the new Avengers team after Avengers 4 which going from this I have doubts in, but she was still good my watch.

Hank Pym:

I loved Michael Douglas in this movie, he was so much funnier and personable here compared to the first movie. I love how the movie showed us a glimpse of gritty and dark Hank Pym from the comics in his relationship with former friend Bill Foster and pretty much creating Ghost yet showing no remorse for any of it, I would have liked to have seen a hint of the fact in the comics he was physically violent towards Janet at one point but I get this is a light-hearted movie.

On the subject of his comedy, he was fantastic in his snide remarks towards Scott, very much playing the disapproving father-in-law role and Scott and Hope weren’t even together in this movie. As I said before, I love that back and forth between Hank and Scott about Scott destroying the original suit then revealing he didn’t for the same reason Hank gave as to why he was angry he thought he had. Also when it looks like Scott and Hope are on a more even level in the relationship, the fact Hank turned around after this somewhat tender moment and said “If you;re doing making eyes at my daughter, could you go get my lab back?” This was definitely my type of comedy I love blunt dry humour with a dash of cynicism and Michael Douglas provided that in spades.

I really liked him in that opening scene where they once again de-aged him and in my opinion he looked better here than in that opening scene from the first film, it was more believable that this was Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne of 30 years ago. Also yes the superhero scene with them is pretty much the same as the one during Hank’s explanation of Janet’s death from the first one but just to see Hank Pym as Ant-Man is something I will take in any form.

Also I liked in the end it was him who went into the Quantum Realm to rescue Janet, it was pretty much the only action he had all movie because otherwise he was behind a computer. I thought the reunion with his wife was very sweet and touching although it did very much play like a traditional elderly couple or a prim and proper greeting of just almost a peck. These are two seasoned actors and yes while they are slightly elderly it wouldn’t have hurt the movie to allow a true passionate moment to make the audience feel the joy of the original superhero couple being reunited after 30 years.

Like I mentioned in my non-spoiler review, the size-jokes in this movie were better than the first one and they were pretty much shared between Scott Lang and Hank Pym. Scott provided the physical comedy while Hank provided the technological gags. I loved that Hot Wheels toy car storage set being used as various different transportation for them, I really liked shrinking the lab as a travel case and the fact that Hank probably designed it because of the retractable handle was brilliant. Also the workforce of giant ants in the lab were brilliant. Slightly silly in places but it’s that kind of movie.

Janet van Dyne:

Michelle Pfeiffer is back in the superhero universe and I am personally thrilled with her performance here. I loved how comedic she was particularly in that opening scene, I never knew she could be that funny. That 80s wig sold her de-aging but also how they de-aged her face took me right back to seeing her as Selina Kyle in 1992′s Batman Returns.

The fact there was that massive easter-egg of seeing her as a shadow in the Quantum Realm in the first movie but then expanding on that by having her meet Scott and create that mind-link with him was really quite clever. I also was very intrigued by her newfound powers, I like how they explained it was essentially a mutation from the Quantum Realm and I am glad it wasn’t a physical mutation but the fact the powers don’t seem to be specific to anything and instead seems to be energy that can do various things intrigues me and makes me want to know more.

The fact we see her when Hank Pym reunites with her looking like a hermit but still having her Wasp suit on just without the full helmet was very cool. It did kind of make her look like a Sand Person from Star Wars especially with that coat that came out of nowhere but I thought she looked great.

Also her promo image mislead me as I have been thinking since they were released that her hair was typically Michelle Pfeiffer and would be blonde, but I am happy it was grey and that her hair was brunette in the opening as Janet should be.

I am slightly disappointed we did not see her take part in any action particularly since she was one of the better Catwomans for her action scenes but I do also get why she wasn’t involved.

Ava Starr/Ghost:

Just when you think the MCU has solved its villain problem after a string of successful villains first with Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming and then from Ego in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 through to Thanos finally making an impact in Avengers: Infinity War, we take a step back with Ghost.

Now that is not to say Hannah Jon-Kamen was in anyway bad, in fact I liked her quite a bit as an actress. I thought her emotional backstory of how she went back to save her father but was caught up in the explosion that killed both her parents and left her constantly in pain struggling between two realms was compelling and made for a very interesting character. Also as a villain I thought she was spectacular to watch from a VFX standpoint.

The fact she was constantly stuck in quantum entanglement made for some of the best VFX I have seen for any character in a comic-book property in quite some time. It was chilling but awesome. Also made for some excellent fight sequences between her and Ant-Man.

However, while I understood her motivation, it did not ring true with going full villain, because she wasn’t she was just someone who was doing bad things for personal reasons not because she is villainous herself. It's almost Killmonger-esk as both were villainous to avenge their parents.

Also I didn't understand why we have a second Scott Lang/Ant-Man movie, but the villain targeted Hank Pym again. Scott just seems to be fighting Hank's battles now he has retired and it just screams out the fact Hank Pym should have been Ant-Man in Phase 1.

Then you have the fact that she is once again a one-movie villain but rather than dying she is somewhat reformed when Janet heals her almost instantly after returning from the Quantum Realm despite the fact that Ava was trying to kill her in order to gain quantum stability.

Overall I do see a future for this character but I am going to explain how when I talk about the future of the MCU further down because it does involve a lot from this movie.

Cassie Lang:

I loved Cassie here, I thought she stepped up her game from the first movie and the fact she was so willing to be a superhero bodes very well for the future.

Particularly with how this movie ends and sets up Avengers 4, I am fully behind the explanation as to why she is recast from Abby Ryder-Fortson here to Emma Fuhrmann there. Especially as it seems to indicate the arrival of Stature. Yes currently in the comics Cassie is Stinger rather than Stature but I hope they do go with Stature first at least and then see the evolution into Stinger.

I really enjoyed her wanting to be her father’s partner in crime until she realized Hope was a more fitting partner for the time being. Although the fact that the end of the movie happened, it may mean when we see her in the future she has drawn from the comics where she became Stature after her father’s death at the hands of Scarlet Witch.

I also liked how Cassie stalled for her dad when Agent Woo came knocking and he was speeding back to the house. It did show a lot of promise for her ability to cover for heroic deeds.

Luis, Dave & Kurt:

I did think if you just had Luis in this movie it would have been enough, Kurt and Dave were very much just there. Luis was on point as always and that scene where he explains situations but everyone is talking in his voice for this movie was spectacular. It helped to fill in the gaps between the first and second movies.

I did think the three of them jumped the shark a bit particularly with the forced humor in places but I loved the fact Luis again got in on the action more-so than he did in the first movie. He is proving himself to be a great civilian sidekick to Scott.

Also it did only occur to me in this movie that David Datmalchian, who plays Kurt, has really been jumping back and forth from Marvel to DC, he was in the first Ant-Man then in between the two movies went over to DC TV to be in not only Gotham as cult leader Dwight Pollard who is responsibly in that universe for resurrecting Jerome and cutting off his face, but after that he was in The Flash as Abra Kadabra. I have to say, he has a brilliant range as an actor because I did not click any of the three characters were the same actor until watching this.

Bill Foster/Goliath:

I do feel slightly sorry for Laurence Fisburne because, just as David Datchmalchian has jumped between the two comic-book franchise juggernauts. he has effectively jumped ship from DC to Marvel first playing a race-bent Perry White in the DCEU and now playing Goliath here. Both are very well known characters but in my opinion I prefer him as Perry White, because here he did not make much of an impact.

As I said when talking about Pym, I did like seeing the fact that both these scientists were former friends but now effectively hate each other, even though Bill was willing to lie to the FBI about not seeing the heroes because of that reason. However, while yes I understood why Bill did not like Hank, I do feel that jibe about Janet was a low blow particularly when Bill and Janet seemed to still be on friendly terms.

In terms of his superhero days, he is retired from action at present much like Hank and Janet, although Janet was forced into retirement due to being presumed dead for 30 years, and we do not even get a flashback of him in action like we do with the Pyms. I did like when he and Scott were comparing sizes because it is such an easy joke but never really been used in this manner, however I would have liked to even of seen a picture of him in his Goliath suit on his wall or something.

Also the fact that in the comics Goliath was killed by a fake Thor in Civil War does pose the question of where this character goes from here, if at all because as I said I was not really a fan of him here.

His relationship with Ava I thought came across very genuine in the belief that they were surrogate father and daughter, I liked how Bill took Ava in to somewhat try and make a better life for her despite the fact she was then made an Agent of SHIELD and somewhat used by them. It was very much a struggling father angsty child sort of relationship but it worked well for the movie.

I am glad he somewhat redeemed himself and by the end of the movie I was glad he didn’t die but once again I do not know where the character goes from here.

Jimmy Woo:

Agent Woo was very much the new Agent Coulson, hopefully this means he will not be demoted to his own TV show but I would not mind seeing him turn up in a Marvel TV series because I feel he’d be better suited there.

He had some funny lines like wanting to learn Scott’s slight of hand trick and he was great exposition when he was explaining to Cassie at the start of the movie what happened to Scott between Civil War and this movie. But overall I saw him as just an obstacle in this movie much like Paxton was in the first.

Jim Paxton & Maggie Lang:

Speaking of Paxton, he and his still fiancée Maggie were very much just there in this movie. I really am growing to detest seeing Bobby Cannavale in all movies I see him in because yes he was good in Will & Grace but that character worked with his acting range, Paxton in the first movie was yes an obstacle for Scott and had some believability as Scott’s ex’s new man but here it’s almost like he was on happy pills or something and Scott’s BFF.

I am glad to see Scott and Maggie are getting along better as co-parents but again aside from that the two did not really leave an impression.

Sonny Burch:

Again, Hope said it best when Burch showed up and she said “Seriously, this guy again!” Because I felt Walter Goggins kept walking or driving into the wrong movie, yes this was a somewhat heist movie and in a good heist movie there are either multiple jobs or parties at once but Butch had zero presence or anything really to do with the main storylines despite the fact he kept trying to obtain Pym’s lab for the technology inside.

End-Credits Scenes:

So there were two end-credits scenes here, one meaty one after the title card appeared mid-credits and one throwaway one right at the end which involves Scott’s giant pet ant playing the drums after silent shots of his house.

The meaty one involved Scott, Hope, Hank & Janet setting up a portal to the Quantum Realm in order to harvest more quantum energy for Ghost to remain stable. While he is in there, the Pym-van Dyne family all disintegrate along with everyone else who disintegrated at the end of Infinity War. This leaves Scott trapped in the Quantum Realm and sets up where we’ll find him in Avengers 4.

MCU Future:

This sets up the plot for Avengers 4 rather well as it does seem as though Scott will time travel through the Quantum Realm and appear in the future which is why we have an aged Tony and older Cassie. They will probably then time-travel back to the Battle of New York in 2012 which is why we have the original Avengers still alive and Thor back with his long hair.

Outside of the next movie, I see a S.H.I.E.L.D. prequel in the works, yes there was one penned after The Avengers which was then altered to a Black Widow solo movie before being scrapped for the Black Widow movie we have now coming up, but now I see more potential for an actual S.H.I.E.L.D. prequel. First of all the de-aging technology in this movie on Hank, Janet and Bill were all better than on Michael Douglas at the start of the last movie, but also it will be a chance to see Hank, Janet & Bill as the original Ant-Man, Wasp and Goliath in action. It would also be a way to bring back Ghost and see her arc as an Agent of SHIELD explored over the span of a movie. Something to consider and something I would be very keen on seeing.

Overall I rate the movie a 7.5/10, it was a great movie but I am not sure if it holds up to the first movie which I rated a 9. It has some great fight scenes, it’s great seeing both Wasps on the table and Ghost was great but there were a lot of unnecessary plot points and characters as well as a lack of comedy the first movie had which lowered the score a bit.

So that’s my spoiler review for Ant-Man and the Wasp, what did you guys think? Post your comments and check out more Marvel Movie Reviews as well as other Movie Reviews and posts.

10 notes · View notes