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Here's a look at the new movie I saw this week.

Ant-Man and The Wasp
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hannah John-Kamen, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Pena, and Walton Goggins
Synopsis: If you're a long-time reader of my pop culture takes, especially on movies, then you know that "Ant-Man," the 2015 film where Paul Rudd's titular hero was introduced, was not my favorite. In fact, it's my least favorite film in the modern Marvel Cinematic Universe. And it was weird to me, too, because I like Rudd as a performer and had thought the concept would be fun. That film, for me, wasn't fun. I thought it was a creative miss. So I was a little apprehensive going into the follow up. That combined with what I felt was a misfire in "Avengers: Infinity War" had me wondering where this would go. But this film was far richer, and far more entertaining than I'd expected. Rudd is still good, and it felt like he was more free in this follow up to use his natural skills and gifts. And Lilly getting a more prominent role helped greatly. The supporting cast here is still great, too. Douglas and Pfeiffer seem to be having fun with their roles, as does Pena, and all add a light touch to the story. I liked Goggins as a villain, and John-Kamen and Fishburne added to the narrative, too. Perhaps the most fun was Randall Park, who plays the put upon FBI agent making sure Rudd's Scott Lang is complying. All in all the narrative was a lot lighter and more focused in this one, and there wasn't the same kind of cartoon villain that distracted from the fun elements in the first one. I thought this was terrifically entertaining, and the kind of MCU film you're looking for in the middle of summer.
Rating: PG - 13 for some sci - fi action violence.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:
Friday, July 13: "Skyscrapper," "Hotel Transylvania: Summer Vacation"
Friday, July 20: "Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again," "Unfriended: The Dark Web," "Equalizer 2"
Friday, July 27: "Mission Impossible: Fallout," "Teen Titans GO to the Movie"

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