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Ant-Man and the Wasp & Mission Impossible: Fallout Reviews


It's increasingly looking like the blockbuster summer movie is a dying trend. Mostly thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, big films have expanded quite comfortably into the spring and even late winter, with Black Panther absolutely dominating the box office in February and Infinity War breaking even more records two months later. Consequently, the summer was left with Ant-Man and the Wasp, easily the least anticipated MCU entry of 2018. However, whilst the MCU didn't bring their A-listers, the latest Mission Impossible stormed into the summer, achieving box success and critical acclaim to the tune of “best action movie ever”. How do these two summer movies stack up to each other?

Firstly, Ant-Man and the Wasp is further evidence that the MCU is being run more like a TV series than a film franchise. Following on from the epic and dark midseason finale that was Infinity War, AMatW functions as the comic relief that releases the tension. Considered within that context, AMatW does a stellar job. Simply put, it's very funny. The script constructs a number of amusing running jokes that play off of each other in smart, surprising and - crucially - hilarious ways. Elements that worked in the previous Ant-Man return without diminished efficacy; Luis’ zippy storytelling style is brought back and ramped up to particularly side-splitting heights. As has been the case throughout the MCU, the actors embody their characters confidently and definitively, with their chemistry on fine comedic form.

Conversely, Mission Impossible: Fallout acts as a more traditional sequel. Elements from previous instalments are brought back - but not too heavily so newcomers can still follow - and new elements are added to keep things fresh, resulting in the usual sequel blend of familiarity and novelty. Vitally for a Mission Impossible film, Fallout also does everything in its power to ramp up the set pieces and top its predecessors’ spectacle. Consequently, the action is top notch. It's huge and fast and crunchy, raring with exhilarating intensity that never falls into the trap of weightless, shallow spectacle. The stunts and technology are ridiculous - this is Mission Impossible - but in a way that's plausible enough for an action film. Plus, I'll never get tired of the iconic double-crossing and mask removing, which Fallout plays with especially gleefully.

Of course, neither of these films are without fault. AMatW can easily seem inconsequential compared to the compulsively eventful Infinity War. Even compared to Black Panther, which brought a new level of maturity (and social progress) to the MCU, AMatW can seem like an insignificant diversion. However, as I pointed out in my review of the original, AMatW's smaller focus results in themes and character arcs arguably more relatable. The importance of family plays a crucial role throughout the film, driving most of the protagonists’ motivations and providing many endearing character interactions. Plus, AMatW marks a 100% interesting villain success rate for Marvel's 2018 output. Ghost is a genuinely intriguing antagonist. She raises challenging questions for our heroes due to her traumatic past and the dynamic soon becomes more complex than mere good v evil.

Fallout suffers much more in the character department. Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt continues to be a rather dull protagonist. Cruise's charisma isn't nearly strong enough to overcome Hunt's lack of interesting conflict. In Fallout, his character arc mostly revolves around the tired pseudo-flaw of being unable to sacrifice his friends for the greater good. Even that only occasionally appears and is essentially resolved in the first act, making every time it pops up later on feel redundant. There is a hint of brilliance when they bring back Julia, Hunt's fiancé from Mission Impossible III, creating the potential to explore some fascinatingly complex relationships. However, for some reason, it's exclusively confined to the third act and only when the film isn't too busy blowing up helicopters.

So, in short, these are both solidly entertaining and naturally flawed summer blockbusters. Ant-Man and the Wasp appears relatively incidental alongside this year’s other huge MCU entries but it’s also a hilarious and heartwarming release of tension. Mission Impossible: Fallout doesn’t achieve much with its characters but provides classic summer thrills of the highest order. Why on earth did I pit these two against each other? Was it entirely arbitrary? Was it so I didn’t have to write two whole reviews? Should you stop asking so many questions or else you’ll find yourself bound and gagged in the boot of a car? What?

Uh... I liked these films.

Ant-Man and the Wasp 
8.1/10

Mission Impossible: Fallout 
7.9/10

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