I know, I know. I’m super pathetic for only watching “Ant-man and The Wasp” on the same day that “Avengers: Endgame” opened in theaters. I had an entire year to catch up on it but kept putting it off, I freely admit to my lapses. I’m sorry. Nonetheless, the late viewing did not diminish my enjoyment of the film and actually made me more excited to see how Scott Lang will factor into the final movie in Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first three phases.

Synopsis: After the events of Captain America: Civil War, Scott Lang is kept on house arrest for two years as a penalty for violating the Sokovia Accord along with Captain America and his crew. Hank Pym and Hope Van Dyne are also on the run after Scott’s gigantic screw up but the father and daughter are actually working on a secret project that could bring back Hope’s mom from the Quantum Realm. Unfortunately, there are villains who are after the same technology for their own gains — Ghost aka Ava, an assassin whose life is on the brink after a quantum accident she suffered in childhood, and Sonny Burch, a criminal who wants to steal the tech to sell it on the black market.

Considering the level of the Avengers: Infinity War which released just a few months before this, Ant-Man and the Wasp was pretty light and fun which was consistent with the feel of the first movie. After seeing Thanos snap his fingers and kill half of the world in the space of a second though, Ghost, annoying though she was, seemed insignificant in the general scheme of things.

Ant-man and the Wasp had a lot of fun with the Quantum tech, using cool toys and pop culture items in car chases, heists and whatnots. I also thought that it was pretty neat that the timeline of this movie was set before the Thanos snap and after the big bad villain did the deed for the movie’s postcredits scene. This gives Avengers: Endgame an additonal arc to explore. At the same time, it makes fans wonder whether Quantum Energy could play a part in Thanos’ defeat. Leave us not forget that Ant-man was released after Infinity War so there could be a significance to the timing.

My favorite thing about the Ant-Man movies is its strong family dynamic. I love Cassie’s absolute loyalty to her dad, idolizing him despite his petty criminal past. And I love the way Scott just puts his daughter first with everything. Watching Paul Rudd interact with child star Abby Ryder Fortson is just so natural you would think they were a real father and daughter in real life. This strong dynamic also extends to Scott’s best bud Luis and their crew, as well as the Pyms, no matter how much Hank tries to deny it.

The partnership between Ant-Man and the Wasp which gives both heroes equal billing in the title also sends a strong message to comic book fans that the Wasp is not a simple sidekick, but a hero in her own right who can take care of herself and her partner. The chemistry between Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly is great and I like that their powers complement each other making them a formidable comb despite their small size.

Ant-man and the Wasp does not oversell itself and knows exactly what it needs to be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This movie is a team player that helps build interest in the finale and does not ask for anything in return. Well, its getting a ton of credit from me for being a solid addition to the franchise, for being entertaining as heck and for developing characters that fans will definitely want to root for. Its a great watch, but more than that, I know it will something to the table for Avengers: Endgame. I just know it.