The First Purge
Ant-Man and the Wasp PG-13
Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) recruits Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) to help rescue his wife, Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer), from the “quantum realm.” Winging her way into Janet’s Wasp suit is her daughter, Hope (Evangeline Lilly), Lang’s partner for the retrieval mission. Villain Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins) wants control over the lab used by the pair to enter the so-called “quantum universe;” this should be no surprise, since it is here that Pym learned to grow things in size as well as to shrink them down. Like the first film, this one is helmed by director Peyton Reed. Neither the plot nor our heroes’ problems are treated seriously. Though the film’s special effects are a riot, Ant-Man’s sarcasm remains the film’s reason to exist.
The First Purge R
Hoping to reduce escalating crime, all crimes are legal during an event termed “the first purge,” but only on impoverished Staten Island, N.Y. The New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) hatch this scheme to rid society of its most dangerous criminals. Government soldiers (disguised as civilians) carry out the executions; however, being innocent affords no protection. Functioning as a poster child for the Black Lives Matter movement, this prequel to the Purge films spends a lot of its time making sure we get the important and highly topical message.
