6.5/10

After an exhausting battle with Captain America and the Avengers, Scott Lang, known as Ant-Man, finds himself under house arrest. But no sooner does he settle in before he finds himself in yet another adventure, as he assists his old mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, in rescuing his wife from a mysterious place called the Quantum Realm by building a gate to get there. Ant-Man and friends are in for a bumpy ride, though, as two other characters, with very different motives, seek to obtain that same gate.
Ant-Man and the Wasp was definitely a surprise for many critics and audiences, as it was slightly less conventional than your average superhero movie with black-and-white protagonists and antagonists. Everyone is fleshed out in the film as all having very believable motives for wanting the same thing. The movie turns into a game of cat-and-mouse as our characters scramble for access to the quantum realm in a comedic but compelling way. The film’s biggest weakness was that it did not really feel like Ant-Man’s film; the movie was really about Hope, the Wasp, and finding her mother. Even the side characters had bigger goals and arcs than did Scott. There was, perhaps, something there in Ant-Man’s journey in the film that could have been fleshed out a little better, while not at the expense of the rest of the story, but it seemed like a missed opportunity. Overall, Ant-Man is not a complete waste of time, and holds audiences over after its amazing predecessor, Infinity War.

Many Redemptions

All the characters are in some need of redemption. Firstly, the film centers around the restoration of a lost loved one back from a mysterious realm. At the same time, our main character, Scott Lang, is seeking to be accepted by the people he loves after a series of poor decisions; Ant-man also struggles with his identity as a superhero, not being as powerful as he wants to be; and to make matters worse, his romantic relationship with Hope (Evangeline Lily) is suffering. The cherry on top of all this is an angry character searching for a shot at normalcy, after a tragic explosion has rearranged the molecular structure of her body. What’s really compelling is that there is no actual “villain”, though there is a character who has plunged headlong into love for money, having passed his moment of redemption, and now pursuing a criminal life.

There is much truth here to contemplate for the believer. When Christ restores us, he restores multiple areas of our lives. The film shows a myriad of people who are, together, caught in a web with their own losses and agendas. Christ brings together loved ones in eternity, restores broken romantic relations, restores human identity through sanctification, and establishes normalcy in a life mauled by the effects of the fall. He even holds out his arms for those who still reject righteousness for money while remains the day of grace. The godly may meditate on this film and remember that just as sin affected all areas of life, so also does the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ. As Van Til once said, “The sweep of redemption is as comprehensive as the sweep of sin.” What was brilliant about this film is that depicts life as it often is: a compilation of hurting people seeking their redemption. The Christian worldview responds by saying that all forms of redemption are echoes of that eternal reality that is in Christ Jesus.

Cornelius Van Til, Christian Theistic Ethics (Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1980), 86-87.

Spider-Man is my favorite superhero of all time. I am, therefore, happy to say that Spider-Man has come home at last! In Tom Holland we finally find a great portrayal of the comic book Spider-Man. Holland shines both as the dorky, smart, insecure Peter Parker, and the wise-cracking, superpowered hero. Holland is supported by a strong cast who act, talk, and feel like actual teenagers, as well as, a fantastic turn by Michael Keaton. There are things I could nitpick, but Spider-man is such a blast to watch, it is easy to forget the quibbles. I highly recommend seeing Spider-Man: Homecoming on the biggest screen you can in theaters.

Spoilers Following:

At its core Spider-Man: Homecoming ask one question, “what does it mean to be a hero?” At one point in the film Tony takes back Peter’s suit.  Peter pleads, “But I am nothing without this suit.” Tony wisely responds, “If you are nothing without the suit, then you shouldn’t have it.
In a sudden turn later in the film Toomes discovers Peter is Spider-Man. Toomes gives Peter 2 choices, either leave him alone, or he will kill Peter and everyone he loves.

Donning his original suit Peter chooses to confront Toomes. Peter becomes pinned under massive pile of rubble. Holland superbly portrays a scared kid stuck, crying out for someone to come help. Looking at his mask on the floor, a flashback of Tony Stark says, “If you are nothing without the suit, then you shouldn’t have it.” Peter then says, “come on Peter,” and then switches to, “come on Spider-Man, come on Spider-man.” Spider-Man triumphantly lifts the heavy rubble and escapes to continue to fight the Vulture.

The film suggest this is where Peter becomes a hero. I believe it misses what makes someone truly heroic. Furthermore, it lacks an essential part of what makes Peter Parker so special. A friend rightly pointed out to me that using Tony Stark’s quote here changes the message. It makes heroism about believing in yourself and having powers to overcome physical obstacles. But is this what it means to be heroic? I think not. Heroism is found in self-sacrifice, a refusal to give up, and a sense of duty to do what is right.  Heroism is a recognition that, “with great power comes great responsibility.”  Jesus is the hero of the Bible. His heroism is in his humility, his goodness, and his sacrifice for the good of others.

The Bible teaches that all believers have been given gifts and skills. Spider-Man presses us to recognize that we are responsible to use these good gifts for God. God has given us a heroic calling to serve him, his Church, our communities, and to expand his kingdom to the ends of the earth will we be heroic like Spider-Man and take on our responsibilities? Will we answer the call?

“God has given us a heroic calling to serve him, his Church, our communities, and to expand his kingdom to the ends of the earth will we be heroic like Spider-Man and take on our responsibilities? Will we answer the call?”