Freeze Frame: “Ant-Man and the Wasp” (PG-13), “Boundaries” (R)

In the Marvel Universe, we’ve recently been hit with the dark tragedy of “Avengers: Infinity War” and the comic superhero parody, “Deadpool 2.” In tone, the latest Marvel entry, “Ant-Man and the Wasp” falls somewhere in between. Paul Rudd is back in a light-hearted thriller that has Ant-Man joining forces with The Wasp, played by Evangeline Lilly, in an attempt to save her mother from entrapment in the Quantum realm. It’s brilliantly produced, action-packed and benefits greatly from Rudd’s likeable persona and an easy-going, summer popcorn movie vibe.

In contrast, “Boundaries” is an oddball road trip movie that doesn’t quite live up to its promise. Vera Farmiga plays an eccentric woman who reluctantly agrees to drive her estranged, irascible father, played Christopher Plummer, from Seattle to LA. Turns out, he’s a pot dealer who’s using her as an unwitting mule to haul a load of goods to a Southern Callifornia client. Both of these actors are terrific, but the film is self-consciously quirky and never quite credible.

Also opening this week, “The First Purge” is a prequel to the horror series about the near future where murder is legal one night per year. “A Kid Like Jake” is a story about a child’s struggle with gender identity and the rift it causes between his parents. Claire Danes, Jim Parsons, Octavia Spencer and Ann Dowd star. “Eating Animals” is a documentary about what’s in your food, based on Jonathan Safran Foer’s bestseller. Natalie Portman narrates. “Damsel” is a western that gives the genre a few twists. Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska and Robert Forster star. “Whitney” is a documentary about the late, great singer, Whitney Houston. And finally, “No Postage Necessary”
is a romantic dramedy that’s most notable as the first film screened on a blockchain platform available for purchase with cryptocurrency.

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