‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ REVIEW: Big in spectacle, small in everything else
‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ REVIEW: Big in spectacle, small in everything else
A still from “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”
With the Marvel Cinematic Universe diving straight into its Multiverse Saga, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has the task of not only continuing the adventures of its titular heroes and the MCU’s overarching storyline, but also beginning the franchise’s fifth Phase and setting up its next Thanos-level villain.
The film follows Scott Lang/Ant-Man (played by Paul Rudd), now a world-famous celebrity after helping the Avengers save the universe in Endgame, as he and his family get sucked into the Quantum Realm, and must contend with secrets from Janet van Dyne’s (played by Michelle Pfeiffer) time trapped there, and the threat of the multiversal conqueror, Kang (played by Jonathan Majors).
Quantumania does deliver on its name and shows us the true scope of the Quantum Realm, the subatomic universe beneath our own, taking us deeper into it than ever before. While the ever changing terrain, giant creatures, and strange denizens showcase the weird and wacky side of the MCU, the excessive amount of CGI can be nauseating at times.
All the visual spectacle does come at the cost of the story. The film’s 2 hour 5 minute runtime is just too short to juggle its various plotlines, such as Scott and Cassie’s somewhat strained relationship, Janet’s time in the Quantum Realm, and setting up Kang as a viable threat not just to the heroes but to the wider MCU at large.
The action is alright, but nothing to write home about. The Ant-Man films have always found interesting ways to incorporate the character’s size-changing abilities into its fight scenes, from the hilarious Thomas the Tank Engine playset battle in Ant-Man (2015), to the shrinking and growing car chase scene in Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018). Nothing of that sort of craziness happens here, with Scott usually simply growing big and wrecking stuff.
Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly)
Paul Rudd is amazing as ever as Scott Lang, maintaining that same everyman energy the character had in previous installments now with a hint of smugness as a result of his newfound fame. Kathryn Newton also shines as Cassie Lang, Scott’s daughter who now has a super suit of her own. However, the rest of the cast aren’t so lucky. Despite being a title character, Evangeline Lilly’s Hope van Dyne/The Wasp is criminally underused. The same goes for Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer as Hope’s parents Dr. Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne, respectively. At times, it feels like they’re there simply because they were in the previous Ant-Man films, which is incredibly disappointing especially for Janet, who’s backstory and connection to Kang is ripe for development that just isn’t there.
Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) makes his MCU debut in this film
The highlight of this film is Jonathan Majors, who first appeared as He-Who-Remains in Loki Season 1, now portraying that character’s alternate version, Kang the Conqueror. Unlike the hyperactive, trollish persona of He-Who-Remains, Kang is more restrained and menacing in his approach, only letting out the raging madman beneath in the film’s climax. Kang dominates every scene he’s in, showing he has what it takes to be the new overarching villain of the franchise.
Between the decent action and humor, overloaded visual effects, underdeveloped characters, and somewhat half-baked storyline, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a perfectly serviceable film that doesn’t quite reach the zany heights of its predecessors, while offering a tease of what’s to come in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga.
