Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania takes our heroes to the quantum realm for a new adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Kicking off the fifth phase of the MCU, this superhero film follows Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and his now-adult daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton) as they travel to an unknown realm and face a new enemy named Kang the Conqueror ( Jonathan Majors). Despite Marvel’s track record of providing enjoyable, digestible entertainment, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Phase Five kicks off with a whimper, offering a crowded, lifeless superhero extravaganza waiting for more to build in the future.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania takes our heroes to the quantum realm for a new adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Kicking off the fifth phase of the MCU, this superhero film follows Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and his now-adult daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton) as they travel to an unknown realm and face a new enemy named Kang the Conqueror ( Jonathan Majors). Despite Marvel’s track record of providing enjoyable, digestible entertainment, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Phase Five kicks off with a whimper, offering a crowded, lifeless superhero extravaganza waiting for more to build in the future.
What did the first two do? ant man films successful? These films were intentionally small in format and featured low, light-hearted stakes. This makes them fun, airy, and repeatable. Completely forgetting why the first two worked, this film throws Ant-Man into a CGI-filled world filled with colorful creatures. An adventure set almost entirely in the quantum realm makes for a film that feels like a war of stars prequels part of one ant man The appeal of the film is seeing the hero interact with objects and environments we are familiar with, such as a Thomas the Tank Engine toy or a Hello Kitty Pez Dispenser. But in a fully CGI environment, the superpowers on display lose their X-factor and humor.
This film loses any sense of realism that the first two had by taking every scene and filming them in The Volume. Everything feels artificial as each scene was shot in front of what appears to be an LED screen. While the first few scenes retain some of the comedic elements ant man The movies are known for, we’re quickly thrown into a full-scale, high-risk adventure that throws any character development out the window. quantumThe sole focus is on an action-packed experience that creates a major villain who will return in the future.
The trailer sold this film on the premise that Scott regrets all the years he didn’t get to spend with Cassie because he didn’t see her grow up. Unfortunately, this element hardly appears in the film. While the father-daughter element has always been the heart and soul of the series, this film only scratches the surface. The characters are drawn into the quantum realm as Cassie tinkers with the technology, but her motivation for doing so is weak and we never see her regret it. Additionally, she adeptly wears an Ant-Man suit, although she has never trained or practiced on screen.
Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) plays a crucial role quantum, but she often hides important information under the cliche “I didn’t tell you to protect you.” She’s afraid to send a signal to the quantum realm because she knows the dangers that lurk below. However, this seems to be at odds with the post-credit scene of Ant-man and the wasp, when she confidently helped send Scott to the Quantum Realm, where he stayed for five years. Not only is it inconsistent, but when the film is so action-oriented it never slows down to explore the people driving the story. Hope (Evangeline Lilly) and Hank (Michael Douglas) are flat, two-dimensional characters.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania also has a problem with his villains. Kang may well be the MCU’s next big villain after Thanos, having made his debut in the Season 1 finale Loki. However, for the first hour of the film, he only exists in flashbacks. He takes on a much bigger role in the second hour, where we get a sense of just how dangerous and ruthless he is. One gets the feeling that he’s the most powerful villain the Avengers will have to face, although his motivation seems weak. He’s a power-hungry villain and not much more, although Major’s fantastic performance takes every scene he appears in to a higher level.
But the secondary antagonist is MODOK (Corey Stoll), whose translation from cartoons to live-action is incredibly awful. He looks like a prankster, acts like a prankster, and is often treated like the misjudgment of character design that he is. MODOK is such a goofy villain that every time he’s paired with Kang, there’s a chilling sonic contrast, as we’ve compared the MCU’s most terrifying villain to its most idiotic. Additionally, Bill Murray appears in a humorless cameo that makes it feel like he showed up for a day, said a few lines, and picked up a paycheck.
During the action sequences of the first two ant man The films were a highlight because they played with size. This film has poorly edited gunfights and lacks a single standout set piece. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is so full of visual spectacle that at some point it all feels like noise. Though the film benefits from a strong hero and villain, it feels like such a harrowing departure from the first two installments that it loses sight of what makes Ant-Man work. By turning an Avengers-level threat into a ant man This film’s charm is gone, and all we’re left with is an emotionally empty barrage of special effects with less of the humor and joy that made these films shine in the first place.
SCORE: 4/10
As explained in ComingSoon’s Rating Guidelines, a rating of 4 equates to Poor. The negative aspects outweigh the positive aspects, making it difficult to get through.