Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

By: Mike Ward on Monday, March 06

PG-13 Running Time: 124 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are more than ready to leap into Phase V
Paul Rudd has consistently been an entertaining comedy feature in the Ant-Man and the Wasp and Avengers films, and he continues to bring the charm here.
Jonathan Majors presents one of the best villains in the entire MCU, with his commanding performance as Kang the Conqueror.

NO

This feels rehashed and stale. The movie is fundamentally fine, but offers little in the way of excitement or true innovation.
Have we run out of stories to tell with Ant-Man and the Wasp?
Some of the visual effects are stellar and some are jarringly amateurish. Though the movie is making waves at the box office, this will play just fine at home in the eventual upload to Disney+ in a few months.

OUR REVIEW

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the first film in Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase V, is an easy watch, but it does not offer anything truly remarkable. Although the film has a fantastic villain in Kang (Jonathan Majors) and a story that balances humor and science-fiction action, it feels like a movie that exists because it has to. Despite good performances from Majors, Michelle Pfeiffer, and the nice chemistry developed between Paul Rudd and Kathryn Newton, the movie feels perfunctory and unremarkable. While watching it, you never feel all that excited, and the movie seems to go through its steps, knowing you'll buy your ticket and/or eventually stream it on Disney+.

Quantumania, the third film in the Ant-Man and the Wasp series, picks up from the aftereffects of Avengers: Endgame and draws inspiration from another Disney-owned product that conducts its wars in the stars. As those familiar with the Ant-Man films know, Janet van Dyne (Pfeiffer) was exiled for three decades in the Quantum Realm, returned and rescued by her family. Scott Lang (Rudd), our proverbial “Ant-Man,” and member of the Avengers, continues to do what he can to save all of humanity alongside girlfriend Hope (Evangeline Lilly), daughter to Janet and her quantum physicist husband Hank (Michael Douglas).

At the beginning of the movie, Scott has written a best-selling memoir about his experiences "saving the world," and Hope is running her father’s Pym Industries, utilizing subatomic particles in practical ways - those same particles that allow Scott to reduce and grow in size and strength. Now 18, Scott's daughter Cassie (Newton) stirs up trouble as an activist but has also has an interest in the family business. One evening, she proudly shows everyone that she has found a way to send a signal back into the Quantum Realm. Janet understandably panics. And despite shutting off the device, a signal has been activated and the Langs, the van Dynes, and Hank Pym are sucked back down into the place Janet desperately wanted to avoid.

Once in the Quantum Realm, Janet reveals an encounter she had with a traveler named Kang, a man she helped and assisted, only to learn of his malevolent intent and demeanor. Kang now rules the Quantum Realm and wants out. Battle lines are drawn. And, yet again, mankind needs saving.

This time around, outside of Kang, Quantumania offers nothing that pushes the envelope forward with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There’s a distinct lack of much here to make an audience intrigued for what's to come in this new Phase. Majors' steady, slow, seething intensity sets him apart from previous villains who have used charm and larger-than-life performances in the MCU, but he can only do so much.

The Quantum Realm environment is staffed with an array of creatures and creations, some influenced by steampunk design and others that look like a child's creation. The visual effects work is largely solid, but there are indeed some jarring looks to the film, such as the much-maligned look of M.O.D.O.K., the latest version of Scott's former protege, Darren (Corey Stoll).

The film's introduction of variants, references to the multiverse, and other elements will please the most dedicated of Marvel viewers. Throughout the journey to Quantumania, I found myself detached, watching events unfold. Everything felt rehashed, though this particular story had not yet been told. The mid-credits scenes (no spoilers) again bind viewers to Marvel’s cinematic and television properties in ways most casual viewers will never fully grasp or have time to consume.

In the end, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is not a bad movie, but it feels like it spins its wheels, runs through the motions, and fills two hours of time. There's some humor, a great villain, decent visuals, and a great score from Christophe Beck. For some, that's enough. However for most, this trip into Quantumania will likely feel like a missed opportunity.

CAST & CREW

Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas, Jonathan Majors, Kathryn Newton, Bill Murray, Katy O’Brian, WIlliam Jackson Harper, David Dastmalchian, Corey Stoll, Randall Park.

Director: Peyton Reed
Written by: Jeff Loveness; based on characters created by Stan Lee, Larry Leiber, Jack Kirby, and Ernest Hart.
Release Date: February 17, 2023
Walt Disney Pictures

Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are more than ready to leap into Phase V

Paul Rudd has consistently been an entertaining comedy feature in the Ant-Man and the Wasp and Avengers films, and he continues to bring the charm here.

Jonathan Majors presents one of the best villains in the entire MCU, with his commanding performance as Kang the Conqueror.

This feels rehashed and stale. The movie is fundamentally fine, but offers little in the way of excitement or true innovation.

Have we run out of stories to tell with Ant-Man and the Wasp?

Some of the visual effects are stellar and some are jarringly amateurish. Though the movie is making waves at the box office, this will play just fine at home in the eventual upload to Disney+ in a few months.