Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Falls a Little Short

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Falls a Little Short

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania promised audiences an action-packed superhero film with a mix of humor, heart, and visual spectacle. Directed by Peyton Reed, this is the third film in the Ant-Man trilogy and picks up following the events of Avengers Endgame. The film takes us on another wild ride with Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) as he teams up with Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), Hank Pym, (Michael Douglas) and newcomer Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton.)

Related: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Rotten Tomatoes Score is out

While this is the third installment of the Ant-Man franchise, it feels less like an Ant-Man film and more like a generic superhero entry into the MCU. Quantumania kicks off Phase 5 of the MCU, introducing us to the big bad of the next phase, Kang the Conqueror played by Jonathan Majors.

None of the charm of the previous films was to be found in the latest installment, but more important the cast of Ant-Man have become so wholly unimportant in the latest film. Fan favorites that defined “Ant-Man” like Luis were not present in the latest installment, and many of the gags that have come to define these “heist films” gave way to the organic hemisphere of the Quantum Realm. 

The writers room at Disney/Marvel must be hurting for original ideas, because this film had the look and feel of Disney’s Strange World from November. I’m honestly shocked that Disney would knowingly release this film only months after the concept was done by Walt Disney Animation. I found the films so alike, that Quantumania’s exotic locale didn’t impress but felt stale, given that I saw it only months ago when the Clade family traversed it. We even get a character that is almost identical to “spot” from Strange World.

The film excels in its introduction of Kang played by the impressive Jonathan Majors. This is the second variant of Kang, the first one introduced in Disney+ Loki Series as “He Who Remains.” Majors was easily the most interesting and dynamic part of the film. Majors and Rudd play off each other brilliantly, with Rudd’s care free attitude and natural wit perfectly foiling Majors sobering quest for order.

Michael Douglas returns as Hank Pym, the inventor of the Ant-Man suit, and Michelle Pfeiffer delivers a strong performance as the secretive Janet van Dyne. Douglas steals his scenes with perfect comedic timing, but took a back seat this time around.

Related: NEW Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania Experiences Coming to the Disney Parks

Kathryn Newton is clearly being set up to be the future of the franchise, and we can only hope that she is given more interesting things to do than she was offered in this film. Cassie has grown up considerably from the girl who was held hostage by the Wasp, but audience members may fail to care about her this time around because Rudd is still the star of the Ant-Man films. Newton’s talents were wasted mugging for the camera and running around the Quantum realm with few stakes. 

The film’s action sequences are somewhat rote, repetitively using the characters’ unique abilities and powers. The shrinking and growing effects are executed ad nauseam, making us feel like we’ve seen this all before. The surprise villain in the film, MODOK is sure to upset diehard fans and purists, since the writers and directors took great liberty with the design and execution of the fan-favorite character. There is a redemptive moment so stupid in its resolution that audience members can barely take any of it seriously anymore.

Related: Evangeline Lilly Says The Wasp Needs her own Solo Movie

One of the standout aspects of the film is its sense of humor, with witty one-liners and comedic set pieces peppered throughout the story. The film doesn’t take itself too seriously, so it’s hard for the audience to take this latest entry seriously, especially given the weight ascribed to it as the flagship film of Phase 5. 

Overall, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is a middle of the pack superhero film that delivers familiar Marvel Action. It’s yet one more addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and mediocre follow-up to the original Ant-Man films. If you’re looking for a film that combines humor, heart, and action in equal measure, we suggest you skip Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and check out Strange World on Disney+. (3 out of 5 Stars)

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