Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania review

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA: 

MUCH LIKE THE TITULAR CHARACTERS THEMSELVES, THESE FILMS WORK BETTER WHEN THEY’RE SMALL! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** ½ out of 4

MARVEL STUDIOS

Paul Rudd is back in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

 

            Paul Rudd (Anchorman 1 and 2, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Ghostbusters: Afterlife) and Evangeline Lilly (Lost, The Hurt Locker, The Hobbit 2 and 3) shrink down into the Quantum Realm for a new adventure in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and follow-up to 2015’s Ant-Man and 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp. I’ve enjoyed the previous Ant-Man movies and think they’re very fun superhero films with a lot of imagination and heart that don’t try to be a grand spectacle like other MCU entries, but rather these small-scale (No pun intended), light-hearted adventures with a perfectly cast Paul Rudd as ex-convict turned superhero Scott Lang/Ant-Man. 

            Not only does Rudd do a great job selling the comedic side of a superhero with shrinking and growing powers, but he’s also very genuine during the softer and more heartfelt moments. I consider Ant-Man to be the most human and relatable of the Avengers as he’s no billionaire with a flying suit of armor or a god wielding a magic hammer and not even a laboratory experiment, instead he’s just a good-natured but misunderstood man stuck in a bad place who is given a second chance at redemption and to provide for his daughter. 

            Add in some creative uses of ants and inanimate objects during action sequences, equally memorable side characters like Michael Peña’s Luis and Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym, likable chemistry between Rudd and Lilly as Scott and Hope, and strong family dilemmas and you got yourself two solid superhero films that are as engaging as they are fun. Which finally brings us to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania with Rudd and Lilly reprising their roles as Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Hope van Dyne/Wasp and Peyton Reed (Bring It On, The Break-Up, Yes Man) back in the director’s chair. 

            Given that I enjoyed the earlier Ant-Man films a lot, clearly I’m going to love this one just as much, right? Eh, not exactly! I’m not calling it terrible or anything as it has a lot of moments I found entertaining and some interesting ideas being explored, but I felt this one lacked much of the fun and charm of the previous films. 

            Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Scott Lang has become somewhat of a celebrity in San Francisco and a little full of himself. But when his now 18-year-old daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton-Pretty Little Liars, Supernatural, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu replacing Abby Ryder Fortson and Emma Fuhrmann) introduces Scott, his partner and love interest Hope, and her scientist parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas-Romancing the Stone, Wall Street 1 and 2, Falling Down) and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer-The Witches of Eastwick, Batman Returns, Stardust) to a device that can make contact with the Quantum Realm, they are immediately sucked into the microscopic realm that has been taken over by a new threat in the form of Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors-Da 5 Bloods, Devotion, Creed III). 

            The family ventures through the vast and limitless Quantum Realm while interacting with strange new creatures they meet along the way as they race against time to put an end to Kang’s dynasty before it’s too late. 

            The film also stars Bill Murray (Ghostbusters franchise, Groundhog Day, Lost in Translation) as Lord Krylar, Corey Stoll (House of Cards, Black Mass, First Man) reprising his role from the first film as Darren Cross/M.O.D.O.K., and Katy O’Brian (Z Nation, Black Lightning, The Mandalorian) as Jentorra. 

            Overall, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania promises an exciting future for the MCU with a stellar Jonathan Majors performance leading the way, but sadly it’s not that great an Ant-Man movie and lacks much of what made Lang and van Dyne’s earlier adventures enjoyable romps. Honestly, I was onboard for an Ant-Man movie set in the Quantum Realm as I felt there’s so much you could do with that like a superhero version of Fantastic Voyage and the film definitely delivers on that notion, if only the plot and writing were better. 

            The plot is somewhat reminiscent to The Amazing Spider-Man 2 where the whole point of its existence is to set up future films, but it gets too focused on that to the point where it forgets to tell a compelling Ant-Man story. But unlike that movie, at least I know they’re going to deliver what they promise at some point, still it’s a shame this film will probably get fans more excited about later MCU titles rather than the one they’re currently watching. 

            One of the most glaring problems I have with this movie, this Ant-Man movie is…the script just isn’t that funny. It’s not Thor: Love and Thunder where the comedy overrides the story and characters, but aside from a few chuckles and a cute comparison between the body structures of Ant-Man and Thor most of the jokes didn’t quite land for me which is disappointing because the previous Ant-Man films were incredibly funny. 

            With that said, there is a lot in this movie worth praising particularly Jonathan Majors as Kang. This is his debut film and he’s already becoming a great MCU villain with a threatening presence that promises all the horrible things he has planned, can put up a serious fight, and the MCU comedy is significantly toned down whenever he’ onscreen to maintain his menacing fatigue, I’m looking forward to seeing what the franchise does with him. 

            The acting in general is solid, Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly still have charm as Scott and Hope, Kathryn Newton gives Cassie a lot of energy and depth, and even Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer have moments to shine. 

            The Quantum Realm itself is visually appealing and filled with unique creatures and environments. While it often bears striking resemblances to other sci-fi worlds like Star Wars, Strange World, and especially other MCUproperties such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: Ragnarok, there is enough in here to give the Quantum Realm its own visual identity. 

            The action sequences are a lot of fun from a Godzilla-style scene where Ant-Man turns giant and starts destroying Kang’s empire, Cassie getting the chance to kick some ass with her own Ant suit, insane sh*t like cyborg ants with laser cannons attached to them, and a pretty damn brutal brawl between Scott and Kang. A lot of it is reminiscent of other large-scale Marvel action scenes, but when the film starts thinking of the box that’s when it’s the most entertaining. 

            Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a perfect example of a mixed bag with various elements that work and some that could have been improved on. I’m sure it’ll perform financially well, and the fans will go and support it, but it’s a rather underwhelming start to the MCU’s fifth phase that leaves a lot to be desired.