Film Review: "Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania"


The Marvel Cinematic Universe is now entering its fifth epic phase.  Director Peyton Reed wants the conclusion of the Ant-Man trilogy to be more than a “palate cleanser.”  With the introduction of the villainous Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), the new threat to this universe couldn’t be more severe. Can Marvel’s pint-sized heroes save the world from destruction? Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania attempts to answer that question for the fans.  Our story follows our heroes as they explore the unknown and dangerous Quantum Realm.  What the team finds could lead to catastrophic results for the entire universe.

Ant-Man has arguably had the smallest stakes in his journey as an MCU hero. From two very entertaining heist films, Quantumania attempts to be something else.  This story is a broadscale Sc-Fi epic with familiar and humorous characters as our guides.  The film's biggest successes reside in the range of solid performances. Paul Rudd owns the screen as a wise-cracking, yet heroic Scott Lang. Watching him turn from petty criminal to beloved hero has been a joy to watch over several films. Rudd in this third outing is more than up to the task of being a funny and charismatic superhero. Such a charismatic hero needs a menacing and unpredictable villain like Kang The Conquerer.

Jonathan Majors is Quantumania’s terrifying and all-powerful new threat on the horizon.  Majors balances menace and composure in ways that are exciting to watch. With a character that has multiple variants (clones), the different personas he takes on are chilling.  His different villainous entities (like Kang) are a perfect counter-balance to our humorous heroes.   That contrast of Good vs. Evil is something that the Marvel Universe has been sorely missing. The film perfectly establishes Kang’s threatening nature through other characters.

Michelle Pfieffer and Michael Douglas are mostly utilized in the film as characters for exposition. Douglas’s character Dr. Hank Pym is just an expedition dump describing the Quantum Realm. Michelle Pfieffer has strictly been tasked with describing how menacing Kang is. Pfieffer sells her fear of Kang but is not given the chance to do much else in the film.  Both actors do what they can with the material, but are given limited options to work with. Evangeline Lily’s character Hope Van Dyne is the film's most underutilized character. She is not given much to do besides occasionally saving Scott from dangerous situations.  Lily makes the most of her character, but the screenplay limits her abilities.

Kathryn Newton as Scott’s daughter Cassie Lang is what audiences might call an enigma. Newton is able to hold her own in this comedic world, but the shift in actors feels jarring. Originally played by Emma Furhmann in Avengers: Endgame, this sudden change might not be noticed by everyone.  Those who notice the change could have a difficult time connecting to the character. Focusing on Cassie’s growing urge to be a hero, it is hard to connect with a version we just met. Thankfully Newton’s interactions with Paul Rudd can make things easy to forgive. Those small interpersonal moments help make the broad Sc-Fi moments land in a surprisingly effective way.

These many character elements do not bind together in perfect unison.  It’s the small human moments between any of the Van Dynes or Scott and Cassie that make the film soar. Those interactions help to make Kang’s menace have a larger impact. Watching the pieces fall into place may be considered middling for some. There is an argument to be made about Quantumania simply spinning its wheels for expanding the Universe. That criticism loses sight of the bigger picture.

   Ant-Man and the Wasp Quatumania was never meant to be an Avengers-level movie. Kang is an Avengers-level threat audiences are meeting for the first (besides Loki) time.  Quantumania’s real goal is to establish the threat to the entire MCU’s future.  Introducing this villain in Ant-Man makes him easy to digest. Watching Rudd realize his sardonic humor won’t work on Kang is absolutely chilling. This counterbalance of ideas with Sc-Fi action makes for a compelling adventure. Certain shortcuts with characters are taken, but this introduction to Phase 5 is unlike anything that came before.

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