MOVIE REVIEW – Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania takes on the big job of kicking off the next phase of Marvel movies but comes up short in almost every other way that matters. However, the movie does establish Kang the Conqueror as a formidable and worthy villain.

The Ant-Man franchise introduced audiences to Scott Lang (played by Paul Rudd), a thief turned superhero, who can shrink in size but increase in strength. The original film, released in 2015, was a surprise hit, with a mix of humor, heist elements, and inventive action sequences that made it stand out from other Marvel movies. The sequel, “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” continued the same fun and playful tone. While not quite as well-received as the original, it was still a success. Both films established Ant-Man as a fan-favorite character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The descent into the Quantum realm

In “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania,” Paul Rudd returns as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, alongside Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne/Wasp. However, despite being second-billed, Lilly’s character has little to no dialogue in the film. The plot centers around Scott, Hope, Hope’s parents, and Scott’s daughter Cassie as they venture into the sub-universe of Quantumville, a realm of supposed magical visual wonders. This journey takes them away from San Francisco and into the depths of the Quantum Realm, where they encounter various dangers and obstacles that threaten their survival.

However, their mission is complicated by the unexpected return of the villainous Darren Cross/Yellowjacket, who threatens to upend their plans and wreak havoc on the sub-universe. As they navigate the dangers of Quantumville, the team must also contend with personal issues and conflicts, including the strained relationship between Scott and Cassie, and the absence of Hope’s voice and agency in the story. Overall, “Quantumania” offers a thrilling and visually stunning adventure, but its plot and character development leave something to be desired.

The rapid descent into the Quantum Realm also makes the movie feel as much like Guardians of the Galaxy as Ant-Man, with a vast assortment of strange characters and outlandish, otherworldly, and murky production design. With much of the action unfolding on that plane, the movie bears scant resemblance to the original Ant-Man, or even its sequel, which overcame its potentially mockable premise with plenty of comedy and a modestly scaled story.

The psychedelic trip

Ant-Man and the Wasp, along with the Wasp’s parents and Scott’s grown daughter, find themselves drawn into the Quantum Realm, where they encounter a hidden universe that chafes under the rule of Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors. This hidden universe is an especially psychedelic trip, with precious little grounding in anything that resembles recognizable reality.

Although Kang made an appearance in Marvel’s Loki TV series, that didn’t prepare audiences for the Thanos-level threat that Kang represents. Majors invests Kang with quiet menace and majesty, a sense of gravitas that’s no small feat given the contours of some of the dialogue. If Kang is destined to become the central antagonist as the next batch of movies again build toward an Avengers-sized showdown, Majors is the one thing to emerge from Quantumania on which anyone could hang their hat.

The heroes are out of their league

One structural problem with the movie is that Kang’s power and the scope of his evil plans make the hero-villain pairing feel like a decided mismatch. It’s a point overtly made by Kang himself, who sneers at Ant-Man, “You’re out of your league.”

Director Reed is also constrained by the script, which focuses on combat scenes. However, the film benefits from Ant-Man and his team’s ability to change size instantaneously. The action sequences, while frenzied, are not terrible, but the Quantum Realm’s appearance is unappealing in its mixture of digital and VFX components. It appears at times to be a first draft of a new Star Wars franchise rather than a natural continuation of the Ant-Man series. At one point, as the characters expressed their desire to return home, it became repetitive and predictable.

A slightly disappointing Marvel adventure

Thanks to its emphasis on Kang, the third Ant-Man has taken a necessary step toward something bigger, with the aforementioned Guardians and The Marvels sequels still to come this year. But it is, at best, a small step, and like much of Marvel’s recent output, only makes Endgame loom that much larger in the rearview mirror.

Overall, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a slightly disappointing Marvel adventure that establishes Kang the Conqueror as a formidable and worthy villain but falls short in almost every other way that matters.

-BadSector-