ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA (2023)

Michelle Pfeiffer and Jonathan Majors quarterback the first film in Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an entry that is enjoyable, yet packs far too little of a punch to establish the stakes of the upcoming films and the impact of the new “big bad,” Kang.

After Cassie (Kathryn Newton) introduces Scott (Paul Rudd) et al to her new Quantum Realm mapping device, a malfunction of sorts transports them to the mysterious dimension where they will have to battle through the mysterious Kang the Conqueror (Majors) to survive and escape. The Ant-Man films have been a fun little corner of the MCU over the years, their stories usually rather contained and fused with a humorous undercurrent. With Quantumania, the crew finds themselves in a life or death situation away from Earth in what amounts to a live-action version of Disney’s Strange World. The setting is maybe a bit too wild and insane with heavy influence obviously drawn from Star Wars, perhaps some Lost in Space as well, and the task of introducing Majors’ villain as the next evil entity we should be worried about. At the end of the day, while the film is entertaining, it lacks the necessary weight that had been hyped for quite some time prior to release. Yes, Kang has arrived, but in Quantumania we are only introduced to an abridged version of his background and intentions. We know more is coming from him, but we once again are playing the waiting game. 

Pfeiffer and Majors absolutely shine here, as does Newton; their strong performances truly standout. Even M.O.D.O.K., a character who I won’t get into much about in order to avoid spoilers, is uniquely entertaining and smartly presented. Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, and Michael Douglas? Much of the same. As daring as it was to give Ant-Man a film with a lot more going on, director Peyton Reed’s final product still comes across as a companion piece to what is happening in the rest of the MCU. New characters such as William Jackson Harper’s Quaz and Katy M. O’Brian’s Jentorra are underutilized, lost in the focus on Kang and the CGI hellscape of the Quantum Realm. Attempts at humor largely garner chuckles, but are still more of the same. The action is fun, yet reserved.

In all, we were promised “madness” with the last Doctor Strange film and Marvel played it safe, and the same happens here. As we launch into Phase 5, it’s clear that Marvel is becoming bound by the expectations of audiences to always be looking forward, to setting up what comes next, at the expense of the present story they are attempting to tell. When you boil it down, the core story here is rather simplistic and begs for more dynamic plotting.

I had a lot of fun, though, and Quantumania is well worth the watch. Just expect a the splash the film makes in the MCU to be minimal, at best.

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters Friday.

Rating: 3/5