This review contains spoilers.
Peyton Reed's “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” symbolizes the beginning of the much-awaited Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The third installation of the Ant-Man movies, released Feb. 15, is characterized mainly by weak and lazy writing and the butchery of some essential characters from Marvel Comics. The film is a decent start to the next phase, but its weak plot doesn’t do justice to the hype surrounding the movie. However, the highlight of the film is Jonathan Majors' role as Kang the Conqueror. His performance promises a bright future for the next phases of the Multiverse Saga.
The story is set in the Quantum Realm, a universe outside space and time. A trapped Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) meets Kang while he is exiled to the Quantum Realm by the Council of Kangs. They cultivate a friendship until Janet learns of Kang's true nature and intentions. To stop him from escaping, she traps him with herself in the Quantum Realm. However, Kang takes over the Quantum Realm and suppresses the "quantum people" over the next couple of decades. The final piece of Kang's plan requires help from Scott (Paul Rudd), and so Kang pulls the Van Dyne family into the Quantum Realm, capitalizing on Cassie's (Kathryn Newton) invention of the quantum microscope.
After arriving at Kang's empire, Scott and Hope (Evangeline Lily) battle out Kang and M.O.D.O.K to stop them from getting access to the energy core of Kang's time chair. The rebellions join the Ant family in a bid to reclaim their land. The final fight sequence felt a little prolonged because of the number of waves Ant-Man's army contained. However, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) saved the seemingly redundant fight sequence. We have seen him nerding out on ants in the previous films, and we see his extensive work on them come to fruition. I found it amazing to see how he could level the playing field with seemingly harmless creatures. His army of ants reminded me of the Battle of Wakanda in “Avengers” Infinity War” (2018), bringing out a parallel between the powers of ants and the alien creatures. Despite a mediocre fight scene, Kang displayed the potential of his power and proved he would be a big problem for the Avengers.
The acting was the strongest aspect of the movie. Rudd brought a hint of wholesomeness to the film with his jokes and evergreen character. The movie gives Scott important character development by adding a touch of seriousness and maturity which is consistent with his status as one of the most senior Avengers. Moreover, we got to see more of Janet in the MCU, and her performance was remarkable as she strived to guide the Van Dynes and the audience to our newest realm. Lastly, Bill Murray played a nice cameo as Lord Krylar, bringing some much needed comic relief amid the developing intensity of the mysterious relationship between Janet and Kang. The cast members are the powerhouse of the movie, especially the supporting characters who fulfilled their job of adding comic relief.
Yet, many characters seemed underwhelming because of the film’s weak plot and plain script. M.O.D.O.K was by far the weakest character in the script. Despite looking menacing, especially lethal in the fight sequences, his depiction lacked the sinister thoughts and threatening inventions from the comics. Instead, Quantumania depicts him as a post-prime Darren Cross who is puzzled about how to act. A great villain cannot be created without elaborate motivations and a cause. In short, M.O.D.O.K being going from an Avengers-level threat to being handled by Hank Pym is underwhelming. Furthermore, the scriptwriter brought the Harry Potter series’ Lord Voldemort to Ant-Man. The script addresses Kang just like the infamous “he who must not be named,” because for the first half of the movie, we barely hear his name as everyone in the quantum realm calls him with “he” or his empire with “them.” The unnecessarily prolonged suspense makes the script repetitive because the trailer already revealed Kang as the antagonist.
However, the visuals are aesthetically pleasing. Bill Pope, who is the director of photography, designed the scenes in the Quantum Realm beautifully. The sets look surreal, as the visual editors resort to a rich palette of colors ranging from purple to golden. The skies are filled with vortexes and portals, while we see different ecosystems like deserts, stony hills and large cities. Furthermore, the film delivers on the multiple VFX costumes made for the quantum people. The film features gaudy robes, skin fit outfits and fancy armors for human-like characters as well as different variations of aliens. The designs for the antagonists’ costumes are consistent with the comics, bringing a nostalgic feeling to the fandom. One attention-grabbing scene was when Ant-Man and the Wasp enter a realm of all possibilities inside Kang's energy source. The scene captured many images of both characters piling up like ants in the previous films to allow Scott to use Pym particles on the core. The scene is reminiscent of the climax of “Ant-Man” (2018) where Scott tries to reach Darren’s helicopter before he escapes with the Yellowjacket. The cinematography pulls the movie together to deliver a pleasant watch.
Kang and M.O.D.O.K aren't the only much-awaited characters to be introduced; Cassie appears in her new costume as the Stinger. As she attempts to hone her fighting skills, Scott proves to be a true role model. The wholesome and comical dynamic between Cassie and Scott is adorable to watch. The MCU definitely needs more of them on screen. Regarding the future, Cassie almost completes the set of the Young Avengers. The original six’s time may be coming to a close as their regens are set to take over for future films. It will be interesting to see how Kevin Feigi brings them together as new villains such as Namor, the team of Thunderbolts and possibly Hyperion continue to appear.
The movie might not have been as appealing for comic readers because of the creative choices made by Marvel Studios that stray away from the comics, but it is a crucial focal point in showing us more of the Multiverse. Regardless, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is definitely a must-watch as a precursor to Phase 5. The trilogy’s light paced and comical setting lets the audience enjoy the wholesomeness of the Van Dyne family. As a cherry on top, the film also has two brilliant post-credit scenes. They elucidate the ferociousness and magnitude of danger that awaits the MCU and other Multiversal heroes.
