Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania

Released Feb 17, 2023

Directed by Peyton Reed

* No Spoilers *

It’s time to accept that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films are episodic and, for better or for worse, can't really be enjoyed as stand alone films. Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is mediocre on its own but did (almost) exactly what I expected to set up and introduce Kang The Conqueror, the MCU's next big villain after Thanos.

The highlight of this movie is by far Jonathan Majors! He is brilliant and while the dialogue didn’t give him as much to work with as the Loki season finale, he is still just as captivating, menacing, and tragically complex in every scene he is in. He gives this character so much more richness with subtle gestures, expressions, and vocal intonations. It's really a masterclass in elevating an okay script through acting alone. He is the stand out and delivered on everything I really wanted from Kang in this movie. I have some thoughts about how he was written but I'll avoid those so as to not spoil anything. All I'll say is that I wish they made him just a little bit more imposing by following through on some of the threats he made in the movie. I am fully aware that Disney is making a movie for families and kids who would probably find what I was hoping for a bit too heavy, so I am not surprised.

Unfortunately the rest of the story lacks a satisfying narrative arc. The plot doesn't carry enough momentum or gravity and the character development for the main heroes is disappointingly shallow. The emotional core of the Ant-man movies has always been about familial relationships, specifically the Scott/Cassie and Hank/Hope father and daughter dynamic. This really fell flat in Quantumania.

The recasting of Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang was a major failure for that dynamic. Her performance felt like something suited for a low-budget Disney Channel sitcom, completely devoid of the genuine and endearing charm of Abby Ryder Fortson (the young actor who played Cassie in the previous Ant-Man movies). It made it hard to even see her as the same character. I am not against recasting (Don Cheadle is a prime example of where it can work) but this was a bad decision. Especially noticeable because everything with Kang or Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) was so powerful and intriguing, I kept wishing we could go back to either of them instead of whatever was happening with the other leads.

With Bill Pope (The Matrix, Spiderman 2) as the cinematographer I had high expectations for how this was going to be shot. Sadly his talents felt wasted. There were some really beautiful vistas of the bizarre alien landscapes and a handful of mind bending shots in one particular scene, but many other sequences were either disorienting or just bland. I was disappointed that we didn't see enough of the meticulously framed compositions Pope is known for in his previous work.
On the other hand, the creativity and production design that went into the Quantum realm and its population of bizarre creatures was wild, as if they fed an A.I. art program the prompts to combine microorganisms and Salvadore Dali. I only wish they showcased that creative direction more throughout the film, because at a certain point these crazy locations were replaced (perhaps intentionally) with dull industrial buildings and barren wastelands.

The music was fantastic and a suitable evolution of the long running Ant-Man themes, with just enough darkness peppered in to signal the change in tone for this movie. Sound design was also great, creating a unique soundscape for the Quantum realm and its creatures, imbuing power and gravitas into Kang’s technology, and making use of the surround and overhead speakers in the shrinking/growing scenes.

If you aren’t invested or planning to remain committed to the MCU this probably won’t be for you. For those who loved Marvel but have since checked out after Endgame, I don't expect this will be your reason to come back. Die hard fans like me will appreciate everything this is setting up, but I'd honestly have a hard time recommending this to anyone who considers themselves a casual viewer. That being said, if you ARE planning to continue to watch MCU projects, even casually, this is mandatory viewing. It just sets up way too many important things .... and therein lies the problem. We have to sit through mediocre movies in order to truly enjoy the massive line up of episodic content that is the MCU.

6/10* - A passable and somewhat hollow action sci-fi story, but a great introduction to the MCU’s next big villain. Overall this was fine and mid-tier as far as MCU movies go. Despite it’s flaws this will be a critical part of the future of Phase 5 and 6 and worth watching for Kang alone.

*Being a biased Marvel geek and my enjoyment of Johnathan Majors as Kang probably earned this an extra point*

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