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Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
(Marvel Studios)
By Lucas Allen
Although Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a considerable success, splitting its extensive storytelling between struggling theaters and booming streaming on Disney+ during the pandemic, its qualities have been met with mixed reaction from both fans and critics. To get back on track, Phase Five will have to kick it another notch higher if it wants to stay on top. That’s what the newest entry “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is doing to start off the new phase with a bang. Not only it’s the third film in the Peyton Reed-directed series, but it also introduces a new, greater threat in the MCU.
A few years after helping the Avengers defeat Thanos, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is enjoying his new celebrity status alongside his girlfriend, entrepreneur Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), including writing a memoir. Meanwhile, his now-grown daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton) has been working with her grandfather Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) on a device that can open a portal to the Quantum Realm, much to the horror of Hank’s wife Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer), who was trapped there 30 years prior. But during a test run, all of them are suddenly transported into the realm and separated from each other. To try to get back, Scott and Cassie find some help in an underground rebellion led by Jentorra (Katy O’Brian), while the others seek out one of Janet’s rebel friends Lord Krylar (Bill Murray).
But Janet has been hiding a dark secret from her time in the realm that she kept from her family. It’s now ruled by the exiled Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), whose grand plan is to destroy the timelines and create a new multiverse. After his men captured our heroes, Kang has Scott use Pym’s technology to retrieve a special orb by threatening the life of his daughter Cassie. Soon, it takes the powers of Ant-Man and the Wasp to battle Kang for the fate of the realms.
As per usual, Marvel rolled out enough dough to bring the fun and excitement of their superhero universe to the screen. With Ant-Man, you still have that nice balance of comedy and action that help keep the story going at a quicker pace than their other movies. But with this film, it becomes a different beast of an experience when it mostly takes place in the Quantum Realm that was teased in the other films.
The best way to describe this hidden universe is that fans of old-school Marvel comics will be amazed by the Jack Kirby-esque look of this world. There are some weird areas worth mentioning like the Star Wars-inspired denizens including a gelatinous being named Veb (voiced by David Dastmalchian, who played Kurt in the previous films) and some sort of broccoli-headed creature. That kind of weirdness works within the quality of this story.
Rudd continues to be hilarious and charming as both Scott and the title hero while also adding some emotional moments to his performance. Newcomer Newton is also a great addition wonderfully following in Rudd’s footsteps and certainly a greater career to follow. Other returning actors Lilly, Douglas, and Pfeiffer all get a little more to do in their own plotline, while Murray excels in his extended cameo being his usual Murray self.
However, the one performance that steals the whole film is Majors as the villainous Kang. We don’t know much about this new main bad guy for this phase, but this movie makes a fine choice of sprinkling what little information is provided enough to make us fear his inevitable appearance in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. With Majors (who also plays a villain in Creed III), the actor emotes well as a terrifying yet sympathetic figure within this universe.
“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” makes for a spectacularly solid start to Phase Five of the MCU. It still delivers what’d you expect plus giving you something new in return as a loyal viewer. Not to mention, you can’t go wrong with a fun Marvel movie.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG-13 (for violence/action and language)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.5 Stars (Out of Four)
