by Nick Ferro, Contributing Writer
The Marvel Cinematic Universe just took a big step into their next phase with their most ambitious post-pandemic movie, featuring the most unlikely hero to lead the way. The Ant-Man franchise has until now been the light, street-level adventure franchise which helped ground the MCU in the wake of some of their “world-ending consequences” entries. I was never a huge fan of the first Ant-Man due to its indecisive nature. I enjoyed it and thought it was fun, but it always hovered in the middle of my MCU rankings. Behind the scenes shenanigans with Edgar Wright aside, I always felt that the true silliness potential of the first Ant-Man movie was overshadowed by the studio’s fear that audiences would reject the premise. They tried so hard to make certain aspects of the character grounded that they didn’t take as many comedic risks as they could have. However, once the MCU got to Phase Three, and pretty much had carte blanche, Ant-Man and the Wasp was allowed to meet its true potential. Now, I know that I’m on an incredibly small island with this opinion, but Ant-Man and Wasp is the funniest movie in the MCU, and their best comedy to date. It manages to lean hard into those comedic elements that work well in the first movie to deliver a more enjoyable ride. These are movies about a guy who talks to ants; of course it’s ridiculous! I applaud them for acknowledging this fact. They let Paul Rudd do his thing, and he, along with the rest of the cast, delivers an incredibly enjoyable, down-to-earth, self-contained adventure. All in all, the Ant-Man movies are fun and light. Quantumania, decides to go in a different direction, though.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was a movie I was very much looking forward to, for many reasons. I loved the previous entry, the actors involved are all amazing, and Rudd is one of the funniest people on the planet and apparently 2021’s sexiest man alive. Jonathan Majors is the greatest breakout star of the last few years, and may actually be the sexiest man alive… ever (see: Men’s Health November 2021 issue). The introduction of Kang the Conqueror was exciting enough after the tease in 2021’s Loki, but finally getting to experience how he will threaten our heroes in this new phase of the MCU set all expectations at maximum. The only problem is that the most terrifying villain going up against the funniest and most lighthearted Avenger seems to be at odds with itself.
The movie starts with a look at Scott Lang’s (Rudd) life now that people know who he is after his role in Avengers: Endgame. He has a bestselling book, he gets free coffee, and he gets to take selfies with people’s dogs… for reasons. That’s a joke I didn’t really get, but don’t worry, the humor in this is much more hit than miss. Hope (Evangeline Lilly) has taken over her father’s company and is using the Pym Particle to help restore the world after “The Blip.” Meanwhile Scott’s daughter Cassie, now played by newcomer Kathryn Newton, has been getting into some trouble with the law, this time for using Pymtech during a peaceful protest that turned ugly, a theme that the movie tries to parallel later with a revolution amongst the Quantum Realm inhabitants. When Cassie and Hank (Michael Douglas) develop a way to study the Quantum Realm by sending a signal into it, Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) tries to stop them just as the device sucks them all into the Quantum Realm. Scott and Cassie are immediately separated from Hank, Janet, and Hope and both groups go on their own separate adventures to find each other.
From this moment on the movie does something I love and something I hate pretty much in tandem for the remainder of act one. What I love is the humor that comes from team Ant-Man: They meet colorful characters — literally and figuratively — there is a good dose of humor and silly situations, and there is a fun introduction to this previously unseen world. There were times where I was getting some serious Strange World vibes in an oddly coincidental bit of corporate synergy. Say what you will about Strange World’s story, but the visuals are beautiful like they are in Quantumania. Overall, I was blown away by the digital effects. I was fortunate enough to see this in a Dolby theater, and what should have felt like Green Screen: The Movie, did not. There are so many moments where I couldn’t believe how well CGI meshes so well with the live action elements. This movie is 90% animated, and although it isn’t as immersive as something like Avatar: The Way of Water, it isn’t as questionable as some more recent movies have been.
Conversely, what I hated is how team Wasp is Cliché: The Movie. A character has a secret about the Quantum Realm they never told anyone. Check. They were keeping it a secret to “protect” their loved ones. Check. They have a friend who can help, who turns out to not be a friend. Check. And the endless, obnoxious use of the pronoun game to avoid saying the name Kang before the second act reveal drove me insane. One positive about this act is, I really loved how much they give Michelle Pfeiffer to do. I think the and the Wasp part of the title refers more to Pfeiffer than it does Lilly, since Lilly’s role is unfortunately reduced. But I was so disappointed that they handcuffed Janet for the first 40 minutes of the movie with plot-delaying secretive dialogue meant to frustrate Hank and Hope (and the audience). This is especially frustrating, when every bit of marketing has been pointing at Kang as the big villain. Even those who don’t watch trailers knew that Kang was the villain. First time viewing aside, every time you watch this movie, you will have to sit through a first act of hearing on repeat “he’s looking for us,” “he destroyed our homes,” “he is more powerful than you realize,” etc…
Act two however, is where Quantumania shines! First, we are privy to some interesting backstory with Janet and Kang, which is amplified by an excellent, emotional, Pfeiffer performance, and an understated and sinister Majors performance. Then, we get to see Majors show off a fraction of his menace in one of the best scenes of the movie, as Kang discusses with Scott his reason for needing Ant-Man’s assistance, which is followed up by a pretty fun adventure set piece that showcases why you get the talents of a Rick and Morty writer for a movie like this. Writer Jeff Loveness clearly spent his time perfecting this act of Quantumania, as it saves the movie from being lost in the spectacle. Quantumania shines when its characters talk to each other and open themselves up, rather than simply reacting to their surroundings exploding around them. Unfortunately, act three falls back on old MCU tropes for a bit, as two giant CGI armies do battle, and our heroes are brought back together to team up to stop the enemy. There are moments of humor that really land, as well as some good uses of the shrinking/growing technology. When Kang’s menace and power are on full display, it becomes clear that this is a very different villain from Thanos, yet one equally as terrifying.
But once again, the best moment of this act is the final confrontation between Scott and Kang. What I find strange about the MCU is that after 40 movies and shows combined, they are able to identify what really works about their stories. They give us amazing character moments throughout their films which are, in almost every instance, awarded with critical praise. Yet they continue to bog these moments down with giant world-ending stakes and CGI army battles, when all they need to do is endear us to these characters and make the consequences personal. Of course, a hero is going to try and save the world, or the universe, or a Quantum Realm. But when you make it personal for them, that is when it becomes compelling. When Scott is willing to sacrifice everything to save Cassie, I’m all in, which makes me wish these movies didn’t always feel obligated to have such huge spectacles attached to their final act.
I don’t want to give the impression that I disliked Quantumania that much, so story qualms aside, some additional elements I liked were the comedy and the performances. As I expected, they dial the humor back a lot from the previous entry. Disappointing as that is, it is understandable, since Quantumania needed to be a more serious to counter its fantastical nature, and to mirror Kang. I also really liked how Cassie is not just the latest MCU “New Avenger MacGuffin.” She is an actual character who plays a great supporting role. Newton has shined bright in everything I’ve seen her in so far, and Quantumania is no exception.
There are also some elements that I really liked but, similar to the first act, left me annoyed. For one, Billy Murray is in this movie, and I liked what he was doing with his character. Although, as well suited as he is for the role, it is a waste of his talents. William Jackson Harper, who you may know as Chidi on The Good Place, is a great addition to the cast. His character is funny and interesting, and his interactions with Rudd and a blobby alien creature named Veb (voiced by David Dastmalchian) are highlights for me. Unfortunately, unless they plan on making more trips to the Quantum Realm in the future, that may be it for him in the MCU, which stinks.
When they announced M.O.D.O.K., it was a huge toss up as to whether he would turn out good, or would pale in comparison to the comics. I was able to breathe a sigh of relief though, as M.O.D.O.K. is handled very well. Without spoiling anything, the direction they take the character is a fun twist. This character should not have worked, yet I really enjoyed his limited inclusion in the film. But like everyone else, he is underused. There is also one joke that they milked a lot of mileage out of, but I have a feeling, like the goats in Thor: Love and Thunder, it will either get funnier every time, or you will instantly hate it. It worked for me, so I applaud them for trying. What annoys me though, is like Harper, unless they visit the Quantum Realm again or future writers get creative, that might be the last we see of M.O.D.O.K., which again stinks.
There is a part of me that thinks this story might have played out better in a long series format as opposed to a two-hour movie. Like Eternals and Love and Thunder before it, Quantumania, has a story that could benefit from a six-part Disney+ show. This would allow more time for certain underdeveloped or underutilized characters to be fully realized. It would also provide more time to explore the themes of rebellion and oppression that the movie just doesn’t have the ability to fully service. Comic books are multi-issue adventures that allow for grander storytelling. Every time the MCU tries to tell a post-Phase Three epic, or a non-origin story, they really have to cut it down. And on the flip side, they have done a few shows that probably could have been movies like Moon Knight and Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Hopefully, the rumors that Bob Iger’s return has allowed Marvel to slow down production and their projects to allow for better results is true.
I can’t say that I’m completely satisfied by this entry in the MCU, but I can say that it is an important episode in an ongoing story. They do a decent enough job of walking the tricky tightrope of trying something new, setting up future installments, and giving Ant-Man a more important adventure than ever before. The level of difficulty is only going up for Marvel, and I feel that this movie avoiding total disaster is a win. I don’t know how this one will shape up down the line. Maybe it will be a Captain America: The First Avenger and really age well based on what comes after. Maybe it will be an Incredible Hulk and be largely forgotten, save for the characters it brings back for later entries. But what I can say is that even a bump in the road isn’t enough to get me to stop anticipating these movies as they continue to expand on this incredibly elaborate universe.
Score: 7/10
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is currently playing in theaters
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