Phase 5 of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe has finally kicked off in 2023 with the much-anticipated release of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. After a lackluster and directionless Phase 4, post Thanos and Post Snap, the MCU desperately needed to get back on track in their ever-expanding universe of interwoven tales. Quantumania was supped to deliver that direction, like a shining beacon of light in the dark. Yet it seemed the MCU and Kevin Feige thought too much about their expanded universe and not enough about delivering a worthwhile story to end the Ant-Man Trilogy the way it deserved.
The film follows the Langs- Scott (Paul Rudd) and Cassie (Kathryn Newton), and the Pym/Van-Dynes- Hank (Michael Douglas), Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hope (Evangeline Lilly), as they accidentally venture deep into the Quantum Realm. A world beneath our world, so small it requires special technology to get to. After creating a beacon to explore the Quantum Realm from the surface world, Cassie accidentally acts as a messenger and gets her, and the rest of the crew, sucked in further than any (apart from Janet) had ventured before. While they try to figure out a way to get out, they discover that the Quantum Realm is not as lonely as it may seem, and they encounter civilizations a plenty, along with Kang the Conqueror, the baddest Marvel villain yet, desperate to escape.
Director Peyton Reed returned to finish out directing the trilogy of films after having helmed the previous two, and I felt having her back in the director’s chair helped get the most out of the returning actors in the series. It was obvious from the outset that the main heroes have a tremendous amount of chemistry, and in particular Rudd is terrific in being the glue that held together the rest of the main cast. Rudd and Newton spend a particularly long amount of time together, and I felt their performances as father and daughter was solid.
I did, however, have particular issues with the screenplay in this film. Quantumania was written by Jeff Loveness in his major Screenwriting debut. Prior to this, he had written a handful of episodes of Rick and Morty, and 238 Episodes of Jimmy Kimme Live!. It was evident that Loveness was in over his head, as the film relied heavily on major sections of exposition dumping through dialogue and flashbacks that slowed the film down to a halt in its middle third. When compared to the breakneck pace at which the first third of the film progressed and the extremely safe and formulaic final third, it really left me wondering why they didn’t bring in any other writers to help get the script rolling smoothly. the previous two entries in the Ant-Man trilogy used co-writers, and even Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame employed co-writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. So why they decided to let a rookie film screenwriter tackle their biggest entry into the MCU since those two films is puzzling to me.
The film also drew on many formulaic tropes that just seemed to follow the ropes instead of trying something new. The inclusion of aliens who speak different languages (which could have made for an interesting language barrier subplot amongst the rest of the issues the characters face) was nullified by a magical potion that auto translated everything to English. Also, the amount of times a main character was being escorted by no-name bad guy police only for them to break out of it and run away was mind boggling.
All that said, the introduction of Kang the Conqueror, and more importantly Jonathan Majors, into the MCU was sorely needed, hotly anticipated and did not disappoint. Majors absolutely stole the show and delivered a fantastic performance as Kang. Every scene he was in he commanded the screen presence, and his charisma was unmatched. Kang is a terrifying villain, and Majors’ performance is to thank for that. I was blown away with how much Majors put into the role, and just how intimidating he was on screen. Should that continue, I would not be surprised to see him alongside other iconic villains in cinema.
The film also introduced us to MODOK, short for Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing. While not as impressive as Kang, MODOK was still a solid side villain. However, I have to acknowledge how absolutely horrid his CGI is. Don’t get me wrong, the MODOK character is extremely hard to put into a live action film as he is literally just a large floating head with tiny arms and legs, yet I was still horrified at how bad he looked. That also extends to other CGI characters in Quantumania, with the exception of Glass Head Man, the character with a clear glass head that shoots laser beams, of which I absolutely loved. The rest of the CGI, including the vast battle scenes and sweeping landscapes, were actually quite impressive, which comes as no surprise when I found out that Industrial Lights and Magic was behind the visual effects.
Final Thoughts
All that said, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was a disappointing journey in what should have been a sweeping final entry into the Ant-Man trilogy. Apart from an absolutely standout performance from Jonathan Majors and an undeniable chemistry amongst the main cast, the film left much to be desired. There was a complete lack of stakes to the story itself, and as a conclusion to a trilogy, the movie ended in the exact place it began as if nothing actually happened. It felt that the film was a 2-hour trailer for the what’s to come of the MCU instead of focusing on delivering a compelling story. In what was supposed to be the big kickoff that heralded in a tremendous new MCU era, this one led with a whimper in a formulaic, unsatisfying grind that only felt worth watching knowing that we get to see more of Jonathan Majors in future MCU films.
