Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Movie Review by Josh Davis : Pop Culture Leftovers

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Movie Review by Josh Davis

February 17, 2023 9:21 am |

(L-R): Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Kathryn Newton as Cassandra “Cassie” Lang, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne/Wasp in Marvel Studios’ ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.

Expectation is an interesting thing. Going into a new Marvel movie that promises to kick off Phase Five and officially introduce the big bad of the entire “Multiverse Saga” is one thing. Seeing that same movie after the first round of critic screenings scored it as either the lowest or second lowest MCU movie — ever — is another.

I came in with low expectations – and this movie surprised me – but it didn’t blow me away.

From this reviewer’s perspective, I can sum up “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” in one sentence: It’s “Ant-Man” if it was “Star Wars” written by one of the “Rick and Morty” writers during an off day.

(L-R): Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Kathryn Newton as Cassandra “Cassie” Lang in Marvel Studios’ ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.

After a breezy first act that mostly exists to make fun of how smug Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has become after helping to save the world, the Ant family are sucked into the Quantum Realm, a microscopic pocket universe where the normal rules of space and time don’t exist. That includes Scott, along with Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). Also joining them is Scott’s daughter, Cassie Lang, now played by Kathryn Newton (“Freaky”), who is officially the third actor to play the role.

Scott has some prior experience in the Quantum Realm, but he’s completely unprepared for what he finds this time – a surreal and motley civilization of people and other beings straight out of the Mos Eisley cantina.

Janet has also been there before, but she’s kept a huge secret from her family. When she was last stranded in the Quantum Realm, she nearly helped an evil multiversal traveler named Kang (Jonathan Majors, last seen in the “Loki” series) escape and unleash his wrath upon all of existence. Instead, she trapped Kang there, and he was forced to settle for conquering the realm and biding his time.

So, how does it all fit together?

Marvel newcomer Jeff Loveness (“Rick and Morty”) penned the script, which makes sense given all the bonkers creatures and bending of space and time. What’s most surprising, however, is that many of the comedic moments just don’t land. Rudd is always funny and always game, and Douglas gets a few good chuckles with his grave, gravely deadpan. But the big laughs are few and far between.

On the other hand, it’s a welcome surprise that this movie looks fantastic. Reed previously served up two average “Ant-Man” movies that weren’t terribly big in terms of scale and mostly took place in sunny California.

“Quantumania” in part evokes “Star Wars” because the visuals are so often breathtaking. This might be the best-looking Marvel movie since “Avengers: Endgame.” Credit Reed and the VFX team for pulling out all the stops.

The best performance easily goes to Majors, who is genuinely menacing as Kang, which bodes well for the next big “Avengers” movie. Kang has all the confidence of a being who has taken down not just planets, but entire timelines. He’s also physically imposing and that creates a real sense of menace and dread for the other main characters.

Among the smaller roles, Bill Murray is shockingly forgettable as Lord Krylar, a former love interest of Janet. William Jackson Harper (“The Good Place”), on the other hand, is a welcome addition as the psychic being Quaz, and he gets some of the biggest laughs.

There is also the return of Corey Stoll, the villain from the first “Ant-Man” movie, resurrected here as M.O.D.O.K. – a floating, stretched-out head with baby legs who frequently monologues about being the ultimate killing machine.

The end result is a movie that’s just OK. Pfeiffer feels strangely flat and often must deliver some eye-rolling exposition. And much of the writing is just plain dumb. The same can also be said of vintage “Rick and Morty,” but that approach works a little better as a 22-minute animated TV show.

The two-hour runtime of “Quantumania” doesn’t exactly drag, but it’s just so uneven. It’s gorgeous to look at one moment, and then M.O.D.O.K. roles in and looks … unsettlingly weird. Or Majors puts on an acting clinic as a Marvel villain for the ages, and then the frenetic pacing grinds to a halt because of sloppy exposition.

The movie is partially saved by a genuinely thrilling ending, followed by an unsettling post credit scene that won’t be spoiled here. But where “Quantumania” could have been a real game changer that restored the momentum, fun, and emotional depth that peaked with “Endgame,” it ultimately feels more like a trailer for what’s coming next and less like the latest MCU classic.

PCL Rating: Taste It

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: FRESH