'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' Review: Style And Scale Over Substance
Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror in Marvel Studios' Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2022 MARVEL.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania takes on the large challenge of expanding the scope of its mini-franchise while plainly serving as a stepping-stone for Marvel to establish new sections of their universe and setting up the films to come, ultimately plaguing it as a whole. The third film in the Ant-Man trilogy, Quantumania, picks up after the events of Avengers: Endgame and follows Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Hope van Dyne/The Wasp (Evangeline Lily), and Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton) as they adapt to new family dynamics while maintaining the superhero/life balance. Things go awry for them as a new device constructed by Cassie and Hope sucks the trio into the Quantum Realm, along with Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer). It’s at this point that the film takes a true Marvel turn, upping the scale to introduce new characters and locations.
Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man in Marvel Studios' Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.
Written by Jeff Loveness (Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Rick and Morty), the film generally succeeds comedically when it doesn’t have to deal with the issues of being a Marvel movie, and being filled with “MCU jokes” and quips, which don’t land as well as the jokes that are well-crafted and delivered, primarily by Paul Rudd. That said, the grander scope forces the comedic moments to be scattered throughout, potentially driving away lovers of the first two Ant-Man movies. Additionally, the repetitive set-up for later films becomes an issue, not allowing Quantumania to benefit from the intimate aspect of the previous Ant-Man movies. Ultimately, the film works best when it stays grounded and terrestrial like the previous films and falls victim to the issue of too broad a scope and prioritizing world-building and style over the film’s substance. One of the prominent examples of this is some of the new characters added to the story, who are fun to watch at times but ultimately dilute the main cast and take screen time away from leading characters, lessening our attachment to them and the stakes of their fates.
(L-R) Kathryn Newton, Jonathan Majors, and Paul Rudd in Marvel Studios' Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.
The aspects that made the first two Ant-Man movies feel personal are generally gone in this case, primarily in the Quantum Realm. While the new landscape is visually stunning and a clear step up from recent Marvel movies, utilizing the potential of this universe that we’ve barely seen to create a spectacle. The downside of this is that with an unfamiliar landscape comes the natural consequence of a lack of ability to associate with the risks and problems that come with it, ala Strange World. Still, the Quantum Realm is immersive, feeling tied together with the outstanding costume design from Sammy Sheldon (Ex-Machina, Eternals), who put in minute details in armor plates and the way they move, which is one of the most impressive technical aspects of Quantumania. These blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments are coupled with outstanding action and direction from Peyton Reed, who efficiently utilizes the forms he’s given to play with and makes sure that the action doesn’t feel repetitive and works hard to get strong performances out of the leading actors to truly stick the landing.
Jonathan Majors as Kang The Conqueror in Marvel Studios' Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2022 MARVEL.
As you’d expect, Jonathan Majors is truly phenomenal as Kang, making a clear difference between this variant and the one he portrayed in Loki, leaving high hopes for what’s to come of the infinite possibilities of The Conqueror. That said, it’s hard to root for the hero if the film’s villain is the only standout, forcing Paul Rudd to put up a strong performance to match Majors’ explosiveness, which he does. On top of that, the supporting players do what they need to and more at times, with Corey Stoll being a comedic standout, William Jackson Harper, Michael Douglas, and Michelle Pfeiffer being entertaining and notable additions to the film. While that is true, the actors get the short end of the stick when it comes to aspects of the writing and plot, primarily the dialogue and structure of the third act, with things wrapping up in too much of a deus-ex-machina way. The reasoning for this decision in writing in structure likely comes from the fact that this film isn’t truly meant to be regarded as a standalone adventure but one that’s crafted to begin to pique interest in later films and stories that are years away.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ultimately will be a somewhat divisive entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while it will appeal to a group of fans, it will likely not be a favorite for those who enjoyed the previous two Ant-Man films, and ultimately leaves more to be wanted in certain aspects. Quantumania hits theaters this Friday, February 17.
Watch the trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, in theaters February 17, 2023.
