After saving the world with the Avengers, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) leads a laid-back life and has managed to write a hit-selling book. Hope (Evangeline Lilly) is highly regarded and successful, and her company is changing the future in ways people could never imagine. However, when it comes to Scott’s daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton), that’s a different story. While trying to help others, she gets herself into trouble with the law.
One evening, Scott, Hope and Cassie share a meal with Hope’s parents, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), and some major reveals are made, especially surrounding aspects of the Quantum Realm. When everyone is unexpectedly pulled into the Quantum Realm, they discover a whole new world unlike anything they’ve ever seen, including new creatures. However, everything within the Quantum Realm has one fear- a mysterious figure known as Kang The Conqueror (Jonathan Majors). For the sake of spoilers, this is all I’m going to reveal!

There are some pleasing aspects to this third instalment in the world of Ant-Man and the Wasp. Firstly, it’s exciting for the audience to enter the Quantum Realm on the big screen. The film heavily uses CGI, and the use of a green screen is also evident for most of the runtime. The visuals and audio tracks (including sound effects) are great; however, I can’t deny that on multiple occasions, there were strong Star Wars vibes, which I found to be distracting.

When it comes to performances, I’m excited to reveal how much I loved Jonathan Majors as Kang The Conqueror. His lines of dialogue, costume design and even his back story entering this Marvel world are exciting for audiences. Actress Michelle Pfeiffer to my surprise is given more screen time here than I expected, and thankfully, she too is excellent in this film. Paul Rudd as Ant-Man manages to deliver moments of charm and witty one-liners. Despite his witty one-liners, I didn’t find the comedy to be a strong aspect.

The film jumps into its story quickly, and the plot and storyline feel very ’90s. Despite the excitement created, the plot here is slightly disappointing. Entering the Quantum Realm is exhilarating and joyful; however, how we end up in the Quantum Realm seems vague, rushed, and weak. Some things are just told and explained rather than shown in a more compelling concept and story; the same could be said for the entire film. Sure, as a new entry into Marvel’s phase five, bigger things are coming into motion. Still, I can’t deny how uninterested I felt at various times in the film, and I was shocked to find my lack of investment in key characters when compared to past Marvel films.

Overall, while it’s exciting for audiences to witness the Quantum Realm in all of its glory and finally gain an introduction to the mysterious Kang The Conqueror, I’m saddened to say Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is a weak entry to phase five. I was less emotionally invested in the leads or most of the story than in some of the prior Marvel films. Jonathan Majors shines wonderfully as the new leading nemesis. I also felt thankful and surprised to see actress Michelle Pfeiffer gaining more of a screen presence, and she, too, is quite enjoyable here. The effects are great, but naturally, green screens are used heavily throughout most of the film. This, combined with the audio sound effects, the various creatures and ships reminded me heavily of the Star Wars universe, which I found distracting. In the end, there’s still a great story but I can’t deny that I was left feeling somewhat disappointed when compared to the past Marvel films.
6.5/10
15th February 2023
Written by Peter Walkden

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA. © 2023 MARVEL.


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