By Lily Angel
“Ant”-icipated by fans, the “ant”-ics of the “Ant-Man” family brought a buzz to theaters on February 17. Fans have been eagerly anticipating Marvel’s Phase 5 “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” as it introduces our next super-villain, Kang the Conqueror.
In “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania,” Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and the Pym family, including Scott’s daughter Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), enter the quantum realm and face off against Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors).
In “Quantumania,” the events unfold post-blip and depict Scott and his family adjusting to the world as they explore the quantum realm. The movie emphasizes the growth of family bonds and the connection between earlier movies and TV shows within Phase 4.
As Scott and his family navigate the quantum realm, he grapples with the time he lost with his daughter. Throughout the movie, we witness other parent-child duos trying to make up for lost time, including Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), who struggle to connect due to Janet’s hidden secrets.
Although the film touches on universal themes, some viewers felt it was lacking an essential element without Scott’s dynamic friend group. Although the sci-fi elements were a bit antiquated, the strong plot and acting saved the day. We also finally saw Janet Van Dyne in action.
Although the movie did fall into some classic tropes, such as the young rebellious girl giving an inspirational speech, outsiders leading the rebellion, and the classic betrayal, it still managed to deliver an exciting adventure. Although it might not be a fan favorite, it was definitely worth the watch.
Fans have come to expect humor from the Ant-Man films, but found that aspect lacking in this film. Although some of the humor stuck and brought some needed levity to a darker film, much of the humor just felt silly and poorly written.
The acting was also a bit subpar. While our leads Paul Rudd, Kathryn Newton, and Jonathan Majors gave good performances, they were not on par with earlier Marvel films.
The internet was abuzz when Marvel recast Cassie with Kathryn Newton. However, she brings a fresh and endearing energy to the film. Even though she didn’t look like the original Cassie, she certainly acted like her, and that made all the difference. Newton channeled Cassie’s rebellions teenage angst well.
Jonathan Majors was the true stand out of the film, however. His performance was stellar, going from He Who Remains in Loki to Kang the Conqueror. His portrayal of Kang the Conqueror was captivating, balancing a menacing and charismatic presence throughout the film. Fans can’t wait to see more of him in future films.
Unfortunately, for a film titled “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” the Wasp did not have much of a showing. It didn’t feel like she had an equal status to Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man. While Scott Lang, Hank Pym (Michael Douglass), and Hope Van Dyne formed a tight-knit trio in the previous film, the Wasp’s character took a backseat in this installment. Her absence was noticeable, and it felt like a missed opportunity to explore her character further.
The biggest criticism that many have of Phase 5 in general and “Quantumania” specifically is that we do not have enough information about how the movie fits into the larger MCU storyline. Kang is a great villain with a lot of potential for destruction and chaos, but the film didn’t tease enough about other films, even in its end credit scenes.
However, it’s important to note that the film does introduce the concept of the multiverse, which will undoubtedly play a huge role in the upcoming MCU movies .In addition, the post-credit scene with the appearance of Loki establishes connections to the larger MCU timeline and provides hints about what’s to come. Although the movie may not have answered all the questions fans had about the future of the MCU, it certainly provided some exciting hints and connections.
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