Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania Review! A New Phase In The MCU Begins. But, Is It Good Enough?

It’s finally here! The film that introduces the MCU’s new villain has arrived, in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania! Starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jonathan Majors, the third Ant-man film shows how life has gotten better for Scott Lang (Rudd) and his family, after the events of Avengers: Endgame. But when Scott’s daughter, Cassis, finds a way to map the Quantum Realm, things take a turn for the worst, as they contend with Kang the Conqueror (Majors)!

Before I continue, as always SPOILERS AHEAD!!! CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK. I won’t lie to you. I have NEVER been a fan of the Ant-Man movies. Not hating on the character, but Ant-Man is one of those C-list characters that would do better with a mini-series rather than a full-length movie. But, I get it, Marvel wanted to do something new. The first one was decent, the second was forgettable. (Do you even remember the plot or the villain from that one?!). But, since Kang is making his appearance (one of MANY versions of Kang.) I’d thought this one would be different. The tone of the trailers, and the introduction of Kang, all portrayed things leading up to this were a cakewalk, compared to what’s coming. Kang, himself, was portrayed very well. A villain of few words, but meaning everything he says, Kang seeks to escape the Quantum Realm. After being trapped there by the Council of Kangs, and again by Janet Van Dyne (Pfeiffer). Majors is the real star here, no disrespect to the rest of the cast. Whenever he appears, he steals the scene. Rudd as Ant-Man is the same, loveable guy who just wants a better life for his family. Enjoying his newfound fame, Scott and Cassie start off at odds, about how to help people. But Janet and Hank Pym (Douglas) have their own side adventure, but eventually, Janet explains how dangerous a threat Kang is and how he needs to be stopped from leaving the Quantum Realm.

Ok, before I get into the negatives, let’s address some positives. As said before, Kang being a full-on villain was great to watch. Having access to advanced technology, Kang doesn’t rely on magic stones to devastate his enemies. Rather, he uses his intelligence and cunning to achieve his goals. Rudd’s performance was also great to see. You really get the feeling that Rudd is having a ball, which is also great for the film. Rudd and Majors play off each other well, as Scott must do Kang’s bidding or suffer dire consequences. Also, seeing the Council of Kangs was cool. From Immortus, the presumably oldest version of Kang, to Rama-Tut, a Kang who went back to ancient Egypt with advanced tech. Clearly, we haven’t seen the last of this new character, and I’m here for it. Janet’s backstory with Kang was also nice to see. From helping him repair his tech to leading a resistance stopping Kang was a subplot that should have been explored more.

Now, for the negative. And there is quite a lot of it. Most of the film is CGI, and while that’s nothing new, (especially considering they’re in the Quantum Realm, with creatures and such.) it kind of gives Spy Kids vibes. The subplots with Janet being this resistance fighter against Kang were cool but were dropped too soon. Hank Pym just felt he was along for the ride, but had some funny one-liners. Then, we have the introduction of M.O.D.O.K. Some may say his appearance was wonky, and I’ll say he looks EXACTLY like he's supposed to look in the comics. Does that translate well into live-action? Eh…But, what really made me second-guess this movie, what how they showed Kang getting trampled by oversized ants, and having his tech suit damaged. Like, right before, we see him vaporize entire groups of freedom fighters and create energy shields! But he can’t fly up and evade the ants!? Then, in the final battle, after we see Kang almost kill Scott, Hope’s stingers do enough to stop him?! The guy who's killed scores of Avengers, cant defeat giant ants?! Speaking of Hope, I honestly felt she was no more than an afterthought in this movie. After finally being reunited with her mother, Janet, then Janet keeps secrets from her, which would make for some good character growth and exposition. Another missed opportunity. Overall, while this movie has its faults, it’s not unwatchable! And it’s miles better than Thor: Love and Thunder, Eternals, or even Black Widow. A 7 out of 10, for me. Good, but not great. What did you think? Post your thoughts below, and till next time, fellow blerds!