Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Written by Cameron Geiser
The Ant-Man films have traditionally taken place on a smaller scale both literally and narratively speaking within the greater structure of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That changes with Quantumania. Pitting the tiniest Avenger up against the next major threat coming for our heroes in tights was an inspired choice, and that gamble paid off as the interactions between Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) are some of the best parts of the film. We’re caught up with Scott and his life after the last Avengers movie rather quickly before his now teenage daughter Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton) shows off her new science experiment and traps the whole family in the Microverse- err, sorry- the Quantum realm.
Right off the bat- I have to give a shout out to all the visual effects departments that worked on the film, they did a lot of the legwork to make this film as filled to the gills with spectacle as it is. The vast visual feast that is the Quantum realm and all of its inhabitants are the foundation of why the film works as well as it does. There’s clearly been a lot of work researching the “why” and “how” of some of the best landmark sci-fi and fantasy films when considering the scale and variety of world-building in the Quantum realm. Beyond that, the Ant family’s antics in the realm are a fun reminder that this series of films in the MCU has always been more about family ties with a quirky carefree spirit. Seeing Michael Douglas hang out for most of the movie with the family spouting lines like “Holy Shit- that guy has Broccoli for a head!”– it just added frosting to the adventure-themed cake for me. Look, is it art? I don't know about that, but it made me laugh. I’m also relieved to say that Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) got more to do this time around, and specifically that her time in the Quantum realm isn’t just relevant to the story- it’s the backbone of the mystery surrounding Kang the Conqueror’s place in the Quantum realm.
While imperfect, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has enough going to have a bit of fun with.
Speaking of Kang, Jonathan Majors brings steely gravitas and an unnerving calm to the latest big bad from Marvel Comics to grace the silver screen. Like Loki and Thanos before him, Kang the Conqueror seeks dominion over the MCU, and while he shares strands of character DNA with both, the main difference is that Kang is often his own worst enemy, in more of a literal sense. Admittedly, my bias weighs heavily here as Kang the Conqueror has always been my favorite Avengers villain in the comics, and Majors’ performance here (hinted at in the end of Loki season 1) is not only character accurate, but the standout performance of the movie.
While the film itself is quite a lot of fun, it almost got a higher score but there were a few key factors as to why Ant-Man 3 didn’t go far enough with some character work. There’s an impactful moment where Scott has physical action visually paired with an internal struggle he’s having, I’ll call it the Multiplicity scene for now, and it’s a good step in the right direction- but there were richer character moments to be had between Scott and Kang. Maybe the Ant-Man movies aren’t where the heavier moments of the MCU usually lie, but there’s enough in the film that’s trying to instill momentous grandeur whenever Kang is on-screen that I began to expect that tone throughout other parts of the film. There’s so much going on in the film that does feel like exciting new territory for both the Ant-Man characters and the MCU at large, but it speaks volumes that for all of the Journey to The Center of The Earth and Flash Gordon vibes, some of the best parts of the film are when Kang and Scott are in a room together talking.
The other major reason the film didn’t get a higher score is the structure of the writing. There are moments in the film, like the inciting incident, where you have to tell yourself not to think too hard about any one aspect of it lest you sour your own experience. At times you can feel the script straining and wheezing as it tries to keep up with the mile-a-minute pacing in the Quantum realm. Which is a classic double-edged sword in this case. If the screenwriter and director had slowed down to have richer character moments, they wouldn’t have had the zany fast-paced energy that our current version has. The problem is, meshing good pacing with mesmerizing spectacle can be done better than this. Just look at Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water if you have any doubts. Though ultimately this is a few notches better than most of the phase four Marvel films. It expands the Marvel Universe in visually interesting ways and skillfully lays the foundation for the next phase with Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror. Hopefully the following films stay at this level of competency or higher!
Cameron Geiser is an avid consumer of films and books about filmmakers. He'll watch any film at least once, and can usually be spotted at the annual Traverse City Film Festival in Northern Michigan. He also writes about film over at www.spacecortezwrites.com.