Marvel’s tiniest hero is back, along with his family, to take on the next major villain in the MCU in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The third Ant-Man film, opening on February 17, 2023, is the first movie in Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and follows Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018).
Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is enjoying life, loving his superhero celebrity status, and happy when people come up asking to take a photo with him. His autobiography recalling his adventures teaming up with The Avengers is number one on the bestseller list, and he’s still with the love of his life – Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly).
The only real worry he has is over his daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton). She’s determined to follow in his footsteps and try to help people. Scott’s worries prove valid when he learns that Cassie has been working with Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) on a satellite to send a signal to the Quantum Realm.
It seems Cassie has been fascinated by the idea of the Quantum Realm after hearing about her dad and Hope rescuing Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) from imprisonment there. Janet hears what Hank and Cassie are up to and as Cassie’s activating the device she orders her to shut it down right away…but it’s too late. The device rises into the air, blue lights glow, and then, BOOM!, the device creates a powerful suction effect and pulls Janet, Hank, and Cassie into it.
Hope and Scott realize what’s happening and react by letting go of what they were holding on to. They allow themselves to be pulled into the Quantum Realm as well.
Janet, Hank, and Hope quickly find each other and Janet takes the lead since she was trapped in the Quantum Realm for 30 years. She knows her way around and who to talk to to find help. Hank and Hope are amazed to find that the Quantum Realm isn’t some barren wasteland but a colorful, vast cosmos, like a never-ending Star Wars cantina full of all kinds of creatures.
Cassie and Scott wind up together but are separated from the others. And, of course, they’re equally amazed by the Quantum Realm. They’re quickly taken captive by a group of native rebels who want to know who – and what – they are.
Meanwhile, Janet leads Hank and Hope to see an old friend of hers named Lord Krylar (Bill Murray), hoping he’ll have a lead on where Scott and Cassie landed. However, it’s not long before Janet tells Hank and Hope that there’s someone truly terrible ruling the Quantum Realm named Kang who she has a complicated history with and who will be hunting for her now that she’s back.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a loud, uneven, and tedious superhero adventure film with an A-list cast who deserve better, as do the fans. The film suffers from using way too much CGI, which is unimpressive this time out. It also never finds its rhythm.
Paul Rudd’s the best part of the film as Scott Lang, the affable ex-crook who now enjoys being thought of as a hero and just wants to make up for the time he lost with his daughter. Rudd has made this character his own and it’s impossible to imagine anyone else portraying him.
Kathryn Newton is a great addition to the cast as Cassie, Scott’s teenage daughter who admires him and wants to follow in his footsteps to help those in need. She’s also extremely smart, like Hank Pym, and reckless, like her father, which has brought about the family’s new dangerous adventure. Newton and Rudd click on screen and have solid father/daughter chemistry.
Sadly, Evangeline Lilly and Michael Douglas are wasted in the film as they basically take a backseat and watch, question, and follow Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet as she guides them through the realm. It’s a crime that these two incredibly talented actors from the first two films are given so little screen time and are demoted to secondary, supportive roles. It was the chemistry and humor between Douglas, Lilly, and Rudd that made the first film so enjoyable.
Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror – the new major villain in the MCU – is both menacing and strangely sulky. Unfortunately, Majors’s Kang comes across as a villain that belongs in a Marvel film like Thor rather than Ant-Man. He’s a brooding, one-dimensional bad guy.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is a blown opportunity to kick off Phase Five with a bang. Instead, it’s an uninspired, forgettable superhero film that can – and should – be missed.
GRADE: C
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence, action, and language
Running Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Release Date: February 17, 2023
Directed By: Peyton Reed
