Ant-Man has been in the MCU for 8 years now. In that time his character ark has stayed surprisingly consistent. He is a single father (with a love interest of course) who just wants to be able to take care of his daughter. He’s witty, laid-back, and content to let the other heroes take lead most days. That is unless his daughter Cassie is involved. In this latest installment, his daughter Cassie is extremely involved and at the heart of most of the conflict in this film, and with that, Ant-Man must take charge.
Scott Lang is a great lead here and Paul Rudd provides an enjoyable take on the character once more. He doesn’t do anything differently, but like the old saying goes “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. The supporting cast is where the mix bag comes in. Cassie Lang played by Kathryn Newton is heavily involved with the plot this go around and the results are all over the place. Her connection/chemistry to Scott Lang is a highlight in the early dialogue where the stakes are yet to be set. Once Kang appears however, she feels more like a plot piece only used to move Scott Lang’s character forward. Cassie is poised to become the super hero Stature later on in the MCU, so at some point the powers behind the MCU will need to give her more space to define herself in this world. Unfortunately, that was not the case here.
The Wasp played by Evangeline Lily had fewer lines than I would have hoped for as well. Considering her super hero name is in the title, you would think she would have had a greater role this time around. With the screen time she does have, Lily does a solid job keeping us involved. Michael Douglas as Hank Pym does the best with his limited role. He feels exactly as how I think they want him portrayed; a retired super hero who still knows how to get things done. Douglas steals the show with his love for ants and patience in delivery of much needed help. Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne finally gets to advance her character this time around and unfortunately falls short. Her interactions with Kang are entertaining and the chemistry between her and actor Majors connects in every scene, but her interactions with the rest of the cast feels a bit shallow. I couldn’t help but feel annoyed at her stubbornness to keep secrets from the rest of the Ant-Man crew. When you are already stuck in the Quantum realm and a Kang is after you, you might want to fill in those around you on what’s going on.
Now to the best part of the film; Kang the Conqueror. Jonathan Majors is the perfect cast for Kang and his ability to feel grandiose is a magnetic performance that will keep anticipation for every Kang appearance we see moving forward. Kang doesn’t feel threatened by anything. He has a confidence about him that toes the line with cockiness. A result that must come with being in touch with all of your variants and ability to destroy universes. Every moment we see him on screen brings the movie higher, cementing his legacy in the MCU one line at a time.
The inhabitants of the Quantum Realm were all solid in their performances, but succumb to what seems to be the main issue of this film. There are too many roles and characters we want to invest in, and not enough time from beginning to end. We see these characters developing slightly but never get to a space where they can thrive (outside of Kang). Even a villain as important as MODOK wasn’t given much room to explore. I do ultimately like the character portrayal of MODOK but one has to wonder if his role here was intentionally made less threatening because they needed to get him in and out of the movie as quickly as possible. I can easily see MODOK getting a more serious treatment leading him to impact future films if he didn’t fill in as the 7th most important character in the film.
The environment of the Quantum Realm was also a highlight. It was very comparable to a Star Wars film in which all sort of aliens/races interact in the cities and outposts outside of town. The CGI was heavy, but never felt out of place. Visually speaking, Quantumania hit the marks.
So in conclusion, I would recommend this movie to those still invested in the MCU. It moves the overall plot forward, and keeps the character building going. Towards the end of the film, you get a sense that Ant-Man is starting to realize he can’t be laid-back and his demeanor is changing. That brings excitement into his next on screen time. Kang is a force to be reckon with immediately and moving forward it will be exciting to see what happens next. If you are feeling burnt out from the MCU, this film will not reignite the flames there. Ultimately, this adventure into the Quantum Realm was an exciting look into what’s to come, and moves our characters forward. But maybe next time, we take a few characters out to make sure the ones that stay get a full opportunity at character development.
Verdict: 7/10