Anthony's Film Review - Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

The third Marvel Studios movie focusing on Ant-Man works very well on multiple levels...

Usually, when I write a movie review, I go into detail about what I like or dislike about the movie before presenting my concluding statements. This time, for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, I shall do a kind of reversal of this approach, by starting with my thesis statement and then elaborating on that. Why am I doing this? Because I found the movie so enjoyable that I can't help but give you the bottom line first. So here is my overarching impression of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania...

This film works as a standalone Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero movie, achieves the feat of being the best of the Ant-Man movies to date, and packs a powerful punch in launching Phase Five of the MCU. Let's dive into all of this in more detail.

It's certainly a standalone movie because, like plenty of other MCU movies, you can enjoy this one even if you are not familiar with the previous Ant-Man movies or a certain MCU Phase Four TV series on Disney+ that obviously ties into this movie. On a basic level, it is simply an action-adventure set in the Quantum Realm, a universe that exists on a subatomic scale. Here, we see five familiar characters from the Ant-Man series: Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), his now-adolescent daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton), Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly). Scott, Hank, and Hope have worked together long enough that the two families spend time together like one big family. One night, an accident with a sophisticated device sends the five characters into the Quantum Realm. The Lang father and daughter end up in one area while the other three end up elsewhere. Both groups try to find their way toward each other and back home, but instead end up having their own encounters with dangerous situations and strange characters.

Why do I say that this is the best of the Ant-Man movies thus far? Well, it's not because of the action and the story. Both meet the MCU standard. Is it the characters? Yes, particularly two of them, both of whom I shall comment on now.

Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet was seen only briefly in the second Ant-Man movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp. But this time, she has a far bigger role, not enough to overshadow the other four protagonists but still enough to make her an important part of the plot. She had been in the Quantum Realm before, so her knowledge and experience can certainly help here. At the same time, we don't know at first what she knows and what she experienced. She keeps it all a secret even to her family. Only at a critical point in the story does she finally tell it all. I have to say that I never expected Janet to be such a mysterious and intriguing character.

But she doesn't compare to the other character who left an impression on me. I'm talking about the villain, Kang the Conqueror. Portrayed memorably by Jonathan Majors, Kang has the ability to be deceptively charismatic or outright vicious as the situation calls for it. Once you see the powers he possess, you will be shaking with fear. This is not someone you want to cross paths with alone. Even with a massive team working together, it will not be easy to defeat him.

Kang is a Marvel villain who is perhaps even more frightening than Thanos with the Infinity Stones. It's not because of his power. It's because of the extent of his influence across space and time, spanning multiverses instead of a single universe. When you see Kang in all his glory, you can't help but think of how threatening he will be if he is not stopped. This is why I say that this movie packs a powerful punch in launching MCU Phase Five. Furthermore, it becomes clear what this large section of the MCU is all about. Whereas MCU Phases One through Three comprise the Infinity Saga ultimately centering on Thanos, MCU Phases Four through Six comprise the Multiverse Saga ultimately centering, I am presuming, on Kang the Conqueror. Stay tuned.

In my opinion, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania offers something for everyone, ranging from the non-MCU movie fan to the most die-hard MCU fan. I can tell you that this movie has me excited about what's to come for the Multiverse Saga. (Don't forget to watch the mid-credits and post-credits scenes!) Aside from that, it's a fun movie with dazzling special effects, exciting action, and, most importantly, a nice story. No matter how huge or tiny the setting is, Marvel Studios continues to deliver the goods we've come to expect. Ant-Man is really no small hero (excuse the bad pun).

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, visit the Internet Movie Database.