Review:
"Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania"
Release Date: Feb. 17, 2023.
Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 125 minutes The knock on Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that it lacked a true objective. Or at least one as well-defined as Phase 3, which led to Thanos snapping his fingers to wipe out half the inhabitants of the universe. But how could Phase 4 not address the ramifications of Thanos’ actions on and off Earth? So the introspective nature of Phase 4 was inevitable, even going as far as to include Black Widow, a belated solo entry that post-Phase 3 doubled as a tribute to the fallen original Avenger. That said, Phase 4’s films and Disney+ shows also seemed more about set-up than advancement through the transition of Anthony Mackie’s the Falcon to Captain America, the debut of new superheroes Shang-Chi, America Chavez, Ms. Marvel, the Eternals, and Florence Pugh’s Black Widow; the introduction of Kang the Conqueror as a new major threat; and the positioning the Multiverse as a potential MCU gamechanger. Even Tiamut Island, formed at the end of Eternals, is rumored to heavily inform next year’s Captain America: New World Order. Which brings us to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the first entry in the MCU’s Phase 5 and the first theatrical release to feature the imposing Jonathan Major’s new big bad Kang the Conqueror, whose variant He Who Remains appeared in Loki’s Season 1 finale in 2021. Quantumania’s job is to familiarize audiences with the time-traveling, Multiverse-hopping warmonger in advance of other potentially related Phase 5 entries and Phase 6’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. And Quantumania does its job well both within the context of an Ant-Man and the Wasp sequel and the launch of the MCU’s Phase 5. The Ant-Man and the Wasp franchise has always been driven by personal stakes, first by Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang’s efforts to redeem himself in the eyes of his 6-year-old daughter Cassie and then by Evangeline Lilly’s Hope van Dyne’s crusade to rescue her mother Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) from the subatomic universe known as the Quantum Realm. Quantumania remains very much of a family affair—bringing back Rudd, Lilly, Pfeiffer, and Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym, Janet’s husband and Hope’s father, while recasting Abby Ryder Fortson with Freaky’s Kathryn Newton as an 18-year-old Cassie Lang—but the skates are much higher, with the fate of the Multiverse hanging in the balance. As a result of an experiment gone wrong, the superhero family is sucked into the Quantum Realm as part of Kang’s plan to free himself from his place of exile. Janet knew Kang during her many years in the Quantum Realm—first as allies, then as enemies after learning about his crusade to destroy certain timelines—and Janet holds the key to Kang’s return to the Multiverse. This puts Pfeiffer front and center in Quantumania after serving as more of a presence than a protagonist in Ant-Man and the Wasp. And Quantumania certainly benefits from Pfeiffer’s take-charge attitude, a quality the equally tough-as-nails Newton shares as a novice size-shifting superhero. Much of Quantumania is fueled by the mystery that surrounds Janet’s time in the Quantum Realm as well as her relationship to Kang, who has conquered the subatomic universe, wiped out or displaced its inhabitants, and built an army of biomechanical soldiers in anticipation of his return to the Multiverse. So we cross paths with many of Janet’s fellow resistance fighters, including a typically charming and inherently slippery Bill Murray. Murray’s presence in an Antman and the Wasp sequel is not a surprise considering this Peyton Reed-directed franchise within a franchise has always placed a heavy emphasis on goofy comedy, which clearly can be traced back to the days when co-writer/director Edgar Wright was Ant-Man’s driving creative force. Rudd, of course, is a naturally gifted comic actor, and he once again sets the witty tone for an action comedy that knows when to poke fun at its ill-suited, super-suited protagonist and when to takes serious its uncompromising villain. Directing from a fun-filled and fast-paced script by MCU newcomer Jeff Loveness, Reed allows Quantumania’s humor to get as cosmically weird as James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy series thanks to its surreal setting and its strange and wonderful inhabitants. There is even a hint of some David Cronenberg-inspired biomechanical entities but cleaned up for a Disney family audience. Which certainly explains Quantumania embracing the genetically altered MODOK, essentially a giant head with tiny arms and legs but whose villainous true identity and purpose in Quantumania cannot be spoiled. Oddly, though, the visually intriguing Quantumania may share its DNA with Guardians of the Galaxy but it often aims for the adventurous spirit of the Star Wars original trilogy, especially in regards to its deceptively simple but energetic set-pieces. No one in their right mind is going to compare Kang to Darth Vader, but Kang’s penchant for authoritarianism and appetite for destruction makes him a villain with enough potential to become the greatest threat to the MCU since Thanos. As hinted at in his Loki appearance, Jonathan Majors fills Kang with a solemn intensity and a corrupted sense of righteousness that makes him a force to be reckoned with. The commanding Majors and the typically self-effacing Rudd work well against each other as extreme opposites, with Majors’ pushing Rudd hard to explore his everyman superhero in greater emotional depth than in past solo vehicles. Quantumania delves deep into Kang’s history and his volatile relationship to his many variants. But any hints as to how Quantumania builds upon the revelations of Loki’s Season 1 finale will not be revealed here. Regardless, Quantumania succeeds in its mission to launch the Phase 5 in excitingly essential fashion. At the same time, Quantumania unfolds as best it can as a contained installment, one that remains true to the strong family dynamics that has driven the Ant-Man and the Wasp franchise from the beginning. Robert Sims Aired: Feb. 14, 2023. Web sites: https://movies.disney.com/ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania https://www.facebook.com/antman |
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