Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the inaugural film in the Marvel Cinematic Univere's fifth phase, serving as an important stepping stone into the broader universe following the more personal storylines in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It's got plenty of action and adventure, with stunning effects and solid performances from the central cast. But the film lacks a strong emotional throughline, a problem that ends up making the entire experience far less enjoyable than it appears on paper. While Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a fun ride at times and by no means the worst MCU film, it also lacks the key element that elevates the best entries in the franchise.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania nominally focuses on Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), both living in a world that celebrates the Avengers. Scott's daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton) has been following in their footsteps, even developing a shrinking suit while working on a potential beacon to the Quantum Realm. But when that piece of technology is activated from the inside, the three -- along with Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) are dragged into the realm.

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Ant-Man meets Kang in Quantumania

They find the Quantum Realm to be a surprisingly dense and populated place, full of bizarre lifeforms and strange communities -- all under the control of Kang (Jonathan Majors), who is also trapped in the realm. Requiring Scott's skills and size-changing Pym Particles to repair his technology and allow him to return to the universe, Kang uses a captured Cassie as a bargaining chip while Wasp, Hank, and Jan make their way across the Quantum Zone in search of the two to stop Kang from returning to the universe.

There's nothing wrong with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania on a technical level, with some of the MCU's best special effects on display in the film. The Quantum Realm itself quickly proves to be a unique and colorful setting, with director Peyton Reed and the rest of the creative team finding plenty of fun ways to incorporate the strangeness of the setting into the action, comedy, and drama of the film. Reed's inventive nature comes into play during some well-staged fight scenes, and there are a few moments -- like Scott's encounter with his timeline copies -- that work very well. The cast is all solid in their roles, and newcomers like Newton acquaint themselves well with the film. The highlight is Majors, who does a good job establishing Kang as a dangerous but different sort of villain than the heroes of the MCU have encountered before. There are minor beats in the film where his veneer of restraint peels off just a little bit to reveal a deep wealth of rage, and it lends the performance a lot of imposing energy.

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Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania: Scott Lang grows big and gets attacked by ships.

What's ultimately the most frustrating element of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the script. The movie fails to present a strong emotional arc. There's plenty of promising setup in the film's first act, with Scott and Cassie's relationship troubles quietly mirroring the lingering drama between the Pyms. There's potential for Scott to seek out the years he'd lost without his daughter, a bittersweet desire he shares with Jan. But none of that is paid anything beyond minor lip service as the film progresses and leans heavily into the sci-fi-tinted adventures within the Quantum Realm. As a result, the film largely relies on charm and comedy to keep the audience engaged.

Unfortunately, this is where the film can fall flat, with only a handful of jokes really earning the kind of laughs needed to elevate the experience. There's a lack of emotional growth in the film, making it less of a story and more of a series of loosely connected anecdotes. From a filmmaking standpoint, there's little wrong with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. But without a solid emotional throughline in the script, there's no real reason for the audience to invest. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is pure spectacle, through and through -- and while that works on a visual level and easily sets up Majors' Kang as a solid overarching threat going forward, the spectacle can ultimately feel hollow.

ant-man and the wasp quantumania poster
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Superhero
Action
7
10
Release Date
February 17, 2023
Director
Peyton Reed
Cast
Paul Rudd , Evangeline Lilly , Jonathan Majors , Kathryn Newton , Michael Douglas , Michelle Pfeiffer , David Dastmalchian , Bill Murray , Corey Stoll
Runtime
124 Minutes