Movie review: Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania
Hey there, Marvel fans! It's time to talk about the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania. It has the box office buzzing With $104 Million Debut and currently sits at 47% on Rotten Tomatoes. While many were excited to see what this film had in store for us, it unfortunately fell short of expectations for me. Here are 5 reasons why Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania wasn't that great.
Weak Plot: The storyline of the film was not as engaging as it could have been. The movie seemed to lack a clear direction and purpose, making it hard for audiences to stay invested. The plot felt like a jumbled mess, with too many subplots and unnecessary characters. Don’t even get me started about MODOK. That thing might be cool in the comics, but it’s just too strange and revolting in this movie.
Overuse of Comedy: While we all love a good laugh, the overuse of comedy in this film took away from the dramatic moments. It felt like the movie was trying too hard to be funny, making it difficult to take the story and the characters seriously. Speaking of wisecracks, the Ant-Man movies have been one of the funniest MCU movies and I do still enjoy Scott’s self-deprecating humor. Apart from that though, most of the jokes don’t land well.
Underdeveloped Characters: The characters in Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania felt underdeveloped and lacked depth. Scott’s relationship with Cassie is supposed to provide the emotional core of the movie, but it feels artificial somehow, and the father-daughter storyline has been done in a much better way in other films. The romance between Scott and Hope is still going strong, but we rarely see them together here, pretty much all the human relationships are buried beneath all of the chaotic hullabaloos of the Quantum realm. When the whole Lang family ends up being transported to this dimension, the biggest question they all have is why Janet kept Kang a secret all this time?? The movie never answers this question, in fact, it seems like all the busyness is a ploy to sidestep that giant plot hole. Even the main characters, like Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne, didn't have much growth throughout the film. The movie seemed to focus more on action and comedy than character development.
Lackluster Villain: Kang the Conqueror, who was supposed to be an Avenger-level threat, didn't feel as intimidating as he should have. He lacked the presence and gravitas of Thanos, making him a less compelling antagonist. It's worth noting that while Kang the Conqueror may not have been as threatening as he was hyped up to be, actor Jonathan Majors still did an excellent job in the role. He brought a unique energy and charisma to the character, making him stand out in scenes even when the writing was lacking. Majors' portrayal of Kang the Conqueror was a highlight of the film and showed that he has the acting chops to take on complex and challenging roles. Hopefully, we'll get to see him shine even more as Kang in future Marvel projects.
Uninspired Action Sequences: While the film had some exciting action sequences, they were not as inspired as those from previous Marvel movies. The movie relied too heavily on CGI, making the fight scenes feel artificial and disconnected from the story. Visually speaking, it’s definitely not my favorite in the MCU. The set pieces of the Microverse have a deliberate psychedelic look to them, at times it’s a mix between TRON and Star Wars, especially the latter with all the weird-looking creatures in the cantina.
In conclusion, Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania failed to live up to the high standards set by previous Marvel films, in my opinion. With its weak plot, overuse of comedy, underdeveloped characters, lackluster villain, and uninspired action sequences, the movie left audiences feeling disappointed. One thing I miss in this movie is Scott’s goofy buddies Luis, Kurt, and Dave, played by Michael Peña, David Dastmalchian, and T.I. respectively. While we are excited to see what the Marvel Cinematic Universe has in store for us next, this film is not one that we will be revisiting anytime soon. I give it 3 out of 5 stars. If you’ve seen this film what are your thoughts?