Ant-Man: Quantumania is consistently entertaining, but the film doesn’t excite me for what lies ahead. While it features some lighthearted moments that are in line with what I love about this series, the overall story is underwhelming and comes off like a mature Spy Kids 3 meets Sharkboy and Lavagirl. Still, Ant-Man: Quantumania does allow Jonathan Majors to showcase why he is such a tremendous talent. It’s unfortunate that he isn’t enough to make this third entry worthwhile.
I was hoping Ant-Man 3 would deliver a plot that was worth investing in, but instead, it’s thin and underwhelming at best. Admittedly, Scott and Cassie’s relationship still manages to pull at your heartstrings. With Phase 5 now underway, this beginning doesn’t get me interested in future projects. Directed by Peyton Reed, Ant-Man: Quantumania stars Paul Rudd, Kathryn Newton, Jonathan Majors, Evangeline Lilly, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas, and Bill Murray. Scott Lang (Rudd) explores the Quantum Realm with his family and comes across Kang the conqueror (Majors).
The visual effects can be a bit jarring at times, which is unfortunate since there are a few cool moments in the Quantum Realm. Setting the film completely away from Earth wasn’t the best decision. What’s worse is the jumbled story that accompanies this visual fest. Ant-Man: Quantumania is more interested in telling jokes about genitalia than letting its real strengths carry the story. Kang’s introduction shifts gears, but anything related to the Lang’s is mostly carried by Janet Van Dyne (Pfeiffer), who has the most compelling arc outside of Kang. Her connections to Kang give her a purpose, while her family is mostly standing around.
Cassie and Scott’s relationship is on the fence, and pieces are being set up for Cassie to prove her worth as a hero, but then someone else claims the spotlight. Dr. Hank Pym (Douglas), is here to tell us about his relationship life while his wife was gone, and then he has an atrocious reunion with an old friend. Douglas’ contributions to this project are useless and not necessary. While this film is messy, each performance was decent or exceptional. The exceptional is reserved for Majors, who excels at playing villains you will love to root for. His delivery makes Kang an intimidating force.
Newton’s performance as Cassie is effective enough, and I was able to believe that she and Rudd were a father-daughter duo. Her character traits might not be the most likable, but Newton’s downfall comes from the dialogue she has to work with, which leads to a very poor joke about genitalia once again. The writing felt like a never-ending rollercoaster of jumbled subplots, bizarre character decisions, and terrible jokes. Ant-Man: Quantumania has an engaging opening, but takes you through an underwhelming story to connect back to that highly effective opening. While Pfieffer is incredible as Jane, her motivations also make her unlikable at times.
I’m not surprised that Ant-Man 3 is receiving a polarizing reception, but I’m shocked that this was decided on as a good start to Phase 5. If not for Pfieffer and Majors, a majority of the story would be struggling to stay afloat. The action isn’t that great either sadly, and I did enjoy the last brawl between Scott and Kang. Some of the editing decisions lead to less fluid motions, which is never a good experience. Examples of this can be found when Kang and Scott are battling. Still, I wasn’t completely bored during this film and did enjoy it for what it was.
Ant-Man: Quantumania might not be one of the better MCU entries, but audiences should still be able to have fun with it. Strong performances and the mid-credit scenes might make this worthwhile. Sadly, this third entry is the weakest addition to the series, but I’m sure Ant-Man 4 will be here sooner than later.
