Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Just when we thought Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a sign of things to come for Marvel, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania quickly dispels any hope we had left in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the third Ant-Man film that nobody asked for, Quantumania finds Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), their daughter (Kathryn Newton), and her grandparents (Michelle Pfieffer and Michael Douglas) trapped in the Quantum Realm as they battle the tyrannical Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors). Unlike the title might suggest, there is nothing maniacal to be found in this film, instead, we are left with a film devoid of depth, characterization, and any semblance of visual flair with a dull, almost non-existent, plot and equally boring performances.
Quantumania’s most blatant mistake is its barebones excuse of a screenplay. By waiting until the halfway mark to introduce its central villain, the film’s first hour lacks any direction or sense of urgency. In place of characterization and plot development, the audience is subject to witnessing our ragtag crew of characters navigate a foreign landscape and encounter eclectic alien characters – but not before getting trapped by a militaristic group led by a fascist-like figure. Sound familiar? That’s right, Quantumania is the MCU’s sad attempt to have their own Star Wars! Writer John Loveness, however, trades the vibrant planet of Tatooine and the menacing Darth Vader for the lifeless Quantum Realm and only somewhat intimidating Kang. It further distances itself from being anywhere near Star Wars, in terms of quality, because it throws any remnants of character building out the window. Rather than putting its effort into trying to emulate other franchises, Loveness should have fleshed out his characters and crafted compelling arcs instead of using any previous notions we might have had about Ant-Man as a crutch. Quite frankly, the film is essentially pointless to both the MCU and the characters’ development as we end up leaving them in the same place we found them. Consequentially, this sets up the rest of the film to be rather low-stakes as the audience has no reason to care about the characters other than “haha, Ant-Man funny.” Even then, it’s a stretch to classify the jokes in this film as quality comedy.
An example of Quantumania’s cinematography, or lack thereof, with its washed out appearance and lackluster effects.
Perhaps if the film were visually appealing, it could make up for the thin storyline but, alas, Quantumania is a through-and-through CGI-fest, producing a new low for Marvel films. Between MODOK’s uncomforting humanoid face and the drab green screen setting, the film’s special effects border on being a cutscene from a game on last-gen consoles. The video game’s – sorry film’s – poor lighting does not do it any favors either. When I’m not trying to decipher what’s transpiring on screen – due to the film’s tendency to be obscured in darkness – I’m appalled at the cartoonish effects being showcased front and center. It’s especially embarrassing to have CGI of this caliber when just two months ago, Avatar: The Way of Water was pushing the boundaries of what this technology can do. With the visual effects alone, it feels like Quantumania has set back filmmaking by 10 years. In no way do I mean to shame the artists working on this film but, more so, Disney’s compulsive need to oversaturate the market with their Marvel properties and, in turn, sacrifice a film’s quality for the sake of cashing out three times a year.
The performances are another Pandora’s Box in and of themselves. It’s not until Jonathan Majors shows up at the one-hour mark that any acting in this film is worth talking about. I’m not even sure if Majors’ performance is genuinely good or if it’s just because, compared to his castmates, the slightest display of talent is bound to shine. Going along with the former, when he is on-screen, his cool, calm, and composed demeanor commands attention and works well within the Marvel canon as a welcome departure from the normally over-the-top villains we’re used to. The same cannot be said for his peers, starting with the biggest culprit: Evangeline Lilly. She could not appear to be more disinterested in this film if her life depended on it. In fact, it seems everyone else seems to have participated just for a hefty paycheck from “the Mouse,” including Paul Rudd, who has never been more “meh” in an iteration of Ant-Man.
Quantumania is, without a doubt, one of the worst entries in the MCU. Director Peyton Reed and writer John Loveness have managed to take what little character Ant-Man and co. have and whittle it down to the most unimaginative and boring concoction possible. How many times can you see Paul Rudd grow into a Godzilla-sized human and stomp around before you become disinterested? All the imaginative, ridiculous concepts found in the first two Ant-Man films, such as fighting on a toy train set, are lost in this third installment and what was supposed to be a grand introduction to one of Marvel’s most-powerful godlike villains ends up being a big pile of nothing. Remove this film from the MCU and it would not make the slightest difference. If nothing else, Quantumania serves as more fuel for disdain toward Kevin Feige’s pump-and-dump scheme of mediocre content and is yet another reminder that the well-oiled money-making machine is losing steam quickly and starting to run on fumes.
Verdict: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is an obvious Nick Skip that only furthers the recent sentiment of “Marvel fatigue” with its distasteful special effects, paper-thin plot, and monotone performances.