In the almost 5 years since Avengers: Endgame brought the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Infinity Saga to a close, the MCU has branched out from that core set of characters. This has been met with some mixed reviews from both critics and fans. Unfortunately, that includes some who made the decision that nothing after Endgame was going to be as good, so they won’t let it be. No matter what they may actually end up thinking about it. This doesn’t mean everything Marvel puts out there is flawless. Some projects are definitely better than others, and some do leave room for improvement. For me, the best ones are the ones that have big reveals, but still have great rewatchability. I feel like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania falls into that group. Some of the key factors in successful MCU installments have been heart, action, humor, and impressive/exciting visuals. I think these were all very present in Quantumania.What I like best about the Scott Lang character is that he is a different kind of superhero. In a lot of ways, he remains to bel just a guy that Hank Pym selected for a particular job, and now he is figuring out this hero thing as he goes. He still gets wowed by how cool he thinks this whole thing is.
Yes, there is a lot CGI in this movie. You may find this hard to believe but even Marvel Studios doesn’t have the budget to film in the actual Quantum Realm. You may also be disappointed to know that all of those space scenes in the previous MCU projects were actually filmed in a studio right here on Earth.
I do think they made a mistake revealing Darren Cross as MODOK in the trailer. That piece would have been a better reveal during the movie. However, I did enjoy a lot of what they did with the character. Do I think this was the absolute best way to use MODOK? No, but they are diving into the Multiverse deeper and deeper, so who knows what other versions we may encounter along the way? Remember the Illuminati in Multiverse of Madness? That was largely, if not completely fan service casting, and they immediately cleared the way to take those characters in other directions. People also need to look at MODOK’s scene at the end in the context in which it played out. Focusing on the one line to complain about doesn’t actually make sense.
As I said, the fact that I really enjoyed the movie doesn’t mean it is without flaws. Watching superhero movies requires a level of suspended belief. Not all of the physics are going to make sense. Captain America is my all time favorite superhero, but Peter Parker was right when he called him out for the shield not following the laws of physics. The issue with the Ant-Man character isn’t that the physics don’t make sense in the real world,which they don’t, it is that they explained their science in a way that doesn’t fit with how that science is applied.
Hank explained that the Pym Particles work because he found a way to decrease the space between atoms. This opens a list of issues and immediately limits what they are able to do. For example, at “Ant size” Scott would weigh as much as his normal size, so he couldn’t crawl around on people as he does. As Giant-Man he would be at a severe disadvantage because of disproportionate weight and strength. He likely wouldn’t even be able to function at that size. The biggest issue is that if they followed their own explanation, traveling to the Quantum Realm would not be possible. Dr. Pym says that it requires going subatomic, which is a direct contradiction to the earlier explanation. Even the need for the helmet while at a different size gets overlooked during this movie.
A lot of people are criticizing the movie in comparison with other installments within the MCU. While all of these movies take place in the same Cinematic Universe, each franchise still has its own style. The Ant-Man movies have always had a different, slightly goofier, tone to them, and I feel like this one falls right in that line well, and that’s a great thing.
I think the casting was solid as well. Paul Rudd remains to be a shining example of the perfectly cast Avengers. I am not sure that everyone was the “perfect” choice, but they all fit together very well. The father/daughter dynamic between Scott and Cassie plays a little differently. I don’t think that was bad casting, but maybe actually good acting. The characters haven’t exactly had a typical relationship. He was in prison, became a superhero, a criminal again thanks to helping Captain America, then disappeared into the Quantum Realm for 5 years. That can put some strain on a relationship with his teenage daughter. There was certainly room for improvement with some pieces of performance, but I am interested to watch that progress as the story continues.
Not everyone is going to like every movie, and that’s completely fine. I love talking about the MCU for that reason, the different points of view. I happened to really enjoy this and look forward to where this phase of the MCU will take us.
I want to give a HUGE shout out to Essex Cinemas for hosting us. They always put on a great event. It is an incredible venue, supported by an outstanding cast. You can even head over there on Mondays to see any movie in any of their theaters for only $5. This includes the T-Rex, Vermont’s biggest and only Large Format Theater. Go check out “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” then head back here and leave a comment with what you thought. Please keep it family friendly.
See you at the movies!
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