‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Is Big and Buggy

Kicking off Marvel’s Phase Five was no small feat, and one that the third “Ant-Man” film hardly lived up to.

Written by Jeff Loveness and directed by Peyton Reed, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” follows Scott Lang and his family being sucked into the microscopic Quantum Realm. Once trapped, the villainous Kang the Conqueror forces Lang to help with his own escape.

Conquering every scene he’s in, Jonathan Majors as Kang is easily the highlight of the film. Reprising the role from “Loki,” Majors (“Lovecraft Country,” “Creed III”) plays Kang furiously, giving the character ample setup for his inevitable return in “Avengers: Kang Dynasty.”

While Major’s performance shines, it’s also disconnected. For a franchise set in lighthearted heists, a time-traveling warlord facing Ant-Man feels out of his league. 

Despite being a trilogy-capper for Ant-Man, “Quantumania” is really a “Fantastic Four” story from a plot standpoint. A family lost in the unknown, exploring cosmic threats with eye-popping visuals — an exact recipe for a Lee & Kirby comic from the ‘60s. 

Reed (“The Mandalorian,” “Yes Man”) has repeatedly voiced his love of the Four and his failed attempt at making a feature. With a new “Fantastic Four” on the horizon — shifting between directors who aren’t Reed — one wonders if “Quantumania” is a forced imitation of what Reed really wanted to make.

In regards to Reed’s direction, it varies in quality. There’s as many alluring visuals and inventive sequences as there are uncanny setpieces with shotty direction. The worst offenders are the fight sequences — with so many cuts and camera shakes, it’s hard to tell what’s happening on screen.

The Quantum Realm itself suffers from similar pros and cons. The incorporation of microbiology makes it a standout setting. However, once the effects are paired with an actor, immersion is immediately lost.

Since “The Mandalorian,” Volume technology has started replacing green and blue screens, but to varying results. A giant light-emitting diode screen might produce a seamless cityscape for “The Batman,” but for “Quantumania,” the tech is still behind the times. Every moment an actor appears in the Realm, it’s incredibly obvious they’re on a soundstage. 

This isn’t to say every actor’s performance is poor. While Scott doesn’t get much development, Paul Rudd still raises the character’s bar. Rudd (“The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” “I Love You Man”) shows a level of vulnerability not previously shown in his character. Likewise, Kathryn Newton as Scott’s daughter Cassie builds on the family dynamic of the previous two films, with Cassie following her father’s footsteps to be a superhero.

Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), returning from the first “Ant-Man,” is the most fun inclusion of the cast. While some may find his transition into MODOK uncanny, it’s also the best that could be made when adapting a giant-floating-head comic villain.

In terms of unique performances, it ends there. Despite sharing a third of the title, the Wasp is a support character to their own story. Her mother — Michelle Pfeiffer’s Hope — gets more backstory, but largely at the cost of long bouts of exposition. Michael Douglas doesn’t fare much better, being pretty much an afterthought until the credits roll.

The characters, the setting, the plot — it’s at service to set up Kang and the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. With the amount of lengthy exposition explaining the Quantum Realm and foreshadowing Kang, “Quantumania” feels like homework for a bigger assignment.

Evidently, the MCU is moving to adapt Jonathan Hickkman’s comic “Secret Wars” with the sixth Avengers film already being titled such. Hickman’s comic was an epic of worlds literally colliding, with multiversal versions of characters teaming up. 

“Quantumania” is now the fourth MCU entry to set up this adaptation. Despite the previous buildup, Marvel is still sacrificing story for the sake of teasing a film years away.

Phase Five is starting rocky, but with James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” next on the slate, there may be hope for course correction.

“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is in theaters now.

Featured image courtesy of Marvel