In Review: Antman – Quantumania (2023)

Synopsis: “Quantumania” sees Cassie (Kathryn Newton) create a device that communicates with the quantum realm. There are unexpected consequences. So, Scott Lang a.k.a. Antman (Paul Rudd) and co. face serious trouble . . .

Story

Unsurprisingly, the majority of the action takes place within the quantum realm, in Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania. However, what’s surprising, and unwelcomingly so, is the lack of ambition in the story. What we get it pretty much a “trapped and must escape” scenario. Very basic stuff, sadly. It’s another example of the MCU losing sight of everything that made it so good. There is very little nuance and the whole plot is very basic and flimsy, too.

Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania should have focused much more on what actually happened to Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) whilst she was stuck in the quantum realm. It’s touched on, but only really as a plot device and not as major feature of the story. We also found out very little about the film’s “big bad”, Kang (Jonathan Majors).

Acting

Sadly this is another aspect of the film that felt very much a let down, especially when we consider the talent that’s in this film. It wasn’t that there was any particularly bad acting, but more that there was nothing that shone. It was hard to Really root for Scott Lang/Ant Man (Paul Rudd) like you did in the first Ant Man movie — which we reviewed. Michael Douglas, returning as Hank Pym, was about the best thing in Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania in terms of acting. Jonathan Majors did bring a presence to the screen as the film’s antagonist, but even that couldn’t really elevate things, fully. And the fact that Bill Murray was in the film, and was totally wasted is absolutely unforgivable.

CGI & Effects

This is the one section of the film which did stand out. There was clearly a distinct creative vision to create the quantum realm. Much work must have gone into ensure that audiences felt fully immersed in the story-world, which you did. But that’s not enough, alone, to make the film a general success. It felt a little obvious, too, that the new beings in the film were very Star Wars cantina-esque. Though, they did at least bring a much needed sense of fun.

Overall

What used to make the MCU so good was the standard of the writing. The character of Ant Man was a particularly prominent example of this. Characters underwent a journey, and the experience was as much about that as what the plot was. Often, even more so. Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania felt as if it was being made for the sake of it, and not for the joy of it. It wasn’t entirely without anything good. We did get to see a serious adversary, and get a glimpse of what’s coming. But it all felt a bit sudden. It’s still worth a watch, but don’t expect to be blown away.