While I feel like a lot of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies have been lackluster as of late, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” was a pleasant surprise and sets the stage for the next big moves for the future of the superheroes franchise.
That doesn’t mean it was without its flaws along the way.
The dive into the “Quantum Realm” felt a bit hurried and some of the side characters weren’t quite explained.
Still, the graphics were stunning and Kang the Conqueror played by Jonathan Majors was absolutely stellar!
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Hope Pym/Wasp.
Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel to Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) and the 31st film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
The film was directed by Peyton Reed, written by Jeff Loveness, and stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang and Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne, alongside Jonathan Majors, Kathryn Newton, David Dastmalchian, Katy O’Brian, William Jackson Harper, Bill Murray, Michelle Pfeiffer, Corey Stoll, and Michael Douglas.
It clocks in at 124 minutes long and is rated PG-13 for violence/action, and language.
During her days of entrapment in the Quantum Realm, Janet van Dyne (Pfeiffer) encounters Kang (Majors), an exiled traveler who claims that they can both escape from the Realm if she can help him rebuild his multiversal power core.
In the present day, after the Battle of Earth, Scott Lang (Rudd) has become a successful memoirist and has been living happily with his girlfriend Hope van Dyne (Lilly).
Scott’s now-teenage daughter Cassie (Newton) has become a political activist, resulting in her spending some time in jail before being bailed out by her father.
While visiting Hope’s parents, Dr. Hank Pym (Douglas) and Janet, Cassie reveals that she has been working on a device that can make contact with the Quantum Realm.
Upon learning of this, Janet panics and forcefully shuts off the device, but the message is received, resulting in a portal that opens and pulls the five of them into the Quantum Realm.
Scott and Cassie are found by natives who are rebelling against their ruler, while Hope, Janet, and Hank explore a sprawling city to get answers.
Hope, Janet, and Hank meet with Lord Krylar (Murray), a former ally of Janet’s, who reveals that things have changed since she left and that he is now working for Kang, who is now the realm’s ruler.
The three are forced to fight off Kang’s police force and flee by stealing Krylar’s ship.
At the same time, the Langs are told by the rebels’ leader Jentorra (O’Brian) that Janet’s involvement with Kang is indirectly responsible for his rise to power.
The rebels soon come under attack by Kang’s forces led by M.O.D.O.K. - revealed to be Darren Cross (Stoll) who survived his apparent death at Scott’s hands.
The Langs are captured and taken to Kang, who demands that Scott helps get his power core back or else he will kill Cassie.
But, in true Marvel fashion, that is not the end of our characters and the resulting battle to keep Kang in the Quantum Realm is pretty epic!
Overall, the big screen experience was made for a film like this, and as always, stick around after the credits for bonus scenes.
