Written by Joey Rodriguez
When it comes to Marvel films, I used to enjoy them for their spectacle and entertainment value–but now I find myself enjoying them as pieces of a story that has yet to be told. For example, when the Captain America: first avenger came out, I DID NOT like that movie. But after seeing the events leading to End Game, I found myself rewatching that film & saw how so many pieces were put right in my face to set up for what was to come. We are in the beginning of that with Phase 5 in this film. This film showed me exactly what kind of hero Antman is–and what he is capable of. But to be honest… he might have F’ed up.
It’s time for the Antman & The Wasp: Quantumania review!
Paul Rudd is awesome as always as Antman–he has all of his signature charm and wit at his disposal in this movie. The relationship between his now teenage daughter Cassie is tough, given that Scott had disappeared in the quantum realm for 5 years. A lot of things have changed but let’s just say, the apple does fall far from the tree when it comes to the law. Our introduction to Cassie is similar to that of Scott’s.
In this film, we are also introduced to the 2nd Varient of the character, Kang the Conquerer played by Johnathan Mayjors. Kang is a pivotal character in the future of the MCU, and he’s an excellent foil for Antman (Paul Rudd).
Kang the Conqueror is a time-traveling villain who uses advanced technology to conquer and control various timelines and alternate realities. He is a skilled warrior and strategist, with access to advanced weapons and armor. His abilities and powers vary depending on the story and timeline he appears in.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Janet van Dyne is the original Wasp and the wife of Hank Pym. She is believed to have been lost in the Quantum Realm for over 30 years after shrinking down to a subatomic size to disable a missile and becoming trapped there.
This film explains that, during her time in the Quantum Realm she ran into the time traveling villain Kang, who unbeknownst to Janet, had been exiled by a council of Kangs. Janet helped Kang repair his ship after he persuades her of returning her back home. After learning who she helped, she finds a way to stop Kang from fixing his ship & getting out of the quantum realm. Keeping him there to Conquer it.
Cassie builds her quantum satellite accidentally sending Scott, Hank, Janet, Hope & herself back down to the quantum realm after the signal was picked up by M.O.D.O.K. Upon arrival, they find a civilization fighting for their lives against Kang & his new army. We are introduced to some cool new characters & some pretty weird ones, 🥦🦠🔦 Including Bill Murray’s “Lord Krylar.” 🙄
We get an introduction to Modok played by Corey Stoll, the original Villain from the first Ant-Man film “Darren Cross” who Personally, I don’t think they used him like they should have. MODOK is actually a very powerful character in the marvel universe. To underuse him the way they did is kinda disrespectful. But this is the “Multiverse Saga” so hopefully he comes back for some type of awesome battle. It was great how they tied everything back to the first Antman film, but the CGI was pretty shitty.
Quantumania showed a lot of ant man’s strengths and his weaknesses but how many times can you say you’ve beat Kang the conqueror? Kang the Conqueror is a powerful villain in the Marvel Comics universe, and he has faced off against several heroes, including Ant-Man. However, there is not a specific storyline where Ant-Man defeats Kang the Conqueror.
In the comics, Ant-Man has faced off against Kang the Conqueror as part of various superhero teams, including the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. While the specifics of their battles vary, Ant-Man’s size-shifting abilities have often played a key role in his fights against Kang. For example, in one storyline, Ant-Man shrinks down and enters Kang’s armor, disabling it from the inside. In another, he uses his small size to evade Kang’s attacks and find a weakness in his armor.
Overall, Ant-Man’s ability to change his size and utilize his surroundings creatively has often been a key factor in his victories against powerful villains like Kang the Conqueror. It’s worth noting that Kang the Conqueror is a powerful and formidable opponent, All I’m saying is, give Scott his credit.
The version of Kang we saw in this film was probably the most powerful. This is possibly the reason he was exiled to begin with. He says himself that he has “killed many Avengers” Even referring to Thor as “the one with the hammer.” It’s clear that there is some history with the Avengers that we are unaware of & this variant of Kang, has killed many members.
Someone online said that in the beginning of the film, Kang is like the bad guy in the video games. Hard af to beat, But at the end of the movie, He’s what it’s like when you unlock the bad guy. 🤣 We totally get that & we agree. A advanced civilization of ants, destroying Kangs suit is the only reason Ant-Man was able to “Win.” After a long battle, Ant-Man knocks Kang into his Mind Sphere & traps him there. But I don’t think Kang died or lost. I’m sure Scott only delayed his inevitable return.
I do feel that there was some lack luster fight choreography throughout this film. A lot of the “fight our way out” troupe was an issue for our team. The Quantum Guards are weak as hell & for Kang, that’s pretty odd. It reminded me of Thanos & his army but… not.. vicious. This falls again into the spectacle of Marvel. We expect every film to have better action, better cinematography & sometimes they fail us.
Marvel fans are a hard bunch to please. That’s why it’s so amazing that they’ve been able to captivate audiences and make them fall in love with each character. The writer of Quantumania talks the ending of the movie & reciprocations of Scott’s actions:
“As much as he wants to just shut up, have a piece of sh*tty cake and make up for lost time with his daughter by giving her a random birthday, he knows that he can’t shake that feeling. He very well understands everything & knows that there’s a bigger threat that’s on its way.”
“And I think it’s interesting, without saying too much, the guy who literally saved the Universe in Endgame, might accidentally be the guy who doomed the Multiverse in its next saga.”
– Quantumania & Kang Dynasty writer Jeff Loveness
In Ant-Man and the Wasp, we see our favorite titular hero take on Kang. But this film alone is just the start of the “Kang Dynasty, Secret Wars” and what is yet to come. A piece of the puzzle Marvel has built for its audience. It’s not perfect, but it does have some great moments and ends with an exciting twist that sets up future installments perfectly!
I loved Jonathon Mayjor’s addition to the Marvel Cinematic universe. He was my favorite part of the film. I feel long down the line, this movie will be appreciated for the piece it plays. It could have been better choreographed & execution, but hopefully they save that for the upcoming avengers films. I love the introduction of Cassie & can’t wait to see the “Young Avengers” come to life. In conclusion, I rate this film a Solid, 7.2/10. I felt that my interest in the MCU plays a part of my rating. If not I’d give it a 6.5/10.