Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    The Lamplight Review
    • Movie Reviews
    • TV Reviews
    • Features
    • Interviews
    • About Us
    • Live Music
    The Lamplight Review
    You are at:Home»Movie Reviews»Movie Review: ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania’
    Movie Reviews

    Movie Review: ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania’

    By Brent HankinsFebruary 14, 2023Updated:February 14, 2023No Comments4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Paul Rudd, Kathryn Newton and Evangeline Lilly in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Email

    Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has come a long way from his days as a struggling ex-convict; granted, joining The Avengers and traveling through time to save the whole of existence from a genocidal alien will do wonders for one’s reputation. And just in case you’re unaware of Scott’s heroic feats, don’t worry: he’s happy to tell you all about it, provided you haven’t already picked up a copy of his bestselling tell-all book.

    When he’s not having his morning coffee comped by a cafe owner who frequently mistakes him for another bug-based hero, Scott spends time at home with his daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton) and their extended family: Scott’s girlfriend and fellow superhero Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and her parents, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer). Everything seems peaceful, at least until Cassie’s latest invention goes haywire, shrinking the entire family to subatomic size and trapping them inside the quantum realm. As if that fate weren’t bad enough, returning to the quantum realm is especially dangerous for Janet; during her three-decade imprisonment there (before the events of 2018’s Ant-Man and The Wasp), she ran afoul of Kang (Jonathan Majors), a time traveling warlord with a score to settle.

    Faithful fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will have already been introduced to Kang during the first season of Loki. But whereas that appearance was little more than monologues and verbal sparring with Tom Hiddleston, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania establishes what a terrifying threat the intergalactic conqueror poses, not just to Scott and his family, but to the larger MCU. Majors, ever a captivating screen presence, brings a level of gravitas to the role that remains sorely missing from many of the villains that have faced off against Marvel superheroes on the big screen, and I look forward to seeing the various ways in which Kang will continue to threaten The Avengers, The Fantastic Four and the rest of the studio’s roster over the next few years.

    Paul Rudd and Jonathan Majors in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania

    Visually, Quantumania is one of the most striking Marvel films yet; taking place almost entirely within the quantum realm allows for a massive and mostly blank creative canvas, and director Peyton Reed conjures up stunning landscapes, eye-popping colors and some truly bizarre creature designs. As with the two previous films, Reed also continues to find new ways to utilize Scott’s resizing abilities — which is a bonus, since there’s considerably more action this time around. And Reed even finds a way to utilize a classic Marvel comics villain, whom I never thought would appear in a live-action film, albeit with excruciatingly uncomfortable results (you’ll understand as soon as this character shows up, it’s disturbing on a primal level).

    Regrettably, it’s the humor department where Quantumania really stumbles. Perhaps its just my fuzzy memory of the previous films, but it seems like this threequel has fewer jokes overall, and many of the existing ones fall flat; even a cameo appearance by a colossal comedic star fails to inspire laughs. Rudd’s everyman-turned-unlikely-hero shtick, which has served him so well in other appearances, feels constantly at odds with the heavier themes at play here. And some of those concepts, like the notion of fighting against injustices happening even when they don’t affect you directly, are given lip service but remain unsatisfactorily explored.

    As an Ant-Man film, Quantumania feels a bit removed from its predecessors; not so much as to be entirely incongruous, mind you, but still a much different experience than Scott’s first two standalone outings. But as a proper introduction to the next intergalactic (and interdimensional) threat and table-setting for the future of the MCU, the film accomplishes its role with aplomb, even if its characters get short-changed in the process.

    Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania brent hankins reviews evangeline lilly Jonathan Majors kathryn newton michael douglas michelle pfeiffer paul rudd peyton reed
    Share. Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleBart’s Sundance 2023 Review Journal (Part 4)
    Next Article Movie Review: ‘Scream VI’

    Related Posts

    Movie Review: ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’

    March 13, 2023

    Movie Review: ‘Scream VI’

    March 8, 2023

    Sundance 2023 Review Round-Up: Part 2

    January 29, 2023

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Follow Us
    • Facebook 2.2K
    • Twitter 1.2K
    • Instagram 139
    • YouTube
    Sponsors
    Latest Posts

    Movie Review: ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves’

    March 28, 2023

    Movie Review: ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’

    March 13, 2023

    Movie Review: ‘Scream VI’

    March 8, 2023

    Movie Review: ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania’

    February 14, 2023

    Bart’s Sundance 2023 Review Journal (Part 4)

    February 2, 2023
    Sponsors
    Copyright © 2023 The Lamplight Review.
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.