Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

 

Image credit: theepoctimes.com

And finally, bringing us up to date with the MCU, a much lighter expedition into a whole new world: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. After Wakanda Forever, I feel that it was important to have a light-hearted romp as the next instalment of the MCU, and what better way to do that than with Ant-Man.

Personally, I have a real soft spot for these movies. They began as the fun, family film of the bunch, but of course Ant-Man ended up being crucial to saving the world. I don’t think anyone really put that much stock into them, but I feel that they are the real underdog films of the MCU and I love them for it. With an Ant-Man film, you know you’re in for some fun and Quantumania was no exception.

Scott’s life is a funny thing. He went from being a crim, to a superhero, to an Avenger, to a best-selling author. Right now life is comfy and safe, but that’s not enough for some people. Scott discovers that Cass, amidst her stints in jail for actively protesting various things, has been conducting research into the Quantum realm and disaster strikes when, during a demonstration, her signal is picked up and reversed, pulling her, Scott, Hope, Hank, and Janet into the Quantum Realm. Separated from the others, Scott and Cass quickly become the prisoners of a powerful being called Kang, who compels Scott to find Janet and retrieve something very powerful that she stole from him. Meanwhile Janet comes clean about her time in here: a time of betrayal, rebellion, and attempts to keep the monstrous Kang, exiled to the Quantum Realm, from breaking free and wreaking his revenge on the multiverse.

Similar to Thor: Love and Thunder, this movie is just another enjoyable romp in the MCU. Touching on the multiverse, the infinite timelines, and the dangers of divergents and incursions, a la Loki, Quantumania sees Scott even more out of his depth than he’s ever been before, literally.

Falling into a universe beneath ours, the design and execution of the Quantum Realm is very cool and rather reminiscent of the classic sci-fi adventure stories of Jules Verne and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. There are some definite inspirations taken from Journey to the Centre of the Earth, which gives the movie a subtle throwback vibe to Disney’s adventure movies of the 1960s. Only with much more CGI. The computer magic is fabulous, as has come to be expected from the Marvel films, mixing sleek and shining Wakanda-esque architecture with effervescent, primal space jungles. It’s all very cool.

Image credit: ohhword.com

The emotional journey of Scott centres on a theme that got touched on in Hawkeye: after saving the world, how do superheroes live? Do they ever really retire? We know life can never go back to normal for Scott, but the film begins with him happily living the closest thing to an everyday existence. This is what causes tension in his relationship with Cass, as she tries to convert him to her cause of helping people. While Scott doesn’t necessarily go on an emotional journey of self-discovery, he does get a taste of the concept of ‘the bigger picture’ and I guess his journey is one of the mind seeing further than its own immediate bubble.

Packed with action, adventure, some heart warming scenes, and a whole lot of comedy, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is perfect for a fun trip to the pictures. What more can I say? It’s a romp!

Director: Peyton Reed, 2023

Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathryn Newton, Jonathan Majors, Katy M. O’Brien, William Jackson Harper, & Bill Murray