Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Movie Review

“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is the title that just rolls off your tongue, or not! For once again the Marvel Movie Machine has come up a way to relax with some known characters, while introducing a Brand-New Big Bad. It is assumed that the audience is all caught up and up-to-speed with prior Marvel installments. That includes some previous Ant-Man movies, and even some Disney Plus streaming series (‘Loki’, perhaps?)…

“Ant-Man’ is now well-known as his regular persona, Scott Lang (played by Paul Rudd). Scott is famous for being part of the Avengers team that saved the world. He has written an autobiography, and is a popular guy in San Francisco. His loving partner is Hope van Dyne (played by Evangeline Lilly). She also has a crime-fighting alter-ego known as “The Wasp”. They have a peaceful life with Scott’s daughter Cassie (played by Kathryn Newton), that is when she is not getting arrested at protest rallies.

Hope’s father and mother are Hank Pym (played by Michael Douglas) and Janet van Dyne (played by Michelle Pfeiffer). In earlier year, these two donned the mantle of “Ant-Man and The Wasp”. During one mission, Janet shrank down to sub-atomic particle level. She was stuck into a place that they called the ‘Quantum Realm”. She had spent close to 30 years being trapped. With help from Hank, and Scott and Hope — she was freed and able to return home.

Cassie has had a lot of time to work on design things herself. She shows off a Quantum Realm scanner she created. It seems to work fine, but then Janet thinks that any signal that would reach that Realm would show somebody down there that people are up here. Janet wants it turned off. But it is too late. All five of them are pulled into the Realm. It is Scott, Hope, Cassie, Hank, and Janet.

The Quantum Realm is a weird and quirky place. Janet had been stuck in that place beyond space and time – but for almost 30 years. Scott had also been trapped, but for only 5 years. But this new version of the Realm seems different to them. Hank, Hope and Janet are in one group. They are separated from Scott and Cassie. Janet says that there are some dastardly things down in the Realm, things that she would best forget. But being back here, it is giving her bad memories.

Scott and Cassie are captured by a gangly group of ‘rebels’. They are some humanoid, and some others are every fanciful type of creature. They become allies, so that they can both fight an evil being — “The Conqueror”. He is a person who has laid waste to the Quantum Realm, all in his own devious planning on getting out.

Janet leads Hank and Hope to meet up with a different group of merchants and rebels. They find an audience with the mayor (now the Lord) Krylar (played by Bill Murray). He lets on that he spent quite a bit of time with Janet in the past. But soon his goon squad appears. Kylar is left behind when Hank, Janet and Hope steal his Quantum cruiser. They take off to find Scott and Cassie.

Scott and Cassie are captured by the one person who is in charge. It is the evil being, the one who is “The Conqueror”. They are captured by Kang (played by Jonathan Majors). He plans to get Scott to get something valuable for him. If not, Cassie is as good as dead. Scott goes on a quest into a weird ‘probability zone’. It means that an infinite number of his potential selves are going to be there. He is able to convince all of his other ‘probable selves’ that only he can help them all — by saving Cassie.

Kang is intent on Conquering any World or any Multiverse that he can find. But first he needs to get out of this exile place to which he has been sent. What being is powerful enough to go up against Kang? You might know more at the mid-credits scene. Kang has plenty of minions and henchmen. Well, ‘men’ might not exactly correct – there is one with an awfully big head and tiny feet and hands.

Scott, as Ant-Man, is able to get some obstacles put in the Kang. He gets help from Hope, using her Wasp outfit. He also gets a lot of assistance from Cassie, in her get up. She can be called – what – “Ant-Kid”? Anyway, along with Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne, they all come together with the massive number of rebels and freedom-fighters. They all have one sole purpose. Stop ‘Kang the Conqueror’, and do not let him escape.

“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is a boisterous and visually attractive movie. The story is a mild second-fiddle to the monstrous power chord that is Kang. Jonathan Majors takes this role and gobbles up all the presence on the screen to make everything his own. He is a ‘major’ step up in quality of Marvel Bad Guys – now that Thanos is gone.

Paul Rudd is his usual pleasant ‘aw-shucks’ type superhero. Evangeline Lilly is again fine. But it is Michelle Pfeiffer who steps up her role as someone with many secrets to hide. Michael Douglas again makes being smart look easy, and fun. Kathryn Newton creates a great way to have Cassie grow up right with the audience.

“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is a fine way to transition Marvel into a new ‘phase’, and a way to send a new villain player up to the “Majors”.