‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ – Review

Get ready to go sub-atomic because Phaae Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe kicks off with director Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and everyman superhero Scott Lang/Ant-Man is ready to face his most intimidating threat yet.

Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lily), along with Hope’s parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Lang’s daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton), go on a new adventure exploring the Quantum Realm that pushes their limits and pits them against Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors).

Having shepherded one of Marvel Studio’s most interesting and unique superheroes to the big screen with both 2015’s Ant-Man and 2018’s Ant-Man & The Wap, celebrated filmmaker Peyton Reed steps back into the MCU and charts a brand new course for Phase Five and Ant-Man. And this is his most daring adventure yet. Having faced the threat of Thanos and helped to bring the world back from The Blip, Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) finds the world flipped on its head as he’s sucked into the Quantum Realm and a brand new cosmic, sub-atomic adventure awaits. Reed and screenwriter Jeff Loveness take audiences into a new realm of possibility and escape with the Quantum Realm. And an incredible level of creativity and visual wonder will make audiences sit up and notice.

Once again donning the red and black suit and preparing to dive into the Quantum Realm is Paul Rudd as misunderstood thief turned superhero Scott Lang/Ant-Man. As the Avengers all around everyman, he’s a character whose come a long way since the events of 2015’s Ant-Man and this time he faces his biggest and most personal challenge yet. Sucked into the Quantum Realm, Lang finds his duel duties of superhero and family man clashing together and he’s in for a wild test at the hands of a calculating and intimating new enemy. Rudd brings a lot more drama to his performance this time around as Lang and he’s really tested by the narrative of this new adventure.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania also happens to be a family adventure as the Lang-Pym family find themselves thrown into the Quantum Realm and fighting a dangerous new adversary. Returning to the picture are Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne/Wasp, Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet van Dyne and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, along with the introduction of Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang, who has now grown up and is finding out how much fun Pym particles can be. Family has always been at the core of the Ant-Man films and it’s awesome to see how Reed tests the capabilities and powers of the Lang-Pym family, and each of them gets their moment to shine on screen.

Bringing tremendous gravitas to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in the form of the new ‘Big Bad’ Kang the Conqueror is Jonathan Majors. And this formidable actor makes his presence known. With a quiet, omnipotent demeanour and an incredibly menacing presence, Majors is an incredible force on screen as Kang. And audiences will sit up and take notice of him in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Balancing both intelligence and rage, Majors makes it known that Kang is an incredibly dangerous new threat and he has a tremendous presence and power on screen as the MCU’s new big bad. Kang is a complex and intimidating character and he’s a worthy new villain for a bold new phase of the MCU.

There’s an incredible level of creativity and world-building on presentation in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and audiences will marvel at the complexity of the Quantum Realm. New battles are fought and a whole new world of creatures awaits, and alongside the wonder, Reed also injects plenty of humour into the narrative. There are also a fair few surprises and one of them is the arrival of a long-time Marvel Comics fan favourite villain M.O.D.O.K. and this deranged cybernetic killing machine brings all kinds of loco fun to the big screen.

Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania sets the stage for a brand new era of the MCU Multiverse Saga and we’re introduced to a villain who is a very credible threat to the future of the MCU. With its action, creativity and humour, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania delivers plenty of fun for the audience and I’m excited to see what awaits the Avengers everyman hero next.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures