EARLY REVIEWS SAY QUANTUMANIA’S SCRIPT IS A BIT UNDERCOOKED, BUT JONATHAN MAJORS, COREY STOLL, AND MICHELLE PFEIFFER HELP ELEVATE THE VISUALLY STUNNING SPECTACLE IN THE FRANCHISE’S MOST SCI-FI ENTRY YET.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania carries a lot on its shoulders. Not only does the movie close out the Ant-Man trilogy, but it also marks the start of Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and sets the stage for the next big bad of the franchise. Does it satisfy these responsibilities? According to the first reviews, there are enough worthy elements to this third outing, particularly Jonathan Majors’ performance as the villain Kang the Conqueror and its Star Wars-like world-building, but fans may be disappointed by the script.
Here’s what critics are saying about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania:
IS QUANTUMANIA ANOTHER MCU HIT?
I can say with 100% certainty that viewers are in for a treat.– Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is an eccentric and essential spectacle, which further expands the possibilities of what the MCU’s tentpole projects can still be capable of.– Jenna Anderson, ComicBook.com
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is here to surprise you with its exceptional performances, genuine emotional moments, and earned high stakes.– Meredith Loftus, Next Best Picture
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania remains tons of fun for comics nerds and an easy pass for anyone else.– Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
Quantumania is fun, as well as bedazzling, relentless and numbing, then fun again just when you think you’ve had enough.– Owen Gleiberman, Variety
It commits the worst sin a movie can make: it’s boring.– Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse
(Photo by ©Marvel Studios)
WHERE DOES IT FIT IN THE FRANCHISE?
Quantumania delivers an entertaining first act of what’s to come [in Phase Five] and leaves fans with plenty to be excited about.– Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire
Quantumania is the weirdest and most wholehearted chapter in the MCU’s essential storytelling.– Jenna Anderson, ComicBook.com
For better or worse, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the most overtly sci-fi film in the series, and on that level, it succeeds very well.– Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
Coming off of Wakanda Forever, which might have been Marvel’s most emotionally heavy film ever, Quantumania is a pleasing change of pace.– Ron Seoul-Oh, POC Culture
Marvel movies have long become less like movies and more like feature-length commercials for the next thing, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is sadly the greatest embodiment of that.– Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse
This isn’t the worst Marvel movie, but it is one of the more forgettable.– Andrew J. Salazar, Geeks of Color
It’s one of the more unremarkable entries in the MCU.– Louisa Moore, Screen Zealots
HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO THE PREVIOUS ANT-MAN MOVIES?
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the best Ant-Man film yet.– Rohan Patel, ComicBookMovie.com
The third time’s the charm.– Collier Jennings, But Why Tho? A Geek Community
This third Ant-Man film feels like anything but an Ant-Man film.– Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects
If you are looking for the third installment to be more of the same from the Ant-Man movies, you’re in for a surprise… [but] the comedy still hits at the same level.– Meredith Loftus, Next Best Picture
Humor is generally in shorter supply.– Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
(Photo by ©Marvel Studios)
WILL STAR WARS FANS ENJOY IT?
Imagine the cantina scene from Star Wars on steroids and expanded to feature length, and you’ll have some idea of what director Peyton Reed and screenwriter Jeff Loveness are going for.– Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
What [the Quantum Realm] feels like, most directly, is a planet from one of the later Star Wars films, with a few old-school Cantina vibes.– Owen Gleiberman, Variety
The idea that this takes place in a vast intergalactic world with strange new creatures feels very Star Wars-like. In fact, there are travel instruments and devices that look straight out of The Mandalorian at times.– Jamie Broadnax, Black Girl Nerds
The thing about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is that it wants you to think it’s essentially Marvel’s new Star Wars without doing any of the necessary groundwork to get there.– Andrew J. Salazar, Geeks of Color
HOW IS THE SCRIPT?
Writer Jeff Loveness is making up the rules as it goes along, which is why Quantumania whisks you through its visually zapping action without generating any real investment in it.– Owen Gleiberman, Variety
Jeff Loveness’ script moves efficiently at least, dutifully taking the characters from plot point A to point B, but everyone feels less like human beings than they do action figures moved around to fulfill various plot contrivances.– Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse
The story is admittedly solid and does serve its purpose… but it rarely surprises and often defaults to the chemistry between actors elevating the material rather than pushing them to their limits.– Rohan Patel, ComicBookMovie.com
A bit uneven, it feels like Jeff Loveness’ script wasn’t sure what genre this movie wanted to be.– Jamie Broadnax, Black Girl Nerds
Screenwriter Jeff Loveness’ themes are halfhearted and his dialogue sounds like it was written by ChatGPT.– Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
The screenplay is peppered with dreadful one-liners like “it’s never too late to stop being a dick!” and “ants don’t give up!” I really, really wish I was joking about this.– Louisa Moore, Screen Zealots
The blockbuster has a terrible “telling, not showing” problem that both handicaps the storytelling and undermines the antagonist’s impact.– Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend
(Photo by ©Marvel Studios)
WHAT ABOUT THE ACTION?
Its action sequences at times get to go to particularly wild places most blockbusters can’t go, most notably when Scott encounters something called a “probability storm.”– Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
A stunning climactic battle, involving a “probability storm” (don’t ask)… is the sort of mind-blowing sequence that you don’t even need consciousness-altering substances to appreciate.– Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
The proclivity of Ant-Man, the Wasp and Cassie to switch between small, medium and large at a moment’s notice give the action sequences a frenetic and unpredictable beauty, even if you have trouble figuring out what exactly is happening at times.– Joey Morona, Cleveland Plain Dealer
HOW ARE THE VISUALS?
It’s one of the more visually imaginative comic book movies ever.– Rohan Patel, ComicBookMovie.com
One of the most ambitious visual feasts that Marvel Studios has put out yet… Quantumania is easily a contender for the most Kirby-esque visuals in a superhero adaptation.– Jenna Anderson, ComicBook.com
Utilizing the Volume technology found in The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Quantum Realm comes alive in a more visually impressive way than some of the previous Phase 4 movies.– Meredith Loftus, Next Best Picture
Suffice it to say that the visual design of the multi-faceted settings, imaginative costumes, and outrageous creatures on display is truly outstanding on every level.– Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
Whenever it’s possible to look at Quantumania and idly wonder whether anyone on screen was actually in a room together during shooting—which is often!—you may be peeking at the worlds-within-worlds built by visual effects artists and actors’ conflicting schedules. In other words: a Zoom call with (somewhat) better backgrounds.– Jesse Hassenger, SportsAlcohol
The film takes place extensively in the Quantum Realm, which provides an unsightly setting of muted, dark brown, washed-out visuals. It’s an ugly place, so why would audiences want to spend time there?– Louisa Moore, Screen Zealots
(Photo by ©Marvel Studios)
HOW IS JONATHAN MAJORS’ PERFORMANCE AS KANG?
Jonathan Majors holds you with the quiet force of his pensive scowl… You hang on his every word; he makes vengeance and genocide sound like the most hypnotically casual of propositions.– Owen Gleiberman, Variety
He also invests his performance with such an arrestingly quiet stillness and ambivalence that you’re on edge every moment he’s on screen.– Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
Majors turns the extravagant and otherworldly energy from the page into something truly magical, to the point where even the slightest tilt of his head speaks volumes.– Jenna Anderson, ComicBook.com
He carries a commanding screen presence that ups the entire film to a whole new level whenever he walks in.– Andrew J. Salazar, Geeks of Color
He doesn’t just steal his scenes… he conquers them.– Meredith Loftus, Next Best Picture
He instantly becomes one of the MCU’s most intriguing villains… Majors delivers in a major way (no pun intended).– Rohan Patel, ComicBookMovie.com
For the most part, Kang’s menace is conveyed through an uncharacteristically hammy performance by Majors. He seems to be channeling post-1970s Marlon Brando performances where Brando was being fed lines through an earpiece or reading them off notecards taped to other actors’ costumes.– Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com
This big screen introduction leaves a lot to be desired as it’s wholly unclear what his motivations or powers are.– Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects
WHAT ABOUT MODOK?
Kang is not the villain who steals the picture. That would be MODOK.– Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
MODOK is a blast thanks in large part to Corey Stoll‘s delivery.– Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects
Stoll leans head first (no pun intended) into the sheer lunacy of playing a giant floating head designed for killing.– Meredith Loftus, Next Best Picture
The character is great and the liberties taken with the comics to incorporate him into the MCU are fitting, but the visual effects on his face should have used more work.– Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire
A complete waste of a notable Marvel villain, and just one example of when Loveness goes for that instant, cheap gag instead of doing something more valuable. Even fans who’ve stood by this series through thick and thin will have their patience tested here.– Andrew J. Salazar, Geeks of Color
(Photo by ©Marvel Studios)
WHO ELSE IN THE CAST DOES A GREAT JOB?
She brings an infectious energy to her role as Janet van Dyne and more or less carries the film until Kang’s introduction. She excels in every facet of the film, from the action and romance to the comedy and drama, she’s just fantastic.– Rohan Patel, ComicBookMovie.com
Pfeiffer (rightfully) gets to stand out, showcasing many complex qualities of comic-accurate Janet Van Dyne in spite of the dire circumstances she has endured.– Jenna Anderson, ComicBook.com
Pfeiffer is terrific in her expanded role, given the opportunity to be a badass heroine and making the most of it.– Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
Pfeiffer rises above the fray, giving a performance with pathos.– Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
Pfeiffer really shines when she shares the screen with Jonathan Majors.– Meredith Loftus, Next Best Picture
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ISSUES WITH THE MOVIE?
There’s a lot of ground to cover and sometimes the film can move at an ant’s pace.– Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire
Whereas other recent Marvel films had moved on from the Joss Whedon-style witticisms, Quantumania’s comedy seems to be stuck squarely in 2013, except that the jokes are delivered by dead-eyed actors tired of working opposite a blue screen.– Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse
None of the characters have arcs to speak of, unless you count Scott Lang making a bit more of an effort to be a better father (which isn’t really much of an arc).– Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend
It’s barely a movie, pulling threads together for a grander scheme of merchandizing and cross-promotion over character-based storytelling.– Kristy Puchko, Mashable
When the first end credit tag holds more weight, potential, and thrills than the entire two hours that came before it, there’s a massive problem.– Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
(Photo by Jay Maidment/©Marvel Studios)
IS IT A GOOD ENOUGH TIME AT THE MOVIES ANYWAY?
Is it a must-see? No—the middle hour is fun in that patented easygoing Ant-Man way… The film’s low-stress, low-stakes attitude saves it.– Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com
It offers too much sensational spectacle, melodrama, and high-stakes sci-fi adventure ever to bore its audience.– Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
There’s just enough of Marvel magic to cover up some of the film’s bigger issues.– Germain Lussier, io9.com
Quantumania is worth watching even just for Kang.– Ron Seoul-Oh, POC Culture
IS IT A GOOD ENOUGH TIME AT THE MOVIES ANYWAY?
If you’re going to see this, try to see it in a real IMAX theater with a 75-foot-tall screen.– Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
I definitely recommend checking it out, especially in IMAX as the visuals feel like a perfect fit for that format.– Collier Jennings, But Why Tho? A Geek Community
(Photo by Jay Maidment/©Marvel Studios)
WILL IT MAKE US EXCITED FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE MCU?
After a mediocre Phase 4, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has me once again excited at the future prospects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.– Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire
The actions made in this movie will have massive implications for what lies ahead in the MCU, and for the first time in a while, it’s once again exciting to see what Kevin Feige has in store for us.– Meredith Loftus, Next Best Picture
Is this an extraordinary and a huge banger to kick off Phase 5? No. Is it a nice warm-up of things to come to as things heat up later down the pipeline? Yes.– Jamie Broadnax, Black Girl Nerds
It raises some serious concerns about what’s on the way from the MCU in the months and years to come.– Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend
Phase 5 is off to a questionable start as Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige’s methods are proving to wear thin.– Andrew J. Salazar, Geeks of Color.
source: editorial.rottentomatoes.com/
