Review of 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania '
Following on from “Ant-Man and the Wasp”, Quantumania sees Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), aka “Ant-Man”, having achieved fame publishing his memoirs while his highly intelligent daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton) has become an activist. Scott also now lives with Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), aka “The Wasp”. When they visit Hope's parents, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), Cassie reveals she has been using a device that communicates with the Quantum realm but before Janet can turn the device off all five and transported to the bizarre “Quantum” realm (really, really, tiny). The group is separated with Scott and Cassie found by unusual natives who are rebelling against their ruler, while Hope, Janet, and Hank visit a sprawling city to figure out what is going on. Janet explains to Janet and Hank that when she lived in the Quantum realm she had a relationship with Lord Krylar (Bill Murray) who now reveals he is now working for the realm's ruler Kang and they are soon captured. The alien Kang demands that Scott help retrieve the power pack that will allow Kang to return to destroying bits of the galaxy…
A great lot of fun with some stunning visuals in the Quantum realm as a surprise cameo by Bill Murray as Lord Krylar and it is good to see Michael Douglas returning as Hank. The dry humour of the series continues here with Rudd frequently quipping to the camera. There is a really good baddie in the form of Kang (though we don't know that at first) who is genuinely scary, in a comic-book movie sort of way. It is, however, the bizarre Quantum realm scenery and characters that steal the show strongly bringing to mind Avatar, indeed, many sequences could have come out of that other franchise which seems a bit of a cheat on the part of the filmmakers.
Great, silly, superhero fun with some first rate Hollywood talent…if only they had not ripped off Avatar!
Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”
Review Date: 2023-06-11
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Studio: Marvel Studios
Year: 2023
Length: 124 minutes
Genre: Action/Adventure
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10954600/
Other reviewed films by Peyton Reed:
- Ant-Man (2015)