Movies with Isaiah: 'Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania'
After the release of "Avengers: Endgame," the Marvel Cinematic Universe has found its outings experiencing levels of unexpected box-office revenue. The initial first phase of Marvel had a cohesive theme that allowed the stories to organically build to a satisfying conclusion involving "Infinity War" and "Endgame" villain Thanos.
Without a clear, definitive direction as to where the upcoming stories would lead, it became apparent that a concrete plan wasn't solidified. Iron Man, Captain America and Black Widow essentially were phased out after their stories were completed. The unexpected, tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman sent the Black Panther universe into uncertainty, and Sony still owning the cinematic rights of Spider-Man indicated signs that Marvel didn't have access to its reliable box-office characters that provided guaranteed success.
"Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania" begins as an introduction to phase five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe titled "The Multiverse Saga." Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer reprise their respective roles as Scott Lang, Hope Van Dyne, Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne. Kathryn Newton joins, portraying Scott Lang's daughter Cassy, and Jonathan Majors brings to life the next threat within the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Kang the Conqueror. The film has the characters exploring the essence of the quantum realm after Cassy creates a device transmitting a signal into the subatomic void. On their journey, they encounter unique species and civilizations existing within the world of atoms.
The character of Ant-Man differs vastly from the familiar conceptions of Iron Man, Spider-Man, Captain America, Thor, The Hulk and Doctor Strange. Scott Lang, other than utilizing scientific technology, granting him the ability to shrink and grow while maintaining his strength, doesn't have any essential superpowers, nor is he a physical threat. He's simply a human being thrust into a world of larger-than-life heroes and entities in hopes of making a difference.
"Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania" is the first Marvel Cinematic Universe outing that introduces the main antagonist from the beginning rather than waiting to bring him into the fold with an Avengers film. The difference is that Kang the Conqueror, in comparison to Thanos, has many variants that will return for "Avengers: Kang Dynasty" and "Secret Wars." The visual effects in capturing the quantum realm presented a colorful, pristine, complex and beautiful aura of exploring a vast atmosphere and world that's too indefinite to accurately articulate. The best possible way of explaining the presentation is imagine if Marvel incorporated "Star Wars," "Tron" and "Star Trek" into its epic scope of storytelling that features its known superheroes. Watching the film, it is apparent how heavy of an influence "Star Wars," "Tron" and "Star Trek" have on this specific story with its visuals and themes.
Jonathan Majors portraying Kang the Conqueror was nothing short of brilliant. All too often, Marvel villains are presented in a fashion of establishing a sympathetic backstory, paving the way for planned redemption, or they're captured in a manner that makes their atrocities seem exciting rather than reprehensible. His performance as Kang, without going into details, was chilling, terrifying, callous and a refresher from the status quo of a villain falling prey to sarcastic, witty remarks. I enjoyed the fact that there was a villain that is simply evil because he chooses to embrace that destiny. Paul Rudd, Evangline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kathryn Newton are at the top of their game from an acting perspective. All involved have magnetic chemistry with one another.
One of my consistent complaints with Marvel films is the insatiable desire for incorporating humor during or after intense sequences. There must be a balance in how to properly utilize the technique without it becoming problematic. "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania" follows the path of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "Winter Soldier," "Return of the Jedi" and "Spider-Man: No Way Home" in exhibiting darker, serious tones and intelligently adding cathartic humor without it lessening the suspense or the emotion of the moment. Another negative is how they're almost afraid to venture against the grain with stakes and consequences. Just as it seems they're going for the emotional core of seriousness, they play it safe. In my opinion, the reason for their safe direction is wanting to avoid any potential backlash. Some rumors indicate director Peyton Reed had to reshoot scenes as Marvel/Disney felt the original cut of the film was too dark and serious.
The audience is treated to a majestic storyline that brings forth elements of science fiction combined with questions revolving around historical timelines and ominous foreshadowing of what will occur in future stories. It's a solid, entertaining and surprisingly dark film considering the actual character of Scott Lang in general. In the end, I had fun and felt it brought to life the story that needed to be told. My final rating is a 7/10 and two thumbs up. Highly recommended and great for the family, friends and dates. I won't offer spoilers. However, stay for two scenes during the credits; both are significantly worth the wait and are frightening in an exciting, positive way.
Isaiah Ridley works at Beacon Cinemas in Sumter. To watch his movie reviews online, find him @Izzy's Cinematic Escape on YouTube.