I can’t remember an MCU film that would have had so much going against it from the moment the first trailer dropped. People made fun of the CGI and questioned whether this film would be any good… little did we know that was not the end of the discourse about this film, given the antagonist (on and off the screen) Jonathan Majors has had the sharpest downfall since… Honestly, I can’t even think of a different name, as he was popular, he was the next big thing (not just within the MCU), and because of him (by all accounts) not being as “nice” (read more about it for yourself here), he has pretty much ruled himself out of Hollywood for the next couple of years. And honestly, what a shame, given he is a talented actor and the best part of this film.

When you want to talk about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, you can’t avoid talking about Jonathan, so we might as well address that first. No wonder he was supposed to be the next “big bad” in the MCU; given his presence and acting chops, he is the one reason I am rating this movie above average, as I had fun with his portrayal of Kang. I wonder who will take over (read: who will they recast instead of him), as it’s pretty much certain he is out of the MCU. Now, we need to be adults here, meaning just because I liked him in this film, that doesn’t mean I somehow support him or “stand with him”. Nah, fuck that. We have always had the separation between the artist and the art they produce, and when you watch this movie, it’s not hard to see he is the best part about it.

Why is he the best part? Well, you can tell Peyton Reed wanted this film to feel more epic, as he stated in many interviews (for example, here) about his efforts to make the third Ant-Man movie feel different, much bigger than its predecessors. That all sounds swell, except for the part where he didn’t stop to think why some fans like the Ant-Man movies. I always thought they were just alright, but I know the first two films have their fans because they are fairly low-stakes movies. Therefore, changing what you are in a third film does not seem as clever because then you turn this jokey and fun(ish) character into something he isn’t.

The movie felt like a CGI fest. I will admit that in many scenes, the CGI looked pretty awesome (definitely improved from the first trailers), but even the CGI is not stunning all the time. I have noticed the moment we zoom in a bit, that is when the CGI starts to look a bit “funny”, to say it politely. When the movie shows us these wide shots, I realise those scenes are still all CGI, but they look pretty great. It was when we got closer to our characters and action that is when the CGI failed.

Speaking of characters… where is everyone? I understand since the premise was “the family gets stuck in the Quantum Realm”, there wasn’t space for Michael Peña, but there should have been. As much as I like and admire Paul Rudd, he isn’t your stereotypical “leading man”. To explain, he is a gem, a great actor, but I think he is one of those who works best with somebody who is as funny as him, maybe even funnier. And Paul desperately needed someone of Peña’s comedic chops to bounce off of. Sure, we were more focused on the family bit and Kang being the next big bad, but honestly, the film didn’t have any, for lack of a better word, soul.

I like Michael Douglas, but he didn’t have much to do here; Evangeline Lilly also felt underused and re-casting Cassie with Kathryn Newton… I didn’t mind that, but it felt like it went against “the family” theme. I thought the main issue with this film is it should have never tried to be something bigger, more exciting, this CGI fest. Having said all that, is it as bad as everyone on the Internet claims? No, I didn’t think so. The problem is this film is the most average film, where there isn’t much to talk about except for Jonathan Majors. But given what happened with him now, it felt wrong to enjoy his performance. I wouldn’t say Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a bad movie; I thought it felt almost like there was a curse against it. From the questionable trailers that made the CGI look much worse than it is, to the film just being average, to Jonathan Majors being a dick (to put it mildly), everything has gone against this film.

Overall, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the most aggressively “mid” film you will see in ages. It has some pacing issues, the CGI (especially in the close-up shots) looks funky, and the only bright thing about it no longer matters, given he will be re-casted. If you have enjoyed the previous Ant-Man movies, brace yourself for something completely different, as this movie’s director decided it will be the most epic film yet. Unfortunately, the hits don’t land, the CGI is not “reliably awesome”, and Ant-Man’s character works better as a part of a group rather than him being “the” superhero. But, I will also say, after everything I have heard about this movie, it is not AS BAD as some fans claimed. It is, unfortunately, mediocre, and the best thing about this movie is someone; who we no longer speak of.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke