Marvel’s newest release Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania kicked off Phase Five last Wednesday in Hong Kong theaters, and the highly anticipated superhero movie broke its series’ box office record again, despite very mixed reviews from the fan community.
There used to be a time when all new movies released by Marvel receive enthusiastic responses and instant applause from the public. However, since the Infinity Saga was brought to an end, it seems that the studio is having a hard time satiating their viewers’ voracious appetite for all that is exciting, new, and innovative in the Marvel lore.
If you are hesitating whether the newest release is worth your time and money, here is a streamlined review without any spoilers.
How is Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania?
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania explores Scott Lang the Ant-Man, Hope van Dyne the Wasp, Janet van Dyne, Hank Pym and Cassie’s journey in the Quantum Realm, a fictional dimension that is only accessible by compressing the human mass to a particular point. The biggest highlight of the film is undoubtedly Kang the Conqueror, the new antagonist in the Multiverse Saga following Thanos, as well as the main villain in this film, marking the character’s cinematic debut.
If you are looking forward to some action-packed scenes, over-the-top CGI effects, time-to-time funny dialogues and an extra quirky plot, this big-budget superhero movie is surely going to entertain you for a full two hours. But if you are expecting a comprehensive theme of making up with your loved ones, and treasuring family affection along with intense adventures, this movie is nothing like that, with the ending wrapping up quickly again just to deliver another set of easter eggs.
Jonathan Majors has been fantastic for his role of Kang the Conqueror, perfectly portraying the commanding authority figure, but at the same time a man with his own sad story and ambition, making fans anticipate his next appearance as the new serious universal threat; Michelle Pfeiffer also delivers a captivating performance as Janet van Dyne, who is afraid to once again enter the Quantum Realm, the space that took away her 20 years of time with her daughter in the outside world, tells the audience how nightmarish and inescapable the unknown dimension is.
Gigi Pang, a newcomer to the Marvel franchise, expressed slight disappointment after watching the high-grossing superhero movie.
“It’s just another superhero movie. I cannot say it’s bad but there is really nothing special or outstanding about it as well. I think it’s overrated”, said Gigi.
It seems that to the regular audience that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is not able to surpass high expectations and deliver an unimaginable movie experience, given that the studio has been highly praised over the years. With the 10-years Infinity Saga leaving such a big impact behind, the industry and the general public expected Marvel Studios to up their game further in the upcoming Saga. And regardless of whether it is overrated or not, the movie does stick to the typical superhero growth kind of plot line.
Janis Yu, a hardcore Marvel fan that watched the movie on its opening date, in the contrast shares excitement regarding how Phase Five will develop in the future.
“The Easter Eggs are excellent. They set up the stage for Phase Five movies and revealed what Kang the Conqueror is going to do in the upcoming movies, so I can’t wait for the next release!”, said Janis.
Indeed, Marvel has always been well-known for its plot connections across films within the franchise. One thing that makes diehard fans attach themselves to these superhero films, is that they are always dying to know what will happen next in the lore. And as expected, just like any other Marvel movies, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania succeeds in hyping up their fans for what is coming up in the next phase. Nevertheless, what Marvel desperately needs now, is another way to surprise their fans before they really get tired of it.
Featured Image: Marvel Studios