From IMDB: Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne, along with Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, explore the Quantum Realm, where they interact with strange creatures and embark on an adventure that goes beyond the limits of what they thought was possible.

When I saw the trailer I wrote “Quantumania is the first film of the MCU phase 5 and thus tasked with two things, introduce the MCU’s next villain, Kang the Conqueror, and start to pull together all the properties released in the disorganized phase 4.”

Even though the Marvel fatigue is creeping in, I have always been a fan of the Ant-Man films. So, I entered last night’s screening with both excitement and trepidation. Can this one film do what it needed to do?

Writer Jeff Loveness and director Peyton Reed understood the assignment and passed with flying colors. While this film doesn’t have as many of the heist tropes that permeate the prior films. The film did keep what I love about the Ant-Man films, Scott’s love for his daughter & the Pyms, and the comedy while not making light of the seriousness of their situation. There are small nods to the phase 4 projects that in some cases are blink and you miss it.

The film efficiently uses every minute of its 125-minute runtime. The title and the trailer make it clear we are heading into the Quantum realm; no time was wasted getting us there. We meet the inhabitants of this realm and learn about the major conflict they are embroiled in.

Jonathon Majors is extraordinary in the role of Kang. He owns the screen in every scene. This is Majors’ second appearance in the MCU as a variant of Kang.  There are distinctions between He Who Remains and Kang. As with all Marvel villains, there is a purpose to his actions even if we don’t agree with them. I cannot wait to see what is next.  

My friend Analysis attended the screening with me

Quantummania meets the standard-of-excellence check-offs that we expect from the MCU: great action without being gratuitous, stellar performances from actors both well-known and lesser (with a particular shoutout to Jonathan Majors), amazing CGI, and the right amount of comedy deftly woven into the seriousness of the story.  And we’ve been waiting for the story threads that were dropped in Stage Four to begin to be brought together; we’re in the process of doing so now, and the ride will be exciting! 

Overall, I think the film is terrific with only some minor issues. I see now that phase 4 was collecting the materials so that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania could start building for what is next to come.

4 Ants out of 5

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be in theaters on Friday, February 17th. Thank you Allied Marketing for the screening.