Nothing memorable about this 31st feature in the Marcel Cinematic Universe (UCM).
The quantity doesn’t make the quality one would be tempted to remind Marvel of this third feature film dedicated to the woes of Ant-Man (Paul Rudd). This film also kicks off UCM’s fifth phase, which will conclude with Blade in September 2024…while also integrating parallel television series. In short, this “saga of the multiverse” is far from over.
Debuting on a $200 million production budget, this 124-minute Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is reminiscent of its predecessors. The superhero doesn’t take himself seriously, neither does the main character, and it’s a good thing that this lightness of tone stays in the now-standard vein of Ant-Man, Shazam, Guardians of the Galaxy, and other lighter blockbusters .
Soon, Scott Lang, his daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton), Hope (Evangeline Lilly), Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hank (Michael Douglas) accidentally find themselves in the Quantum Realm where they must confront a new – and dangerous – threat. .in the person of Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors).
The sequel becomes a series of action scenes and special effects, partly reminiscent of the “Star Wars” universe, because the invisible creatures of this world would not be out of place in the cantina of the first part. of the franchise. I admit it’s lazy. It’s all the lazier because the script doesn’t support the action.
Granted, we do meet several characters that Janet crossed paths during her previous stint in this universe – notably Bill Murray’s Krylar – but is that really enough to sustain interest? Unfortunately, by introducing Kang and only focusing on the confrontation between the good guys and the bad guys, screenwriter Jeff Loveness forgets to give this new foe the — indispensable — consistency of either a Loki or a Thanos.
Oddly enough, and despite the amount of effects, adrenaline-pumping scenes, more or less funny jokes or messages about family that are not at all subtle, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” gives the impression of being in a hurry, without refining what should have been.
Yes, the UCM is now nothing more than a production line with too many movies and too many series coming out way too quickly. And that’s really a shame.
- Rating: 2.5 out of 5
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters on February 17.