ant man 3 movie reviews

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

The unspoken motto of the “ Ant-Man ” movies is “think small,” which has paradoxically made it stand apart from other sectors of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which tend towards the grandiose. “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” plays around with that idea by shrinking Ant-Man/Scott Lange ( Paul Rudd ) and the other major characters to a subatomic size ten minutes into the story and dispatching them to the Quantum Realm, which looks like James Cameron’s Pandora reimagined as the cover of a 1970s jazz fusion album, and keeping them there for the rest of the film as they battle an exiled supervillain named Kang ( Jonathan Majors ). The result is simultaneously the biggest and smallest of the Ant-Man films, a neat trick. 

Is it a must-see? No—the middle hour is fun in that patented easygoing “Ant-Man” way. Returning director Peyton Reed and screenwriter Jeff Loveness let the characters wander around the Quantum Realm, which is like a psychedelic sci-fi cartoon version of those jungles in 1930s serials where a clueless Western explorer would misinterpret a gesture and anger a local tribe, or get dunked in a river by an elephant, or be grossed out by the prospect of eating snake meat until they had a bite and realized it tastes kinda like chicken. 

Here, the tribe includes a guy with a flashlight for a head and one with a transparent, gelatinous body who is obsessed with how many “holes” humans have (the comedic peak of Rudd’s performance is the pause he takes while Scott counts in his head), and a telepath ( William Jackson Harper ) who is cursed to constantly hear the bizarre and/or filthy thoughts that race through others’ minds. Instead of elephants, there are houses that look as if Fred Flintstone’s home mated with the Pillsbury Dough Boy, and that are alive and can walk and defend themselves in war. There are also gelatinous bugs and other critters, shrubs and trees modeled on fungi and lichens, and a mitochondrial thing scaled like Godzilla. 

They’re all seemingly modeled on photos of “small worlds” of varying magnification levels. That the designers have grouped these microscopic and subatomic things because they’re “small” is part of the fun. It’s like something a kid threw together for a science fair, hoping that sheer charm would compensate for not having any actual science content. Too bad that, for all its amusing jokes, the world onscreen mostly looks like a Marvel screen-saver.  Bill Pope , who shot the “Matrix” films and multiple Sam Raimi and  Edgar Wright movies, is the cinematographer here, but not so you’d notice. There’s not much for a cinematographer (or director—even Ryan Coogler has seemed tamped down by Marvel) to do to show individual personality on these projects when so much of the running time is pre-visualized by effects companies; and when Marvel studios boss Kevin Feige , who seems determined to keep art to a minimum for fear of gumming up the content machine, wields an aesthetic veto pen.

As for Kang: he’s what genre buffs call a “ ret-con .” The filmmakers need him to be a fearsome and all-powerful villain (he’s essentially Thanos in a new wrapper: a genocidal madman) and to be introduced in this movie so that he could quickly be positioned as the Big Bad for the next Avengers team-up. But they also have to explain why Janet van Dyne ( Michelle Pfeiffer ), former wife of original Ant-Man Hank Pym ( Michael Douglas ), who was trapped in the Quantum Realm for 30 years, never mentioned Kang to anybody. 

The answer is not persuasive, despite Pfeiffer selling the heck out of it. But this is a comic-book movie, so you have to roll with it. Pfeiffer, at least, gets a lot to do in pushing the plot forward and papering over cracks in the storytelling. Meanwhile, unfortunately, Evangeline Lilly’s Hope, aka The Wasp, just seems to kind of  be  there. She’s present and involved, but doesn’t make much of an impression. (Narratively, of course, she’s been eclipsed by Cassie: the last one was more the Pyms’ movie, and this one’s mainly about Scott and Cassie, who is now a teen with her own super-suit, and played by Kathryn Newton . But they still managed to give Michael Douglas plenty of good bits.)

Kang is a poorly written character—he’s bad, he’s mad, he’s a genius, he wants to escape the Quantum Realm, and that’s pretty much it. There’s only so much that the cast or filmmakers can do to make him seem terrifying. The film doesn’t have the nerve (or perhaps the studio’s permission?) to wipe the smile off the audience’s face in the manner of, say, the last act of “ Avengers: Infinity War ” or the middle hour of “ Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom .” There’s a brief scene where Kang convinces Scott to use his thief abilities to steal this movie’s equivalent of the Ring of Power or Infinity Stone or Mother Box by threatening to murder Cassie in front of him, then make Scott re-experience her death for all eternity. But we know it’s not the sort of movie where that could ever happen, nor one where any major character we care about will suffer too greatly. 

And so Kang’s menace is conveyed through an uncharacteristically hammy performance by Majors. He seems to be channeling post-1970s Marlon Brando performances where Brando was being fed lines through an earpiece or reading them off notecards taped to other actors’ costumes. Sometimes he’ll pause forever between words in a line while staring ahead, or look up, or to the side, as if the next thought might be lurking there. Like Brando, he’s fussing around in ways that seem to work at cross-purposes with the movie, but it’s in service of trying to make something out of nothing. One element that does intrigue: Kang seems deeply, furiously sad, in a way that echoes one of the most powerful lines from “The Sopranos,” “Depression is anger turned inward.”

Eventually, the movie succumbs to the MCU formula and devotes its last act to a lot of overly busy CGI battles, with things crashing into other things and exploding and disintegrating while people yell about having to save the universe. Sometimes the movie overdoes the self-awareness in that unfortunate MCU way—such as by having a character confirm that a weird thing just happened by saying, “That was weird,” or announce that another character is cool, both of which happen here. But the film’s low-stress, low-stakes attitude saves it. 

Serenely untroubled by pressures to break box office records or win Oscars, the Ant-Man films seem content to be clever entertainments with heart, but not so much that they become cloying. From the size jokes to the running gags to the casting of Rudd, who has spent his career behaving as if he’s a random regular guy who stumbled into stardom and finds it all quite silly, the series manages to be light but not inconsequential, whether a given scene is sentimental (anything involving Scott and Cassie) or cheerfully deranged (the climatic fight at the end of the first movie atop a Thomas the Tank Engine train set). Ant-Man is officially a member of the MCU’s starting lineup, the Avengers, but feels like a replacement player who gets a text when Thor calls in sick. This new movie validates Scott’s not-quite-insecurity (he’s not deep enough to be existentially tormented) by having him get mistaken for other superheroes. He takes it in stride. Two films ago, he got fired from Baskin-Robbins, and before that, he was in jail. Happiness, like size, is a matter of perspective.

In theaters Friday, February 17.

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor-at-Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

• Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man
• Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne / The Wasp
• Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror
• Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang
• Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet van Dyne
• Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank Pym
• Bill Murray as Lord Krylar
• Katy O’Brian as Jentorra
• William Jackson Harper as Quaz
• Jamie Andrew Cutler as XOLUM
• David Dastmalchian as Veb
• Randall Park as Jimmy Woo
• Gregg Turkington as Dale
• Adam Gerstel
• Laura Jennings

Cinematographer

• Christophe Beck

Writer (creator)

• Jeff Loveness
• Peyton Reed

Leave a comment

Now playing.

Speak No Evil (2024)

Saturday Night

The Killer’s Game

Girls Will Be Girls

The 4:30 Movie

Sweetheart Deal

¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!

Latest articles

TIFF 2024: Millers in Marriage, Sketch, The Deb

TIFF 2024: Men of War, Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan & Sara, Ernest Cole: Lost and Found

TIFF 2024: On Swift Horses, Meet the Barbarians, All of You

Natasha Rothwell Finds New Life in Hulu’s Winning “How to Die Alone”

The best movie reviews, in your inbox.

• Trending on RT

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania First Reviews: It's Marvel's Star Wars , and Kang and MODOK Steal the Show

Early reviews say quantumania' s script is a bit undercooked, but jonathan majors, corey stoll, and michelle pfeiffer help elevate the visually stunning spectacle in the franchise's most sci-fi entry yet..

TAGGED AS: First Reviews , marvel cinematic universe , movies

Here’s what critics are saying about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania :

Is Quantumania another MCU hit?

I can say with 100% certainty that viewers are in for a treat. –  Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is an eccentric and essential spectacle, which further expands the possibilities of what the MCU’s tentpole projects can still be capable of. –  Jenna Anderson, ComicBook.com

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is here to surprise you with its exceptional performances, genuine emotional moments, and earned high stakes. –  Meredith Loftus, Next Best Picture

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania remains tons of fun for comics nerds and an easy pass for anyone else. –  Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews

Quantumania is fun, as well as bedazzling, relentless and numbing, then fun again just when you think you’ve had enough. –  Owen Gleiberman, Variety

It commits the worst sin a movie can make: it’s boring. –  Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse

(Photo by ©Marvel Studios)

Where does it fit in the franchise?

Quantumania delivers an entertaining first act of what’s to come [in Phase Five] and leaves fans with plenty to be excited about. –  Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

Quantumania is the weirdest and most wholehearted chapter in the MCU’s essential storytelling. – Jenna Anderson, ComicBook.com

For better or worse, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the most overtly sci-fi film in the series, and on that level, it succeeds very well. –  Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

Coming off of Wakanda Forever , which might have been Marvel’s most emotionally heavy film ever, Quantumania is a pleasing change of pace. –  Ron Seoul-Oh, POC Culture

Marvel movies have long become less like movies and more like feature-length commercials for the next thing, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is sadly the greatest embodiment of that. – Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse

This isn’t the worst Marvel movie, but it is one of the more forgettable. –  Andrew J. Salazar, Geeks of Color

It’s one of the more unremarkable entries in the MCU. –  Louisa Moore, Screen Zealots

How does it compare to the previous Ant-Man movies?

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the best Ant-Man film yet. –  Rohan Patel, ComicBookMovie.com

The third time’s the charm. –  Collier Jennings, But Why Tho? A Geek Community

This third Ant-Man film feels like anything but an Ant-Man film. –  Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects

If you are looking for the third installment to be more of the same from the Ant-Man movies, you’re in for a surprise… [but] the comedy still hits at the same level. – Meredith Loftus, Next Best Picture

Humor is generally in shorter supply. – Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

Will Star Wars fans enjoy it?

Imagine the cantina scene from Star Wars on steroids and expanded to feature length, and you’ll have some idea of what director Peyton Reed and screenwriter Jeff Loveness are going for. – Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

What [the Quantum Realm] feels like, most directly, is a planet from one of the later Star Wars films, with a few old-school Cantina vibes. – Owen Gleiberman, Variety

The idea that this takes place in a vast intergalactic world with strange new creatures feels very Star Wars -like. In fact, there are travel instruments and devices that look straight out of The Mandalorian at times. –  Jamie Broadnax, Black Girl Nerds

The thing about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is that it wants you to think it’s essentially Marvel’s new Star Wars without doing any of the necessary groundwork to get there. – Andrew J. Salazar, Geeks of Color

How is the script?

Writer Jeff Loveness is making up the rules as it goes along, which is why Quantumania whisks you through its visually zapping action without generating any real investment in it. – Owen Gleiberman, Variety

Jeff Loveness’ script moves efficiently at least, dutifully taking the characters from plot point A to point B, but everyone feels less like human beings than they do action figures moved around to fulfill various plot contrivances. – Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse

The story is admittedly solid and does serve its purpose… but it rarely surprises and often defaults to the chemistry between actors elevating the material rather than pushing them to their limits. – Rohan Patel, ComicBookMovie.com

A bit uneven, it feels like Jeff Loveness’ script wasn’t sure what genre this movie wanted to be. – Jamie Broadnax, Black Girl Nerds

Screenwriter Jeff Loveness’ themes are halfhearted and his dialogue sounds like it was written by ChatGPT. – Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews

The screenplay is peppered with dreadful one-liners like “it’s never too late to stop being a dick!” and “ants don’t give up!” I really, really wish I was joking about this. – Louisa Moore, Screen Zealots

The blockbuster has a terrible “telling, not showing” problem that both handicaps the storytelling and undermines the antagonist’s impact. –  Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend

What about the action?

Its action sequences at times get to go to particularly wild places most blockbusters can’t go, most notably when Scott encounters something called a “probability storm.” – Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews

A stunning climactic battle, involving a “probability storm” (don’t ask)… is the sort of mind-blowing sequence that you don’t even need consciousness-altering substances to appreciate. – Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

The proclivity of Ant-Man, the Wasp and Cassie to switch between small, medium and large at a moment’s notice give the action sequences a frenetic and unpredictable beauty, even if you have trouble figuring out what exactly is happening at times. –  Joey Morona, Cleveland Plain Dealer

How are the visuals?

It’s one of the more visually imaginative comic book movies ever. – Rohan Patel, ComicBookMovie.com

One of the most ambitious visual feasts that Marvel Studios has put out yet… Quantumania is easily a contender for the most Kirby-esque visuals in a superhero adaptation. – Jenna Anderson, ComicBook.com

Utilizing the Volume technology found in The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi , the Quantum Realm comes alive in a more visually impressive way than some of the previous Phase 4 movies. – Meredith Loftus, Next Best Picture

Suffice it to say that the visual design of the multi-faceted settings, imaginative costumes, and outrageous creatures on display is truly outstanding on every level. – Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

Whenever it’s possible to look at Quantumania and idly wonder whether anyone on screen was actually in a room together during shooting—which is often!—you may be peeking at the worlds-within-worlds built by visual effects artists and actors’ conflicting schedules. In other words: a Zoom call with (somewhat) better backgrounds. –  Jesse Hassenger, SportsAlcohol

The film takes place extensively in the Quantum Realm, which provides an unsightly setting of muted, dark brown, washed-out visuals. It’s an ugly place, so why would audiences want to spend time there? – Louisa Moore, Screen Zealots

How is Jonathan Majors’ performance as Kang?

Jonathan Majors holds you with the quiet force of his pensive scowl… You hang on his every word; he makes vengeance and genocide sound like the most hypnotically casual of propositions. – Owen Gleiberman, Variety

He also invests his performance with such an arrestingly quiet stillness and ambivalence that you’re on edge every moment he’s on screen. – Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

Majors turns the extravagant and otherworldly energy from the page into something truly magical, to the point where even the slightest tilt of his head speaks volumes. – Jenna Anderson, ComicBook.com

He carries a commanding screen presence that ups the entire film to a whole new level whenever he walks in. – Andrew J. Salazar, Geeks of Color

He doesn’t just steal his scenes… he conquers them. – Meredith Loftus, Next Best Picture

He instantly becomes one of the MCU’s most intriguing villains… Majors delivers in a major way (no pun intended). – Rohan Patel, ComicBookMovie.com

For the most part, Kang’s menace is conveyed through an uncharacteristically hammy performance by Majors. He seems to be channeling post-1970s Marlon Brando performances where Brando was being fed lines through an earpiece or reading them off notecards taped to other actors’ costumes. –  Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com

This big screen introduction leaves a lot to be desired as it’s wholly unclear what his motivations or powers are. – Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects

What about MODOK?

Kang is not the villain who steals the picture. That would be MODOK. – Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

MODOK is a blast thanks in large part to Corey Stoll‘s delivery. – Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects

Stoll leans head first (no pun intended) into the sheer lunacy of playing a giant floating head designed for killing. – Meredith Loftus, Next Best Picture

The character is great and the liberties taken with the comics to incorporate him into the MCU are fitting, but the visual effects on his face should have used more work. – Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

A complete waste of a notable Marvel villain, and just one example of when Loveness goes for that instant, cheap gag instead of doing something more valuable. Even fans who’ve stood by this series through thick and thin will have their patience tested here. – Andrew J. Salazar, Geeks of Color

Who else in the cast does a great job?

She brings an infectious energy to her role as Janet van Dyne and more or less carries the film until Kang’s introduction. She excels in every facet of the film, from the action and romance to the comedy and drama, she’s just fantastic. – Rohan Patel, ComicBookMovie.com

Pfeiffer (rightfully) gets to stand out, showcasing many complex qualities of comic-accurate Janet Van Dyne in spite of the dire circumstances she has endured. – Jenna Anderson, ComicBook.com

Pfeiffer is terrific in her expanded role, given the opportunity to be a badass heroine and making the most of it. – Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

Pfeiffer rises above the fray, giving a performance with pathos. –  Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction

Pfeiffer really shines when she shares the screen with Jonathan Majors. – Meredith Loftus, Next Best Picture

Are there any other issues with the movie?

There’s a lot of ground to cover and sometimes the film can move at an ant’s pace. –  Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

Whereas other recent Marvel films had moved on from the Joss Whedon-style witticisms, Quantumania’ s comedy seems to be stuck squarely in 2013, except that the jokes are delivered by dead-eyed actors tired of working opposite a blue screen. – Hoai-Tran Bui, Inverse

None of the characters have arcs to speak of, unless you count Scott Lang making a bit more of an effort to be a better father (which isn’t really much of an arc). –  Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend

It’s barely a movie, pulling threads together for a grander scheme of merchandizing and cross-promotion over character-based storytelling. –  Kristy Puchko, Mashable

When the first end credit tag holds more weight, potential, and thrills than the entire two hours that came before it, there’s a massive problem. – Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction

(Photo by Jay Maidment/©Marvel Studios)

Is it a good enough time at the movies anyway?

Is it a must-see? No—the middle hour is fun in that patented easygoing Ant-Man way… The film’s low-stress, low-stakes attitude saves it. – Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com

It offers too much sensational spectacle, melodrama, and high-stakes sci-fi adventure ever to bore its audience. – Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews

There’s just enough of Marvel magic to cover up some of the film’s bigger issues. –  Germain Lussier, io9.com

Quantumania is worth watching even just for Kang. – Ron Seoul-Oh, POC Culture

If you’re going to see this, try to see it in a real IMAX theater with a 75-foot-tall screen. – Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews

I definitely recommend checking it out, especially in IMAX as the visuals feel like a perfect fit for that format. – Collier Jennings, But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Will it make us excited for the next chapter of the MCU?

After a mediocre Phase 4, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has me once again excited at the future prospects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. – Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

The actions made in this movie will have massive implications for what lies ahead in the MCU, and for the first time in a while, it’s once again exciting to see what Kevin Feige has in store for us. – Meredith Loftus, Next Best Picture

Is this an extraordinary and a huge banger to kick off Phase 5? No. Is it a nice warm-up of things to come to as things heat up later down the pipeline? Yes. –  Jamie Broadnax, Black Girl Nerds

It raises some serious concerns about what’s on the way from the MCU in the months and years to come. – Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend

Phase 5 is off to a questionable start as Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige’s methods are proving to wear thin. – Andrew J. Salazar, Geeks of Color

If this is what Phase 5 looks like, God save us from Phases 6, 7 and 8. – Owen Gleiberman, Variety

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania opens in theaters everywhere on February 17, 2023.

Thumbnail image by Jay Maidment/©Marvel Studios

On an Apple device? Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Apple News.

Related News

All Blumhouse Horror Movies Ranked

Transformers One First Reviews: The Best Transformers Movie Yet

The Most Anticipated Movies of 2025

The Penguin First Reviews: Colin Farrell’s Wild Performance Makes the Series a Must-Watch

Movie & TV News

Featured on rt.

Resident Evil Movies In Order: How To Watch The Series Chronologically

September 13, 2024

All Friday the 13th Movies Ranked By Tomatometer

September 12, 2024

Top Headlines

• Resident Evil Movies In Order: How To Watch The Series Chronologically –
• 50 Best New Horror Movies of 2024 –
• Best Movies of 2024: Best New Movies to Watch Now –
• All Friday the 13th Movies Ranked By Tomatometer –
• All Blumhouse Horror Movies Ranked –
• The 133 Essential Spanish-Language Movies –

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne are dragged into the Quantum Realm, along with Hope's parents and Scott's daughter Cassie. Together they must find a way to escape, but what secrets is Hope's mo... Read all Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne are dragged into the Quantum Realm, along with Hope's parents and Scott's daughter Cassie. Together they must find a way to escape, but what secrets is Hope's mother hiding? And who is the mysterious Kang? Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne are dragged into the Quantum Realm, along with Hope's parents and Scott's daughter Cassie. Together they must find a way to escape, but what secrets is Hope's mother hiding? And who is the mysterious Kang?

• Peyton Reed
• Jeff Loveness
• Larry Lieber
• Evangeline Lilly
• Michael Douglas
• 1.4K User reviews
• 316 Critic reviews
• 48 Metascore
• 13 nominations

Top cast 80

• Scott Lang …

• Hope Van Dyne …

• Dr. Hank Pym

• Janet Van Dyne

• Kang the Conqueror

• Cassie Lang

• Lord Krylar

• (as James Cutler)

• Patrol Police Officer …

• Axia Restaurant Maitre D'

• Axia Restaurant Bartender

• Axia Restaurant Waiter
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia Emma Fuhrmann played the now-teenage Cassie Lang in Avengers: Endgame (2019) , but the role was recast with Kathryn Newton . Fuhrmann claimed on Twitter that she learned about being replaced when Disney released details of the film at their Investor Day in December 2020, and that while she was saddened, she was still grateful to have been a part of the MCU.
• Goofs (at around 1h 45 mins) Scott's face has no blood on it while being heavily covered in blood in the previous scene.

Kang The Conqueror : You're an interesting man, Scott Lang. You've lost a lot of time. But time, it isn't what you think... It's not a straight line. But I'm sure that's not exactly important to you right now. You more than likely want to know why I'm here, and most of all, what I want with you. I have need of your... particular skill. You've been regarded, both lauded and reviled, as a thief. And believe it or not, that's what I have need of right now. You see, someone has stolen something from me. And you, my friend, are the only one who could steal it back. So... have we an accord, Mr. Lang?

• Crazy credits SPOILER: There is a scene at the end of the closing credits: A Kang variant, Victor Timely, is observed by Loki and Agent Mobius. This was a contracted version of the same scene from 1893 (2023) .
• Connections Edited into Marvel Studios: Legends: Variants (2023)
• Soundtracks Welcome Back (Theme from Welcome Back, Kotter) Written and Performed by John Sebastian Courtesy of Reprise Records By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User reviews 1.4K

• Apr 25, 2023
• How long is Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania? Powered by Alexa
• Why does Janet call Hank Pym, Henry?
• Why didn't they use their ability to grow bigger more often? It certainly would have made survival easier and navigation faster.
• February 17, 2023 (United States)
• United States
• Official Site
• Ant-Man and the Wasp in Quantumania
• Nevsehir, Turkey
• Lightnin' Production Rentals
• Marvel Studios
• Québec Production Services Tax Credit
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $200,000,000 (estimated)
• $214,504,909
• $106,109,650
• Feb 19, 2023
• $476,071,180

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 4 minutes
• Dolby Atmos
• IMAX 6-Track
• Dolby Surround 7.1
• Dolby Digital
• D-Cinema 96kHz Dolby Surround 7.1

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Pop Culture Happy Hour

• Performing Arts
• Pop Culture

In 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,' the setting is subatomic — as are the stakes

Glen Weldon

"Say, do any of you guys know how to Madison?" Scott (Paul Rudd) and Cassie (Kathryn Newton) greeted by residents of the Quantum Realm. Marvel Studios hide caption

"Say, do any of you guys know how to Madison?" Scott (Paul Rudd) and Cassie (Kathryn Newton) greeted by residents of the Quantum Realm.

You know what? Sure.

[Critic nods, files review, impressed with his incisive pithiness.]

[Critic receives snippy text from his editor, demanding extrapolation.]

[Critic, wounded, defiant, sends shrug emoji.]

[Critic receives snippier, angrier, more demanding text from editor.]

[Critic sighs, reopens review.]

Maybe this is what we're all just doing now, making movies like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Maybe we all just accept it. Can we all just accept it? Could we? We'd all sleep better, I promise you that much.

Who's complaining? Not me. I mean, I don't feel I'm in any position to complain, because as a little nerdy kid, a movie like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was precisely what I wished for. Longed for. Ached for. Me, and hundreds of thousands of little nerdy kids like me.

We did this. It's on us. Let's own it.

We always knew we'd get movies about Superman, Batman, even Spider-Man. And we got them, eventually. But it wasn't enough; we wished for more.

Well. Hear me, my nerdy people: Look around you! I speak to you today in this, the year 2023 Common Era, wherein all of us, as a culture, find ourselves standing three-deep into an actual, honest-to-God Ant-Man film franchise.

Think on't!

Seriously, take a breath, hold it for a long beat, and think on't!

Ant-Man , for pity's sake!

Even more mind-boggling: This third Ant-Man film posits the purple, time-traveling despot Kang the Conqueror as a bad guy to take seriously. And the filmmakers have dutifully imported him and his whole goofy-as-hell outfit, more or less intact from the comics page. But don't stop there, because whom should Kang have henching for him than the even goofier-than-hell M.O.D.O.K, the Mental (or possibly Mechanical) Organism Designed Only for Killing. Yes, that M.O.D.O.K — the giant head in the floaty chair with the dangly arms and legs. And we're supposed to take him seriously, too — or semi-seriously, as screenwriter Jeff Loveness is clearly one of us and knows how to make a gleefully silly character like M.O.D.O.K work, at least.

In Praise of M.O.D.O.K: Why Gleefully Goofy Beats Broodingly Brutal

'Marvel's M.O.D.O.K.': A Goofy Supervillain Basks In A Comic Spotlight

Shrinking the stakes.

But as I sat there watching Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania , I started to wonder if perhaps, back when we as nerdy little kids wished for it, all those long years ago, someone snuck a monkey's paw into the whole affair. How else to explain how tirelessly, how doggedly, the film kept insisting that nothing I was witnessing remotely mattered — not simply to the cacophonous macrocluster of corporate content called the MCU, but to...much of anything, really?

Most of the film takes place at a far remove from the Marvel Universe we know, down in the subatomic Quantum Realm that characters from previous films have visited ( Ant-Man ), gotten stuck in for decades ( Ant-Man and the Wasp ) or used as a series of temporal highway bypasses on their way to saving the universe ( Avengers: Endgame ).

This time out, it's the entire Ant-Family that gets sucked down into the MCU's own microscopic Whoville, with its sunless, surreal, slimy Color Out of Space production design. There's Scott/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), his girlfriend Hope/The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), Hope's father Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), Hank's wife Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Scott's teenage daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton).

There, they quickly befriend the woefully interchangeable locals, including Krylar (smarmily smarmed by Bill Murray), who are fighting against the evil Kang (Jonathan Majors) to save their cavernous, entirely and egregiously CGI home.

A word about the CGI of it all: Look, as I say, maybe it's time to concede already, to just collectively agree that we'll move the goalposts and abandon any expectation that these movies will ever, should ever, can ever look like they were made by actors actually working together, or at least vaguely proximal to each other, on the same soundstage, at the same time.

Consider: The film features a brief scene in which Douglas, Pfeiffer and Murray sit around a table at a bar. You look at that scene and you think, here are three Hollywood stars who've been around for five decades. They could have made a film together at any time during that period and now, finally, here they are and here it is.

But they aren't and it isn't.

When we eventually get a The Making Of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania , we might well learn that those three actors actually filmed that scene together. But in absolutely no way does it look like they did, and it sure as hell doesn't feel like they did. And that's what matters.

Or should. But it doesn't.

Wee, The People: 'Ant-Man And The Wasp'

A cartoonish theory.

A chilling thought occurs. What if the snobs were right, all this time?

You know: Those imperious jerks who've spent decades now peering down their noses at superhero movies, who've clucked their tongues and stroked their beards and dismissed the appeal of these films, waving them off as mere cartoons? I've fought against them, one way or another, my entire adult professional life — but what if, in one narrow sense at least, they're right? What if they've had the answer all along?

Let's look at the evidence. The characters of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, at least, are flat. Breathtakingly so. Take Scott Lang, as played by Paul Rudd. In previous Ant-Man films, we may all have looked past the thinness of his characterization, because the charming Ruddishness of the performance blinded us to it. But as depicted here, Scott's entire personality, the whole of his character, is defined thus: "I love my daughter Cassie. Where is Cassie? What have you done with Cassie?"

Douglas' Hank Pym? "I like ants."

Pfeiffer's Janet? "I have secrets I refuse to divulge for no reasons I can point to."

Newton's Cassie? "I am every teen ever depicted in popular culture."

Lilly's Hope? "..."

(Seriously, no time or effort is spent on Hope's motivation or characterization, she's just sort of ... there. In the mix onscreen. She might as well be one of the CGI barstools.)

Majors gets several scenes to explain — declaim, technically — what Kang's all about, yet still I came away from the film with no concrete idea of what Kang's all about.

But what if we all just agree to accept it? To categorize these films as cartoons? After all, the people who make cartoons are famously never in the same place together. The voice actors record their tracks in separate sound booths at separate times. The animation work is shipped overseas.

Perhaps that would explain why, at so many points in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania , characters keep running or jumping or nearly falling off ledges and all the while your brain just floats up there in your cranium with its brainy arms crossed, flatly refusing to accept any of what you're seeing at all — the running, the jumping, even the baseline existence of the ledges themselves.

And now, a brief note to the producers of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Hello. I am here today to talk to you about the actress Michelle Pfeiffer's wig in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania .

Seriously, people: What ... what exactly are you doing here, do you think? What are your priorities ? What are you spending the money on?

You make movies for a living, so I know you realize how they work. You know that when this film gets shown on that big screen, my gal Micky P's forehead is going to be six feet high. Later, it's gonna get beamed into our living rooms in ultra crisp plasma super hyper mega HD, or whatever.

And that means it matters, and it matters hugely, that we can see the damn lace front .

We can also see how parched and thirsty that poor wig is. There is, I'm sorry to say, simply no excuse for any of this, none.

But look, there's an answer. It's too late to save the wig in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania -- but for future reference, just know that I'm happy to meet with you, and your accountants and go over the spreadsheets, because I'm telling you that you can fix this.

Just look at the standard line item in the budget for, say, the Mysterious Glowing Object That's Terribly Terribly Important To Everyone In Whichever Marvel Movie This Happens To Be — in this case, that yellow orb thingy with all those metal rings flying around inside it that Kang wants, for reasons I can't remember now. No, yeah, it does look great, I agree. Not my point.

Because imagine what would happen if you reallocated a tiny amount from that budget line — just enough to take its CGI glowiness down a few lumens that no one would notice anyway — so that your teams of professionals could set to work sprinkling some of their CGI fairy dust along the top of Michelle's forehead and obscure the wig line.

That's it. That one, tiny thing is literally all you have to do. No one's saying you need to futz with your Hair and Makeup Team at all. It's not their fault, it's yours; they're all doing a great job otherwise. Michael Douglas' thick mop of silver foxiness looks great, bless that man's follicular genes. Rudd's hair looks great, too. (I mean, the color — maybe it's real, maybe it's Maybelline, who can say, he's not on trial here.)

And you've got Evangeline Lilly sporting a short n' kicky mom-bob throughout? Perfect, no notes. Wish she hadn't lost the chunky Rachel Maddow frames she's wearing in the opening minutes, though. But here she's giving mid-'90s Annie Lennox, she's giving No more I love yous , and it works.

And let's be real. You all spent a lot of time and money to write the code and power the servers to de-age Michael Douglas for just one lousy scene in a previous Ant-Man film, so a tiny bit of wig line CGI won't break you. Plus, you owe her.

... Oh and also throw in a few bucks on coconut oil while you're at it. Just to moisturize that poor wig a bit, because she looks like she hasn't had a drop to drink since the Seoul Olympics.

It's the very least you can do. Almost literally.

‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Review: Paul Rudd’s Bug Superhero Goes Full Marvel

The third "Ant-Man" film is a piece of Quantum Realm psychedelia that's at once fun and numbing.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

• Can the Sundance Film Festival Survive Leaving Park City? 1 day ago
• Kamala Harris Did What She Needed to Do. She Displayed the Force of a President — and Goaded Trump Into Revealing His Inner Frothing Crackpot 5 days ago
• ‘Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’ Review: A Soulful Celebration of the Live-in-Concert Bruce, Past and Present 6 days ago

Related Stories

Annapurna-Remedy Deal Is Smart Solution to Gaming’s Funding Woes

'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' Trailer: Keanu Reeves' Shadow Battles Sonic and Jim Carrey's Dr. Robotnik Returns

Now, though, with “ Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ,” the “Ant-Man” series has gone Full Marvel. The new movie takes place almost entirely in the Quantum Realm, a mutating sub-atomic sphere that exists outside our space-time continuum. It’s essentially an anything-goes FX playground that resembles a psychedelic album cover crossed with a 21st-century update of “Fantastic Voyage” (lots of things that look like corpuscles). What it feels like, most directly, is a planet from one of the later “Star Wars” films, with a few old-school Cantina vibes. (You could make a case that the George Lucas prequels represented the takeover of “Star Wars” by the Cantina.)

Popular on Variety

Reed, at the same time, is out to conjure the deadly gravitas of an “Avengers” epic. Vast populations, whole strands of the multiverse, are at stake. Yet since “Quantumania” claims to be a film about the manipulation of matter, we should probably ask: With everything going on in this movie, does any of it actually matter?

Yes and no. “Quantumania” is a state-of-the-art exercise in world-building, and in the neverending fantasy world (namely, ours) that was built by J.R.R. Tolkien and Dungeons & Dragons and “Star Wars” and “Harry Potter” and sandbox video games and Lego assembly kits that can number 10,000 pieces, it’s worth noting how axiomatic it is that when people today use the phrase “world-building,” they mean it as a high compliment. Another world! Another fun place for us to play in!

“Quantumania” is fun, as well as bedazzling, relentless and numbing, then fun again just when you think you’ve had enough; all of that gets mashed together. The Marvel films have never pretended to be stand-alone entities, yet I’ve rarely encountered a Marvel adventure that’s this busy with a do-or-die saving-the-cosmos plot that feels this much like it exists simply to set up the next dozen chapters of something. But that’s what happens when you’re launching Phase 5 of the Marvel takeover of movie entertainment. “Quantumania” is no cheat (it sucks you in, hooks your eyeballs, wrings you out), but if this is what Phase 5 looks like, God save us from Phases 6, 7 and 8.

Scott’s science-prodigy daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton), now a plucky young woman of 18, has built some sort of meta telescope in the basement. Within minutes, the device sucks everyone to the Quantum Realm — Scott and Cassie, along with Scott’s bug-superhero partner and paramour, Hope van Dyne ( Evangeline Lilly ), and Hope’s parents, the crusty physicist and former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and the original Wasp, Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), who in the previous film was rescued after having spent 30 years down there. It turns out that she was doing more than passing the time watching Netflix. She was there when Kang first showed up as a stranded traveler — but, in fact, he was already an exile who’d been kicked to the Quantum Realm to halt his path of destruction. Janet blew up the core of Kang’s quantum device, which saved the multiverse. But she’s still regarded by the rebels with mistrust. And Kang hasn’t gone away; his designs have just been put on hold.

Rudd’s Scott, introduced by John Sebastian’s “Welcome Back, Kotter” theme, is presented as a complacent celebrity superhero who needs to be goosed into action. There’s a terrific scene in which he gets replicated and has to face down — and ultimately work with — a horde of his multiple selves. The scene allows Rudd to get seriously addled, which is when he’s at his best in “Quantumania.” But when Scott, now a giant version of himself, trashes Kang’s fascist metropolis like Godzilla, all I could think was: What, exactly, are the rules here? The script, by former “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “Rick and Morty” writer Jeff Loveness, is making up the rules as it goes along, which is why “Quantumania” whisks you through its visually zapping action without generating any real investment in it. In a way, the ultimate investment is offscreen: Will the film successfully launch Phase 5? To even wonder about the answer is to miss that the only real conqueror in “Quantumania” is the MCU.

Reviewed at AMC Lincoln Square, Feb. 6, 2023. MPA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 123 MIN.

• Production: A Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures release of a Marvel Studios production. Producers: Kevin Feige, Stephen Broussard. Executive producers: Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Kevin de la Noy.
• Crew: Director: Peyton Reed. Screenplay: Jeff Loveness. Camera: Bill Pope. Editors: Adam Gerstel, Laura Jennings. Music: Christophe Beck.
• With: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas, Bill Murray, Kathryn Newton, Corey Stoll, William Jackson Harper, Katy O’Brian.

More from Variety

Stacy London, Clinton Kelly to Reunite for Amazon Reality Series ‘Wear Whatever the F You Want’

Sony’s ‘Concord’ Shutdown an Indictment of Live-Service Gaming

Riz Ahmed’s Amazon Series Casts ‘Umbrella Academy’ Alum Ritu Arya, ‘I May Destroy You’s’ Weruche Opia (EXCLUSIVE)

Paula Hernández, of ‘The Sleepwalkers,’ Attached to Direct Eva Perón Series Project From Argentine Powerhouse Kapow (EXCLUSIVE)

Summer Box Office Success Stories Weren’t Just Tentpoles

‘My Lady Jane’ Canceled After One Season at Amazon

More from our brands, how to watch the 2024 primetime emmy awards online without cable.

What It’s Like to Watch an America’s Cup Race Right on the Water

UFC 306 at Sphere Pulls in Record $22M for UFC, Sphere

The Best Loofahs and Body Scrubbers, According to Dermatologists

Thursday Night Football: How to Watch the Patriots/Jets Game Live Online

Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania Review

Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania

It’s tough to make truly trippy cinema. The bold ones break through.  2001: A Space Odyssey ’s Star Gate sequence can still hurl you into an altered state at 3am. Alex Garland ’s  Annihilation , which turned people into flora, was fresh. It can even be done on the cheap, as Shane Meadows proved with  Dead Man’s Shoes ’ shuddering LSD sequence, and Ben Wheatley did with  A Field In England ’s juddering psychedelia. It’s odd, then, that Marvel, with all their resources, have made a film set in a universe where time and space are not as we know them, yet have ended up with something that that looks surreal, but feels shackled. Mind-bending it is not. But that doesn’t mean it’s not fun.

Following two frothier outings, the third Ant-Man film takes Earth’s tiniest hero to bigger places. Time/space jumper Scott Lang ( Paul Rudd ) is living his best life, and the first few minutes of  Quantumania  set up potentially meaty material. Scott’s daughter Cassie ( Kathryn Newton ) challenges his chill — while she fights for causes she believes in, he’s just being happy and famous. She’s young and idealistic, full of vim and vigour, which may be important later (spoiler: it will). Meanwhile, Janet Van Dyne ( Michelle Pfeiffer ), having been rescued from decades stuck in the Quantum Realm, is harbouring secrets about what went on down there (spoiler: a lot). But before any one of them can really get into any of it, the quantum shit hits the quantum fan, and they’re all transported to crazy-land.

In trying to compete with the more seismic MCU films — in going big — this franchise loses some of its charm.

At its best,  Quantumania  plays out like an episode of 1960s  Star Trek , those hefty themes and more — idealism, abandonment, morality, identity — explored within the context of a wild universe inhabited by wackadoodle aliens. It’s scripted by sometime  Rick And Morty  writer Jeff Loveness, which is clear via the more surreal highlights — the creature curious about human holes; the walking, talking broccoli; the take on Marvel Comics legend MODOK, an utterly ridiculous killing machine, the film gleefully leaning into his silliness.

The madness, though, feels somehow restrained. There are imaginative set-pieces, notably a bit where Scott encounters endless versions of himself, but they feel like lesser versions of things we’ve seen before — in  The Matrix , say, or, even in the MCU itself (nothing here matches the invention of  Doctor Strange ’s trippier sequences). And throughout, you can practically smell the green-screen — as good as the CGI is, there’s just so much of it. This film makes the  Star Wars  prequels seem subtle, and what is there never feels quite freaky enough, especially as it lurches towards an all-too conventional climax.

The edge is missing across the board. Considering this is the first MCU film to introduce the new Big Bad for the foreseeable, the motivations for Jonathan Majors ’ timeline-controlling, world-vanquishing Kang The Conqueror seem somewhat nebulous. And despite the story presenting huge consequences, it all feels peculiarly inconsequential, more interested in paving the way for what comes next. In trying to compete with the more seismic MCU films — in going big — this franchise loses some of its charm. Ant-Man is better small.

And yet… Majors is an enthralling watch. His Kang — or at least, this particular variant — is furtive and odd, a world, a history behind his eyes. Kang is formidable and intimidating, but Majors imbues him with inherent eccentricity, captivatingly so, making the multiversal villain multi-dimensional. The best scenes are not the ones populated by bizarro creatures, but the ones involving Majors and Pfeiffer just talking, thrashing out their complex history. A sizeable chunk of the film is just that, and it’s tense, chewy stuff, proper back-to-basics human interaction.

If it’s a shame the rest of the film is lacking that, there is at least enough of it to hang on to, and enough goofiness to have a laugh with, including some pretty cool ant shenanigans.  Quantumania  might be more lightweight than it thinks it is, but it’s got a few surprises up its sleeve, drawing on decades of the comic’s nuttier ideas. The MODOK merch is coming.

For more content like this take a look at our Members site and try a Digital Membership for just 99p!

Related Articles

Movies | 07 05 2024

Movies | 22 02 2024

Movies | 20 12 2023

Movies | 08 08 2023

TV Series | 31 07 2023

Movies | 21 02 2023

Movies | 20 01 2023

Movies | 18 01 2023

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election results
• Google trends
• AP & Elections
• College football
• Auto Racing
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Review: A Marvel villain comes into focus in ‘Ant-Man 3’

This image released by Disney shows Paul Rudd, from left, Kathryn Newton and Evangeline Lilly in a scene from “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” (Disney/Marvel Studios via AP)

This image released by Disney shows Evangeline Lilly and Paul Rudd in a scene from “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” (Disney/Marvel Studios via AP)

This image released by Disney shows Michael Douglas, from left, Michelle Pfeiffer and Evangeline Lilly in a scene from “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” (Disney/Marvel Studios via AP)

This image released by Disney shows Kathryn Newton, left, and Paul Rudd in a scene from “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” (Disney/Marvel Studios via AP)

This image released by Disney shows Paul Rudd, left, and Jonathan Majors in a scene from “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” (Disney/Marvel Studios via AP)

This image released by Disney shows Paul Rudd in a scene from “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” (Disney/Marvel Studios via AP)

This image released by Disney shows Jonathan Majors in a scene from “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” (Disney/Marvel Studios via AP)

• Copy Link copied

Peyton Reed’s “Ant-Man” films have generally served as a kind of palate cleanser to the world-ending stakes of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang is just an ordinary dude, or so they keep telling us, who still can’t really believe that he’s part of the Avengers at all. He gets to be the wide-eyed middle-aged fanboy of the group in those films. In his own films, he’s just living a blue-sky life in San Francisco as an affable single dad and ex-con who was once fired from Baskin Robbins and who has occasional enemies to defeat.

In this third film, “ Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania ,” in theaters Thursday, he’s coasting on his own post-Blip celebrity with a best-selling memoir out, lots of fans around town and a generally sunny disposition — when he’s not breaking his teenage daughter Cassie (now played by Kathryn Newton, always an enjoyable presence) out of jail for civil disobedience.

There is a fun, light, sitcom-y touch to these early scenes in which he and his makeshift family, Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) sit around the table for takeout pizza. They use their particle technology to blow up the tiny pie.

“I just saved us $8,” Pym declares proudly.

But Ant-Man is part of the larger chess board of the MCU, so naturally he’s doomed to be sucked into the multiverse mess, setting up pieces for more Avengers films to come with the introduction of a new villain, Kang (played with a maniacal sorrow by the great Jonathan Majors). And the results are mixed. Reed has returned to direct with a new writer, Jeff Loveness, who has also been tapped to write “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” and it’s hard not to empathize with both for the logic gymnastics required to back Ant-Man and his gang into this conflict.

Loveness, who cut his teeth in comedy and has an affinity for comic book and B-movie absurdities, gives Ant-Man his own “Star Wars”-adjacent adventure. There’s quite a bit of unrest in the Quantum Realm, with scrappy rebels battling against a powerful ruler with an army of faceless soldiers. But he takes that conceit further and gives the rebels some personality and humor, including William Jackson Harper as the mind-reading Quaz. The villain’s a killing machine, M.O.D.O.K., that looks (knowingly) straight out of a “Mystery Science Theater 3000” movie and it is quite entertaining. It’s both a nod to the fun of the ridiculousness in sci-fi and a reminder that Serious Superhero Films are sometimes just one crazy special effect away from being Silly Superhero Films.

“Quantumania” also gives Pfeiffer a lot more to do as we, and Hank and Hope, learn a little bit more about Janet’s 30 years in the Quantum Realm and the various compromises and allegiances she made to stay alive. Pfeiffer is an unambiguous delight and the real center of the movie despite what the title might claim. Ant-Man just finds himself in the middle of the mess, which starts to drag on in a muddle of sci-fi furnishings that individually are probably quite inspired and interesting but together just blend into a dreary mess.

It’s a shame because Reed’s films are generally so crisp and styled and are best when focused on characters, not worlds and Quantum Realms. “Quantumania” shines when it is keeping things light and quippy.

But Kang, for what we can assume are bigger story needs, needs to be more serious. Majors is certainly chilling and captivating, but Kang seems like a mismatched foe for a standalone Ant-Man film and the result is a “Quantumania” that is trying to be too many things. One thing it is not is a Wasp movie, though. Lilly gets a lot to do but not a lot of — or any — character development.

“Quantumania” sticks the ending, however. Without giving anything away, we’ll just say that Reed and Rudd get to return to their sweet spot, with a bit of a twist.

“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” a Walt Disney release in theaters Thursday, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for “some sci-fi action violence.” Running time: 122 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

MPA Definition of PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr.

Advertisement

Supported by

‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Review: Splat

The latest installment in the Marvel franchise never takes flight despite its hard-working cast, led by Paul Rudd and a new villain played by Jonathan Majors.

• Share full article

By Manohla Dargis

Busy, noisy and thoroughly uninspired, “Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is the latest, though doubtless not the last, installment in a Marvel franchise that took unsteady flight in 2015. Simply titled “ Ant-Man ,” that first movie was two hours of nonsense and branding, and disappointing enough to suggest that the character would be more farm-team material than A-lister. Given Marvel’s own superpowers, though, the movie turned out to be a hit, ensuring that the buggy guy would dart around for a while. Three years later, the agreeably buoyant sequel “ Ant-Man and the Wasp ” followed, and was an even greater success.

“Quantumania” will most likely vacuum up yet more cash, partly because there’s not much else shiny and new in theaters now, never mind that this movie isn’t especially new or shiny. A hash of recycled ideas and schtick, it borrows from Frank Herbert’s “Dune,” the “Star Wars” cycle and Marvel’s own annals and largely serves as a launching pad for a new villain, Kang (Jonathan Majors). Once again, after some perfunctory table-setting, Ant-Man a.k.a. Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and his brainiac romantic partner, Hope Van Dyne a.k.a. the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), suit up, flying high and zipping low to save their family and the world amid quips, the usual obstacles and household drama. (Kathryn Newton plays the Ant kid.)

Directed by Peyton Reed from Jeff Loveness’s barely-there script (the first movies each had multiple writers), “Quantumania” bops along innocuously at first, buoyed by the charm and professionalism of its performers and by your narrative expectations. Something is going to happen. After some jokey blather and reintroductions (hello again, Michael Douglas), it does, and once again Ant-Man et al. are sucked into the so-called Quantum Realm, a woo-woo alternative universe filled with swirls of color and looming threats. It’s there that Hope’s mother, Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer), as you’re laboriously reminded, spent many enigmatic years and where, after the some narrative delay, the mysteries of that adventure are revealed.

The Realm features darkly ominous hues, fractal shapes, biomorphic organisms, streams of fire and strange beings, including Bill Murray, as a lord, who briefly drifts in on the vapors of his celebrity and flirts with Pfeiffer before drifting out to cash his paycheck. Murray notwithstanding, there are enough attractions to keep your eyes engaged, and the creature design is fairly witty. It isn’t pretty; the palette runs toward dun and dull red with slashes of marine blue. But it is diverting to see how movies realize alternative realities, and at least some of the C.G.I. wizards here — who do yeoman’s work in movies like “Quantumania” — seem to have spent time studying the deep-space images captured by the Hubble Telescope.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

Marvel’s ‘ant-man and the wasp: quantumania’: first reactions from world premiere.

The 31st entry in the MCU hits theaters Feb. 17.

By Abid Rahman

Abid Rahman

International Editor, Digital

• Share on Facebook
• Share to Flipboard
• Send an Email
• Show additional share options
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Pinterest
• Share on Reddit
• Share on Tumblr
• Share on Whats App
• Print the Article
• Post a Comment

Marvel ‘s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was unveiled to a Los Angeles audience following its world premiere at the Regency Westwood Theatre on Monday night.

The official review embargo for Ant-Man 3 breaks on Tuesday, Feb. 14, at 9 a.m. PT, but the social media embargo for early reactions lifted after the premiere.

Related Stories

Elizabeth olsen is "happy" to return to marvel, but only "if there's a good way to use" scarlet witch, 'friendship' review: netflix funnyman tim robinson conquers the big screen in a squirmy bro-com co-starring paul rudd.

The film also stars Jonathan Majors as Kang, the next chief villain of Marvel’s Phase Five.

Jeff Loveness wrote the screenplay for the movie and is also set to write the upcoming The Kang Dynasty , which will star Majors.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania opens in theaters Feb. 17.

Read a sampling of the reactions from the premiere posted to social media below.

PHASE 5 HAS BEGUN! The new #AntMan movie is like a psychedelic rollercoaster full of frightening & hilarious oddities, plus one VERY menacing Kang. Big STAR WARS vibes meet the MCU at its freakiest & most inventive. MODOK is a riot, but Jonathan Majors conquers. Loved the ride! pic.twitter.com/gdJqHld3rT — Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) February 7, 2023

#AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania is the best of the trilogy. Higher stakes, dangers & repercussions. Its also got one the best MCU villains in #Kang . As soon as #JonathanMayors comes in, its his show. Kang is a scary lean-mean multiverse big baddie. Also, 2 cool post credits scenes. pic.twitter.com/t1V8HP2dsO — Fico Cangiano (@FicoCangiano) February 7, 2023

There comes a point where every franchise has to get weird, and the MCU has done just that with #AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania . Like all his other roles, Jonathan Majors remains endlessly compelling. 👍👍 pic.twitter.com/cxWEcoKTze — Brian Davids (@PickYourBrian) February 7, 2023

#Quantumania is definitely Marvel’s weirdest movie yet…but that’s a good thing! It leans hard into the sci-fi side of the MCU, taking lots of wild swings. Not everything lands, but it’s funny, inventive, and a good time. An enjoyable, bizarro ride into the quantum realm. pic.twitter.com/OvRotfAEQR — Daniel Howat (@howatdk) February 7, 2023

Had a blast with #AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania Paul Rudd has never been better & Jonathan Majors effortlessly conquers every second of screen-time he gets, BUT the real star of the film is Jeff Loveness’ script: a reminder of how beautifully strange & mysterious the MCU still is. pic.twitter.com/MYoL6WPlmU — Dempsey Pillot (@DempseyPillot) February 7, 2023

After a frustratingly rough act 1, #AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania finally gets going, only to end where this story should’ve began. While the external stakes are clear & weighty, emotional drive felt slight (and levity even lighter). That said, Jonathan Majors rules. pic.twitter.com/qpZeKTgdUd — Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) February 7, 2023

Thanos was the appetizer while Jonathan Majors #KangTheConqueror is the main course Majors plays Kang with brilliance and confidence; a menacing and cunning villain with a hint of charm. Kang dominates physically and mentally #AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania pic.twitter.com/LOmAUlqdIj — Geek Vibes Nation (@GeekVibesNation) February 7, 2023

Jonathan Majors is a force in #AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania . He’s compelling, chilling, and already giving a top notch performance. I love the complexity he brings to Kang with literally a single look. MCU really won with this casting pic.twitter.com/4W8VCLGFBv — Nora Dominick (@noradominick) February 7, 2023

#AntManandtheWaspQuantumania starts Phase 5 with a bang, playing like a Star Wars-esque epic space opera. Jonathan Majors is truly haunting as #Kang , on course to be a scarier threat than Thanos and has all the makings of an iconic cinematic villain. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/KB9lad7EAt — Marvel Tesseract (@Mar_Tesseract) February 7, 2023

#antmanandtheWaspQuantumania has two very important aspects: They lowered the jokes times 20 and #JonathanMajors is incredible as #KangtheConqueror . #Kang is the villain that the MCU really needed. Thank you #Majors for elevating my expectations, Phase 5 looks promising. pic.twitter.com/ELAudketGR — AtabeyTv (@AtabeyTv) February 7, 2023

#AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania was well balanced and fast paced. I loved the father/daughter moments in the movie. Jonathan Majors is a beast as Kang. With Black Panther and now #AntManAndTheWasp it feels like @MarvelStudios is back on track. Excited to see it again! pic.twitter.com/p5J0Fm7xF1 — Emmanuel Gomez (@MannyGomezMedia) February 7, 2023

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP QUANTUMANIA is a VISUAL FEAST packed w/ SURPRISES (big & small). A WILD RIDE from start to finish. Jonathan Majors CONQUERS as Kang, the Dynasty is here. Paul Rudd is as lovable as ever & 2 Post Credit scenes! #AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania #Quantumania pic.twitter.com/oHJwrKtwy3 — Ashley Saunders (@ThatAshleyErin) February 7, 2023

#AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania shows us that KANG is here to DOMINATE. Jonathan Majors is a threat that will hopefully shake the core of the MCU. It works best when the team is together but pacing & story suffer when they’re apart. Wish this stuck with me more. #AntMan #Kang pic.twitter.com/aduVzGfq17 — Shahbaz 🔜 #SDCC (@shayhbaz) February 7, 2023

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA is a blast, and finally answers some of the "where is the MCU going?" questions. Takes a minute to pick up, but has some great action scenes, creative visuals and a terrific villain in Kang. A solid start to Phase 5. #AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania pic.twitter.com/SaAwnZwOre — Shaurya Chawla (@_ShauryaChawla) February 7, 2023

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Paramount snags fall’s hottest sales title ‘september 5,’ shaking up oscar race (exclusive), box office: ‘beetlejuice beetlejuice’ stays no. 1 as ‘speak no evil’ impresses and ‘killer’s game’ bombs, toronto: mike flanagan’s ‘the life of chuck’ wins audience award, toronto: why rebel wilson will only direct musicals, ‘the deb’ review: rebel wilson’s directorial debut is a campy, mixed-bag teen musical, ‘speak no evil’ filmmaker james watkins says his 2008 debut was a reference for the 2022 danish film he’s now remade.

Screen Rant

Ant-man and the wasp: quantumania review - kang kicks off phase 5 with a bang.

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Jason Statham's 2011 Action-Packed Thriller Movie Is Coming To Netflix In October

Beetlejuice beetlejuice ending: lydia's nightmare explained by writers, 10 most ridiculous mcu fights we still can’t believe happened.

After an experimental Phase 4 that introduced a host of new characters, Marvel Studios is launching Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania . The movie has the dual tasks of not only rounding out Paul Rudd's Ant-Man trilogy that kicked off back in 2015, but setting the stage for what's to come in Phase Five, which is part of the franchise's Multiverse Saga. Thankfully, director Peyton Reed and writer Jeff Loveness are up to the task. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a solid start to the MCU's Phase 5, working well to serve Scott Lang's story and introduce the menacing Kang.

Available To Stream On Disney+

As its name implies, Quantumania sees Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man (Rudd), get dragged into the Quantum Realm alongside his daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton), his superhero and romantic partner Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and her parents, Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). Once there, Janet is confronted with her past and all five are targeted by Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), a terrifying being who has laid waste to much of the Quantum Realm. Working together, the family has to figure out a way to get home without letting Kang get free of the Quantum Realm.

Related: 6 MCU Movies & Shows To Rewatch Before Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania

Quantumania is quite a different kind of Ant-Man movie. Whereas past films in the trilogy were much more grounded than other MCU movies, and often had lower stakes, Quantumania takes its characters to a very fantastical world and raises the stakes exponentially. Still, Loveness and Reed manage to make the movie feel like it fits within the Ant-Man canon, due in large part to the characters. Rudd's Scott Lang has been established and developed not only over the course of the Ant-Man trilogy, but other Avengers team-ups like Endgame and Captain America: Civil War . As such, his humor and his desire to be a good dad help to ground everything fantastical about the Quantum Realm and Scott's adventure.

This also works well as a contrast to the movie's main villain, who, other than Scott, is Quantumania's primary focus. Kang is larger than life, speaking about time in a way that feels unfathomable to a regular human like Scott, and it's this contrast with Rudd's hero that makes Majors' villain so menacing. When Rudd and Majors are onscreen together, Quantumania is truly exhilarating, showcasing exactly what makes the MCU so special — talented actors bringing to life these epic stories of good and evil. It helps that the remainder of the cast are exceptionally strong, too. Newton's Cassie gets some great moments of her own, though it's Pfeiffer's Janet who shines brightest after Rudd and Majors. Douglas also has some fantastic line deliveries that bring a lot of Ant-Man's signature humor to the film. Lilly has a lot less to do in this movie than past Ant-Man outings, but has a few moments. The scene-stealer, though, is the actor who plays M.O.D.O.K. , who's an absolute delight in Quantumania .

Overall, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania manages to successfully be both a fantastic addition to the Ant-Man trilogy — perhaps even the best of the bunch — and set the stage for what's to come in the MCU's Phase Five. Reed and Loveness accomplish this by balancing the stories of Scott Lang and Kang, making them the most important characters of the movie. While that means others get left a little by the wayside, particularly Lilly's Hope, it makes for a much stronger movie. Quantumania isn't necessarily the MCU's riskiest outing, it doesn't take many chances and instead feels like the product of a well-oiled machine, but after nearly 15 years of Marvel films, it's both fresh and familiar enough to satisfy general audiences.

As such, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a must-see for Marvel fans, not only because it's a genuinely entertaining addition to the MCU, but because it's important to the overarching story of Phase 5 and the Multiverse Saga . That said, though there are aspects of Quantumania that are best enjoyed by those who have seen the previous Ant-Man movies, they aren't necessarily required viewing to understand this film. As with many MCU movies, Quantumania is most rewarding to those who have invested in the franchise, but is enjoyable enough even for casual viewers. Still, the real draw of the movie is Majors' Kang, who's poised to be the next major villain of the MCU and, while Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania effectively sets up the big bad, it also makes plenty of room for the little guy.

More: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Trailer

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania releases in theaters February 17. The film is 125 minutes long and raged PG-13 for violence/action, and language.

Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a sequel to 2018's  Ant-Man and the Wasp and is part of the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe. Jonathan Majors returns as a variant of He Who Remains from the Loki TV Series named Kang the Conqueror. In addition to returning cast members Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, and Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathryn Newton makes her MCU debut as Cassandra "Cassie" Lang, Scott’s daughter. When Cassie activates a signal to the Quantum Realm, she, Hope, Janet Van Dyne, Hank Pym, and Scott are pulled into the dimension, embarking on a chaotic journey the likes of which the Marvel Universe has never seen.

Key Release Dates

Guardians of the galaxy vol. 3, blade (2025), avengers: the kang dynasty, avengers: secret wars.

• 4 star movies

Things you buy through our links may earn  Vox Media  a commission.

This Is a Cry for Help

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is an atrocious movie, but it’s atrocious in a way that Marvel movies rarely are. Up until now, the films of the MCU have for the most part managed to strike up a decent blend of sentiment, jokey humor, and superhero derring-do. When they succeed, it’s because most of these elements are firing at full blast. When they fail, it’s usually because they pushed too hard in one direction or another — the movies are either too sentimental, or comic, or cluttered with unimpressive action scenes. I’ve loved and hated my share of these films (and, as a parent, I’ve had to see just about all of them multiple times), but I’ve never been quite so stupefied by one the way I was by Quantumania .

Save for a relatively brief, breezy opening section set in the Marvel present, where Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has written a memoir about his eventful life as Ant-Man and his experiences saving the world in the wake of the Thanos Snap and the ensuing battles, the vast majority of Quantumania takes place in the Quantum Realm, that deadly microworld that you fall into if you shrink so much that you find yourself slipping between subatomic particles. As you may remember, Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) was rescued from that land in the previous Ant-Man film. Now, she reveals that she wasn’t alone down there — that a whole universe of beings exists in the Quantum Realm, elaborate and diverse alien tribes in seemingly constant conflict. Among them, we learn, is Kang (Jonathan Majors), an enigmatic traveler whom Janet initially befriended, thinking he was a wayward soul who had accidentally wound up in this dimension. It turned out, however, that Kang was a dangerous, imperious, all-powerful being who had been exiled to the Quantum Realm from his own world.

What does any of this have to do with Ant-Man or the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly)? Within what feels like the first 15 or so minutes of the movie, our heroes wind up getting sucked into the Quantum Realm (alongside Janet and her husband Hank Pym, played again by Michael Douglas) when Scott’s daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton) begins sending signals into this world in an effort to map it. It all happens so quickly that I wondered if I was watching a dream sequence.

Look, I’m getting bored just typing all this up. More concerningly, it looks like the filmmakers themselves were bored putting it onscreen. When Janet told us there were people down there, she wasn’t kidding: There are rebel tribes, and smugglers, and intricate new aliens, and queasy alliances, and new spaceships, and cantinas. Maybe director Peyton Reed and his collaborators thought they were making a Star Wars movie; the protagonists’ adventures in the Quantum Realm at times look like they were meant to be a knockoff version of George Lucas’s space operas, albeit in compressed form. Or maybe they all just watched Taika Waititi’s Thor Ragnarok once.

But good luck finding any of Lucas’s earnestness or imagination, or Waititi’s irreverent prankster sensibility, here. Our heroes’ journeys through the Quantum Realm are presented in totally listless fashion, with the performances failing to convey either the wonderment or terror that the characters should presumably be feeling. Everyone just kind of wanders through this movie — through its elaborate, colorful, cluttered psychedelic-album-cover-style environments. They occasionally crack jokes or cross their arms. Nothing seems to match. If you told me that the actors had been shot before the filmmakers decided what they would be looking at or interacting with, I’d believe you.

Even Majors, a fine actor who can usually muster up intensity with seemingly little effort, doesn’t seem to know what to do with Kang. Most of his performance involves walking around and softly muttering his dialogue. You keep waiting for the menace or the grandiosity or the vengefulness to ratchet up — we’re told that Kang is a terrifying, nearly omnipotent being who needs to be prevented from ever escaping the Quantum Realm, lest he destroy the universe — but aside from a few unconvincing, late-inning battle sequences, there really doesn’t seem to be much to Kang. Yes, he can make people levitate and shoot lasers out of his hands, but really, does that feel particularly special in the Marvel world?

So the film fails on a basic, meat-and-potatoes comic-book-movie level. It doesn’t even manage to clearly explain the magic doodad (there’s always a magic doodad) our heroes have to recover this time. More importantly, it fails to make you feel anything, which is odd since part of the story involves Ant-Man’s desperate attempts to save his daughter, as ostensibly relatable and immediate a character motivation as one can imagine. But it’s all executed with such little commitment (by otherwise talented actors) that the end result is numb alienation, which is probably not a thing you’re supposed to want from a superhero flick. The action is tired, the universe unconvincing, and nobody onscreen looks like they want to be there. They don’t even look like they know where there is.

Quantumania makes you appreciate even more the achievement of something like the Avatar films. There, too, we have mostly ornate, visual-effects-created environments, but they’ve been thoroughly imagined and fully thought through; there’s a vision to them, a consistency and inner logic to go with the awe, which helps with immersion. The Quantum Realm, by contrast, looks like armies of artists and technicians just tossed in whatever struck their fancy. Maybe this patchwork quality was intentional, but as expressed onscreen, it’s a dog’s breakfast of fantasy elements.

The first Ant-Man , one of the high points of the whole Marvel cinematic project, was distinguished by its goofy humor and smaller-scale story. At a time when MCU films seemed to be leaning further toward overarching story lines and portentous mythology (all in an effort to build up to the final Avengers pictures, at least one of which was terrific), it came like a breath of fresh air. The smaller scale has all but vanished this time, but some element of the humor remains, albeit in the strangest possible way. Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), the villain of the first film, is reincarnated by Kang as MODOK, a giant, distorted, pathetic head inside a diving-bell-like contraption, with tiny, weak limbs. He looks like a Minion and Max Headroom had a baby. I won’t lie; I did laugh whenever he was onscreen. I’d probably watch a MODOK spinoff series.

But it’s hard to decide if Quantumania needs more of this kind of joke, or less. There are a few other stabs at cheeky humor, including a gelatinous creature that gets very excited at the thought of having holes. (It’s funny the first two times it eagerly says “holes,” but eventually you start to live in fear of another “holes” line.) The problem isn’t that such bits aren’t funny — they sometimes are — but that they reveal a noxious carelessness beneath the slipshod filmmaking. This is not humor designed to enhance what you’re seeing, or even to cleverly undercut it. There’s a lifeless bitterness to it all, like a dumb, nothing-matters joke you might make while working a tedious, demeaning job you can’t wait to leave. I’m sure it’ll make lots of money, but Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania might be the first time I’ve ever found myself genuinely sorry for the people who make one of these movies. It feels like a cry for help.

More Movie Reviews

• You’d Think Watching Tilda Swinton in an Apocalypse Movie Musical Would Be Fun
• The Speak No Evil Remake Is Sillier (and Better) Than the Original
• Girls Will Be Girls Sneaks Up on You
• vulture homepage lede
• vulture section lede
• movie review
• ant-man and the wasp: quantumania
• evangeline lilly
• michael douglas
• michelle pfeiffer
• peyton reed
• marvel's m.o.d.o.k.
• marvel cinematic universe
• corey stoll
• jonathan majors

Most Viewed Stories

• Cinematrix No. 173: September 15, 2024
• The 13 Best Movies and TV Shows to Watch This Weekend
• Nothing’s Shocking About Jane’s Addiction Fighting at Reunion
• Rebel Ridge ’s Unexpectedly Non-Violent Ending, Explained By Jeremy Saulnier
• Selling Sunset ’s Emma Hernan Isn’t Sure She’ll Return After Being ‘Blindsided’
• The Speak No Evil Remake’s Ending Is a Cowardly Cop-out

Editor’s Picks

Most Popular

What is your email.

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

• Lower case letters (a-z)
• Upper case letters (A-Z)
• Numbers (0-9)
• Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania review - Kang rules a messy Marvel caper

Welcome to the kang dynasty.

TechRadar Verdict

A fun but flawed third solo (duo?) outing, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a solid introduction to Kang and the conflict set to arrive in future Marvel movies. However, building the foundations of the MCU's next two phases comes at the expense of its own story, losing the more personal touch that made earlier Ant-Man films so entertaining.

A wondrous sci-fi exploration adventure

Jonathan Majors kills it as Kang

Fun size-changing set-pieces

Sub-par effects work

Undercooked character exploration

Too focused on franchise-building

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

- Arrives in theaters on February 17 - Third movie in Ant-Man's film series - First project in Marvel's Phase 5 slate - Written by Jeff Loveness - Directed by Peyton Reed - Stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, and Jonathan Majors among others

Ant-Man and its sequel – Ant-Man and the Wasp – both served as fairly low-stakes, largely standalone stories in the interconnected Marvel universe. For fans watching every Marvel movie in order , these fun heist films acted like palate cleansers amid the sweeping, universe-shaking storylines playing out across its siblings. For Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) newcomers, they work just fine on their own, too.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the opposite. The first Marvel Phase 5 movie hinges on viewers having watched the other two Ant-Man films (at the very least). Equally, it's tasked with setting up the conflict between the MCU's superheroes and the next multi-film big bad, aka Kang the Conqueror , played with outstanding pathos here by Jonathan Majors ( Lovecraft Country ).

As the opening act to a bigger story, Quantumania feels suitably interesting. It's a sweeping sci-fi epic in a bizarre alien world rather than a low-key heist, which sets up Majors’ Kang as a force to be reckoned with. However, as a singular entity, it feels somewhat overloaded, with main characters and their personal arcs lost among a wave of CGI, and a performance by Majors that runs circles around his scene partners. 

Small heroes, big villain

Ant-Man 3 's plot follows three generations of size-changing superheroes: Paul Rudd's Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Evangeline Lily's Hope Van Dyne/Wasp, Michael Douglas' Hank Pym, and Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet Van Dyne all returning from the diminutive hero's first two outings. The quartet are joined by Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang, Scott’s teenage daughter who, without spoiling too much, adopts her own superhero pseudonym during the course of the flick. Chaos ensues when all five are sucked into the subatomic Quantum Realm, where they grapple with Majors’ Kang, a technologically advanced multiversal warlord. 

The heart of the film should be Scott’s changing relationship with Cassie – they begin the film butting heads over her idealistic activism – and theirs is the main emotional throughline. However, the real center of the movie is Majors – and Marvel’s big drive to orbit the next slate of movies around him starts here. 

The execution isn’t up to the bar set by the likes of Avatar: The Way of Water

Kang dominates every scene he’s in, every inch the reluctant conqueror. Gravitas oozes out of him whether he’s lying in the dirt having lost his way or sprawled upon his Time Chair throne. Without spoiling much, if he continues to deliver on this promise of a multifaceted, multi-film performance, it will cement Majors as one of the all-time great supervillain actors by the time he’s done fighting the Avengers.

Rudd and Lily, on the other hand, don’t seem to be having quite as much fun acting against CGI monsters and backgrounds. I’m reminded a little of those behind-the-scenes videos of the Star Wars prequels, where actors can be seen gamely doing their best in a void. Neither seems to be able to summon up much emotion once they get to the Quantum Realm and the action beats kick in. There are some occasionally touching scenes between Cassie, Scott, and Hope, but some of the film’s best acting is done when Pfeiffer and Majors get to act up a storm one-on-one, or when the core five are sat around the family dinner table. It was the personal, emotion-driven stakes that made the first two Ant-Man films so appealing. It's a pity this aspect of the franchise, then, is relegated here.

Everyone else does well with the material they’re given, but there will be no Oscar buzz around Quantumania ’s acting in the same way there was around Angela Bassett in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever . Kathryn Newton is convincingly earnest as Cassie Lang, elevating the character's role in the MCU and potentially acting as a step towards a Young Avengers movie. David Dastmalchian is back in a new voice role as ooze-based Quantum Realm denizen Veb, Corey Stoll returns as MODOK (more on him shortly), and Douglas is still enjoyable as Pym's sarcastic size-changing inventor. Bill Murray has a small role but, like all his most recent performances, he largely plays himself, which is a tad immersion-breaking.

Larger than life

As for the Quantum Realm, it's a swirling CGI environment with a wide variety of bizarre biomes, from lush mushroom forests to Mad Max -inspired caravan trains across desert flats, and the almost-obligatory cantina scene ripped straight from Star Wars : A New Hope . At its best, Ant-Man 3 's primary locale is a gorgeous backdrop to a bit of Kang-driven character drama, and its inventiveness in design bleeds over to the weird and wonderful creatures that inhabit each section of the realm. 

Kang dominates every scene he’s in, every inch the reluctant conqueror

Even the wildest original designs, though, can’t compare to the sheer giddiness I felt at seeing the legendary Marvel villain MODOK onscreen in all his glory. A giant head with tiny arms and legs in a floating hover-chair, the MCU is at a point in its life where even the wackiest comic-book designs can be ripped from the pages with few alterations – and MODOK is one of the silliest, most disgusting, outright hilarious looks in all the Marvel multiverse. I love that big head with all my heart, and Peyton Reed and Kevin Feige came through for me. The way the story brought him into the fold was a smart move, even if it does differ from the source material. I never thought I would see MODOK’s naked little baby butt, either, but here we are.

As fun as the designs may be, the execution isn’t up to the bar set by the likes of Avatar: The Way of Water . When the cast interact with an alien beast, for example, the physics are nowhere near as convincing as that viral hand shot in Avatar: Way of Water 's first trailer , and the pitched battles are more reminiscent of the confusing mess of Aquaman than the sweeping conflicts in Lord of the Rings . The direction during those fight scenes was competent, almost workmanlike, and not enough to prevent my attention wandering. At least the size-changing effects are neat and there are a couple of sequences focused around the different uses of that power that are pleasantly inventive. 

Dawn of a new phase

As a solo Ant-Man movie, Quantumania doesn’t work as well as the first two. It’s a middling comic-book adventure romp focused around exploring this new realm – something I might have expected out of the forthcoming Fantastic Four film. But, despite taking us to strange new places in a physical sense, the characters are largely static. None of them really advance or evolve enough to make their arcs compelling, which might be down to splitting the cast up early in proceedings to give equal weight to each narrative.

It does work well, though, as a franchise-builder. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a fitting introduction to 2025’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty , and it tees up Cassie Lang to take her role as Stature in, well, whatever awaits her next. In the comics, she's been a part of Young Avengers alongside new Hawkeye Kate Bishop, the Captain America analog Patriot, America Chavez, and Scarlet Witch’s children – all of whom have now been introduced in the MCU. Although no Young Avengers project has been announced, it would be naive to think this isn’t the plan, as Chris Hemsworth and Benedict Cumberbatch won’t be under contract forever.

Despite some unconvincing effects work and suffering from future-film-setup-syndrome, this is a fun but flawed opener for the next phase of Marvel movies. It’s got enough going for it that dedicated MCU fans will likely enjoy it anyway. In an era where diehard Marvel fans and general cinephiles have questioned the direction Marvel Phase 4 went (and where its next projects are going from story perspectives), though, Ant-Man 3 isn't the triumphant, gi-ant sized flick many will have hoped for.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania lands in theaters worldwide on Friday, February 17.

Matt is TechRadar's expert on all things fitness, wellness and wearable tech. A former staffer at Men's Health, he holds a Master's Degree in journalism from Cardiff and has written for brands like Runner's World, Women's Health, Men's Fitness, LiveScience and Fit&Well on everything fitness tech, exercise, nutrition and mental wellbeing.

Matt's a keen runner, ex-kickboxer, not averse to the odd yoga flow, and insists everyone should stretch every morning. When he’s not training or writing about health and fitness, he can be found reading doorstop-thick fantasy books with lots of fictional maps in them.

How to watch Married at First Sight UK season 9 online anywhere

Texans vs Bears live stream: How to watch NFL 2024 game online

Samsung's massive sale ends today: save over $1,000 on TVs, watches and phones

Most Popular

• 2 Flappy Bird reboot will never match the awfulness of the original and that's a problem
• 3 Google Pixel 9 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: two AI champions compared
• 4 Researchers design tech that could 'potentially replace solar cells' in certain applications — novel supercapacitor is charged by light and could appear in a smartphone near you
• 5 We’re witnessing the death of the graphics card in real time right now, and I couldn’t be happier about it

'Ant-Man and the Wasp' review: Jonathan Majors shines as Marvel's 'Quantumania' veers off track

“Ant-Man” films  used to be the fun heist movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe , full of sci-fi strangeness and Paul Rudd's  shrinking ex-con/superhero dad, and existing as needed humorous breaks from the higher-stakes “Avengers” extravaganzas.

These days, nothing is safe from becoming an all-out Marvel epic, and so goes “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” (★★½ out of four; rated PG-13; in theaters now). Gone are the usual quirky personalities and breezy shenanigans (we miss you, ginormous Hello Kitty Pez dispenser!), though returning director Peyton Reed pumps in enough family bonding and signature whimsy to complement the massive world building and a new time-traveling big bad played by a terrific Jonathan Majors . Laying important groundwork for Marvel’s film future unfortunately means losing some of the franchise’s essential scrappy charm.

Sexiest Man Alive: Chris Evans, Paul Rudd, Michael B. Jordan, more recipients through the years

After helping to save galactic existence (see: “Avengers: Endgame” ), Scott Lang (Rudd) is feeling pretty good about himself, enjoying the celebrity life in San Francisco and doing readings from his memoir. His 18-year-old daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton), who shares her ex-con father’s tendency to get in trouble with the law, thinks he should be less complacent with the heroing and still be looking out for the little guy.

They’ve formed a close-knit unit with Scott’s partner Hope Van Dyne, aka the Wasp ( Evangeline Lilly) , her mom Janet ( Michelle Pfeiffer ) and her dad Hank Pym ( Michael Douglas ), who hatched the size-changing technology behind Ant-Man's and the Wasp’s powers. Cassie has been getting a crash course in superhero science and experimenting with sending a signal to the subatomic Quantum Realm. Janet’s not too pleased, since she was stuck there for 30 years and has been keeping secrets since, and a mishap sends them all down there “Wizard of Oz” style.

Jonathan Majors: From Kang to 'Magazine Dreams,' 'Ant-Man' actor sculpts his body to match his movies

After being split up, Janet uses her knowledge of the place to try and find sanctuary for Hope and Hank. Meanwhile, Scott and Cassie meet an oddball group of freedom fighters and ultimately the scarred face that runs the place. Exiled to the Quantum Realm, Kang the Conqueror (Majors) coolly boasts about killing Avengers in assorted timelines but needs to use Scott’s penchant for stealing stuff to escape his current predicament.

The recent MCU, especially with its movie output, hasn’t been all that welcoming for total newcomers and “Quantumania” is not the place to start your superhero quest. (In fact, let’s give out some homework: The Disney+ “Loki” series is an extremely helpful watch to understanding the Kang business.) Like “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” “Quantumania” crams a ton in so it can shape a piece of a larger story. If you’re a hardcore fan, it’s all good. But it does complicate matters for the more casual viewer (assuming those still exist).

Ranked:  Every Marvel superhero movie (including 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever')

Reed’s film does wonders mapping out the spiffy landscape of the Quantum Realm with jaw-dropping beings and splendid sights, all with a “Mad Max at the ‘Star Wars’ cantina” vibe. Bill Murray drops in as the eccentric Krylar, a shady character Janet knows well, while Scott and Cassie even meet a Guardians of the Galaxy-type misfit crew, including telepath Quaz (William Jackson Harper) and warrior Jentorra (Katy O’Brian). Yet these interesting new players get limited screen time thanks to a busy narrative with endless Ant-Men, a guy with broccoli for a head and forced callbacks.

Majors thankfully rights the ship every time he pops up with his deliciously disconcerting presence. Kang's deal is slightly more confusing than the last MCU big bad, a large purple alien collecting pieces of jewelry . One day, though, we'll probably be talking about the multifaceted Kang in the same breath as Heath Ledger's Joker : Majors brings an innate and understandable humanity to a king in his own mind who's all about manipulation and winning but not without weakness.

While rolling out the ubiquitous kitchen-sink finale, “Quantumania” lets Scott and Kang duke it out in a rousing slugfest that’s the highlight of this dizzying adventure. Even when the ant-sized Avenger headlines a large-scale Marvel epic ,  it’s still the little things – like two dudes throwing hands, with no superpowers in sight – that mean a lot.

Who's playing Kang, Namor and more? Meet 5 new faces who loom large in Marvel's future

Ant-Man 3: Quantumania Reviews: What Are Critics' First Reactions?

Some lucky people have now seen ant-man and the wasp: quantumania; but what did they think of it.

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania has officially been screened for a select few critics, and now, it's time for their reactions to start hitting the web.

Quantumania promises to be far different than the two Ant-Man adventures that proceeded it. This time around, the key question that inspired the movie was a notably interesting one: "What if Ant-Man [was] accidentally in an Avengers movie by himself?"

Enter Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror , this time as the true threatening Variant that fans know him to be—the one who will go on to fight the Avengers one day.

But how exactly will Ant-Man and Kang's showdown unfold? Is the movie in over its head? Is Majors as good as everyone hopes?

First Reactions of Quantumania

Some critics have now seen Marvel Studios' latest, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, and they have a lot to say about it.

Erik Davis from Fandango compared the movie to "a psychedelic rollercoaster full of frightening [and] hilarious oddities" and said that there are "big Star Wars vibes:"

"PHASE 5 HAS BEGUN! The new Ant-Man movie is like a psychedelic rollercoaster full of frightening & hilarious oddities, plus one VERY menacing Kang. Big STAR WARS vibes meet the MCU at its freakiest & most inventive. MODOK is a riot, but Jonathan Majors conquers. Loved the ride!"

He continued , teasing "significant things" in the post-credits sequences:

"Definitely make sure you stay for the credits because there are significant things to. I really dug how 'Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania' is both a Part 1 of Phase 5, but also a self-contained Ant-Man story that’s funny & sweet & features a kick-ass Michelle Pfeiffer. Good stuff."

On Twitter, Daniel Baptista from The Movie Podcast noted that the movie might be "overly ambitious" but that "Jonathan Majors is an absolute FORCE," and "the final battle is ASTONISHING:"

"'Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania' is a solid, yet overly ambitious start to the next phase of the MCU. Jonathan Majors is an absolute FORCE as Kang and the NEW KING of the Multiverse. The final battle is ASTONISHING, but I really missed the comedic charm throughout."

Dempsey Pilot from The DisInsider admitted that he "had a blast" with the film, and specifically pointed out how good Jeff Loveness' script was:

"Had a blast with ' Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania'  Paul Rudd has never been better & Jonathan Majors effortlessly conquers every second of screen-time he gets, BUT the real star of the film is Jeff Loveness’ script: a reminder of how beautifully strange & mysterious the MCU still is."

Courtney Howard from LA Film Critics admitted that it had a "frustratingly rough [first] act" and that the "story [ended where it] should've began:"

"After a frustratingly rough act 1, 'Ant-Man and TheWasp: Quantumania' finally gets going, only to end where this story should’ve began. While the external stakes are clear & weighty, emotional drive felt slight (and levity even lighter). That said, Jonathan Majors rules."

CNET senior writer Sean Keane felt that the movie had "way too much going on" and that the threat Jonathan Majors' Kang "represents is too abstract:"

"'Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania' has way too much going on -- it’s tough to connect emotionally to any of it. Jonathan Majors’ Kang is a charismatic, intense baddy and visually awesome, but the threat he represents is too abstract."

Jana Seitzer from Geek Girls Universe brought the mood back up with her thoughts on the film, explaining how the film was "a splendid visual feast" and "the best of the Ant-Man movies:"

"'Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania' is a splendid visual feast. The best of the 'Ant-Man' movies, complete w/ humor, heart & the tie in to the Kang Dynasty we’ve been waiting for. Jonathan Majors is on fire & Kathry Nnewton is baller in her marvel debut. Feb 17 can’t come soon enough."

Illuminerdi's Joseph Deckelmeier continued the positive praise, saying that the movie was "such a fun way to kick off Phase 5" and that he can't wait to see "the ramifications of this film in the MCU:"

"'Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania;' is such a fun way to kick off Phase 5. Each 'Ant-Man' film has been better than the last. This is no exception. Can't wait to see more Kang and the ramifications of this film in the MCU."

Andi Ortiz from The Wrap really enjoyed "the dynamic between Scott [Lang] and Cassie" in the MCU threequel:

"I think my favorite part of 'Ant-Man and The Wasp' was the dynamic between Scott and Cassie. Every time he calls her “peanut,” I just kind of want to cry. Please make 10 more one-shots just of him catching up on her birthdays."

They continued , calling attention to how great Jonathan Majors' performance was and how it seemed clear that the actor was "having the best time with it:"

"In other 'Ant-Man and The Wasp' feelings—which won't come as a surprise—Jonathan Majors as Kang really is a force, and he honestly seems to be having the best time with it. I'm real excited to see him square up with more Avengers."

Big Screen Leaks ( BSL ) called the movie one of the "MCU's most fascinating entries:"

"'Ant-Man and The Wasp' kicks off Phase 5 with one of the MCUs most fascinating entries. This movie is Star Wars meets Ant-Man and I dug it for the most part. Jonathan Majors DEMANDS your attention as Kang and he absolutely SHINES. BIG implications for the future too!"

Steven Weintraub noted that Quantumania is "a strong start to Phase 5" while also adding to the praise of Jonathan Majors' Kang:

"Marvel's 'Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania' is a strong start to Phase 5. I now understand why it’s called 'Quantumania'. Jonathan Majors is excellent as Kang and cannot wait to see where this all goes. 2 after the credits scenes and both are very good."

Comicbook.com Brandon Davis labeled Quantumania as "Marvel's weirdest, zaniest movie to date:"

"'Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania' is by far Marvel’s weirdest, zaniest movie to date. Jonathan Majors stands out strongly. Kang elevates the whole film. Majors and Paul Rudd are intense together. Loads of CGI, crazy new characters, and an exciting trajectory for the MCU saga."

The Direct's own Richard Nebens praised the project for "[taking] big swings," even if all of them didn't land:

"'Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania takes big swings, hits on most but not all. Captivating visuals which elevate a fun story, but some stakes were lacking. Kang is HERE. What an incredible performance from Jonathan Majors. Overall, a solid start to Phase 5!"

Ant-Man Hits Some Road Blocks, but Kang Crushes

Overall, the reactions seem to be mixed, leaning toward positive. 

Going by the majority of the reactions, it does sound like the movie might have too much going on. This likely isn't surprising for many—after all, the threequel had to introduce a new core hero, bring in Kang the Conqueror, add MODOK to the mix, and flesh out basically a whole new world.

Thankfully, it doesn't seem like it's a complete miss in any sense of the word. 

Fans will likely be relieved also to hear that Majors is living up to the hype , setting the MCU up for a charismatic and terrifying villain to fill that Thanos -sized hole.

It sounds like Paul Rudd crushes it once again, as does Kathryn Newton in her official debut. Strangely absent from most reactions are any specifics regarding Wasp 's role in the proceedings—the same goes for both Michael Douglas' Hank and Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet.

Audiences will be able to form their own opinions on the project when it lands in theaters on Friday, February 17.

Don't Miss Out on MCU News!

Our MCU newsletter ranks the Top 5 Marvel Cinematic Universe news stories every week!

LATEST NEWS

More From Forbes

The critics must be crazy: ‘ant-man 3’ is (mostly) pretty good.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Ant-Man and Kang

The critics must be crazy. Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania isn’t nearly as bad as we were led to believe, even if it is far from the top echelons of the MCU. Not only does the film set up Marvel’s Phase 5 stakes and our new supervillain—the multiverse-hopping, super-powerful Kang, played wonderfully by Jonathan Majors—it’s also often very funny and charming, thanks in no small part to Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang.

Still, according to Rotten Tomatoes the majority of critics did not like the movie. Audiences, on the other hand, have given it reasonably high marks. Nobody thinks this is the best Marvel movie ever or some kind of masterpiece, but moviegoers have definitely been kinder than reviewers this time around:

Only Eternals has scored this low with critics, though that also scored lower with audiences. ( I enjoyed the film just fine but thought it was easily a half-hour too long!) For me, Ant-Man 3 is fresh, but not too fresh. This isn’t one I’ll be telling everyone to go see, but it’s also not one I’ll be telling people to skip, either. It’s a mixed bag, good and bad. Let’s start with . . . .

Jonathan Majors as Kang in 'Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania'

Best Travel Insurance Companies

Best covid-19 travel insurance plans.

As I noted above, Jonathan Majors does a wonderful job as the new supervillain Kang (no spoilers about his role in the film and coming films beyond that, don’t worry). Majors is a phenomenal actor and he brings real depth to the supervillain, and even some surprising vulnerability. He’s scary but also a bit relatable, and if the producers of this film had been a little smarter, they would have doubled down on his story, fleshing out his interactions with both Scott and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer).

Beyond the awesomeness of Kang, I really loved all the bits with Ant-Man himself. I think the second and third films in this trilogy have suffered a bit from not focusing on Ant-Man enough, and making his story too serious. All the humorous bits with Scott and his family and even some of his rivals in the Quantum Realm were really great, and I laughed out loud more than once. A film more focused on Ant-Man and Kang would have really nailed it, especially if they’d played on the contrast between the two. Tonally that might be tricky but I think it could have worked.

I also really liked Mondok and his final scene was pretty hilarious. Some of the action scenes were pretty fun as well, though nothing really stood out. Some trippy Quantum Realm CGI bits (one involving a rapidly duplicating Scott Lang) were more creative and engaging than the fight scenes.

The Wasp and Ant-Man

So, other than Hope Van Dyne’s haircut, what else didn’t work in this film? Well, the title for one thing! Ant-Man and the Wasp makes absolutely no sense here. That was a fine title for the second film, which focused a ton on the Wasp—but she’s a side-character at best here, and putting her character in the title is just bizarre. Call it Ant-Man 3 or Ant-Man and Kang or Ant-Man 3: The Rise Of Kang or something. Then there’s ‘Quantumania’ which is hard to say, to read, to spell, and just makes the movie title way too long. At least Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness was a little catchy (if still a bit long-winded).

Plot-wise, the Quantum Realm was a bit goofy to me. Why are there people who look just like humans on earth in a sub-atomic universe smaller than an atom? At least just have alien-looking beings down there. That the whole thing devolves into a boring, generic battle between the good guys and Kang and his legions just seems lazy at this point. Oh, okay cool, the Quantum Realm just has guns and spaceships like anywhere else. How creative!

Really, there was no need to make Kang a conqueror of the Quantum Realm at all. He could have just been stuck there, and they get sucked in and have to deal with him. No ridiculously weak robot guards. No rebel leaders. None of that nonsense. Sure, we would have lost Bill Murray’s Lord Krylar and that would be a shame, but overall this setting just never clicked for me. (Kylar could have been an alien voiced by Murray).

Also, honestly, it felt a lot more like Star Wars than Marvel! And that final battle felt way too much like Rise Of Skywalker, when they just phone the rebellion and thousands of ships show up all at the same time to join the fight.

Still, the CGI was pretty cool and the Quantum Realm’s otherworldly beings were neat. If we’d just had fireball aliens and massive purple glow-whales and aliens riding on stingray-like ships that would have been fine.

In the end, the Quantum Realm is both overdrawn and under-cooked. We saw a lot of it and got a cursory glimpse of numerous characters that lived there, and an entire rebellion overthrowing a terrible dictator, but it was all surface level and ultimately felt a little hollow and generic.

Ultimately, I was able to enjoy Ant-Man 3 regardless of these complaints. Maybe I just went in with low enough expectations and the movie was charming enough to make its flaws bearable. Meanwhile, the combo of Kang and Lang (heh) was enough to win me over. There are many better films out there, but for some fun escapism and a good introduction to the Phase 5 villain and story-arc, it’s definitely worth a watch. The MCU can, and should, do better, but for a Sunday-fun day popcorn movie it could be much worse.

This is another film where focusing a bit more on the script, cutting down the run-time by 20 minutes, and not relying so heavily on big battle scenes would have made for a better movie and a better final score. But this is still better than I was expecting so don’t let a lousy Rotten Tomatoes aggregate keep you away.

Here’s my video review :

Score: 6.5 / 10

TL;DR: Ant-Man 3 is a fun if predictable superhero movie that gets a few big things wrong, but bounces back on the strength of its leads, with both Paul Rudd and Jonathan Majors knocking it out of the park.

As always, I’d love it if you’d follow me here on this blog and subscribe to my YouTube channel and my Substack so you can stay up-to-date on all my TV, movie and video game reviews and coverage. Thanks!

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• About Rotten Tomatoes®
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening This Week
• Top Box Office
• Coming Soon to Theaters
• Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most Popular Streaming Movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 85% Speak No Evil Link to Speak No Evil
• 77% Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Link to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
• 95% Rebel Ridge Link to Rebel Ridge

New TV Tonight

• -- Emmys: Season 76
• -- American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez: Season 1
• -- Agatha All Along: Season 1
• 93% The Penguin: Season 1
• -- Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story: Season 2
• -- Twilight of the Gods: Season 1
• -- Tulsa King: Season 2
• -- High Potential: Season 1
• -- Frasier: Season 2
• -- A Very Royal Scandal: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 61% The Perfect Couple: Season 1
• 85% The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
• 74% Kaos: Season 1
• 63% The Old Man: Season 2
• 100% Slow Horses: Season 4
• 100% Dark Winds: Season 2
• -- Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter: Season 1
• 93% Bad Monkey: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV

Certified fresh pick

• 93% The Penguin: Season 1 Link to The Penguin: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Resident Evil Movies In Order: How To Watch The Series Chronologically

50 Best New Horror Movies of 2024

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Transformers One First Reviews: The Best Transformers Movie Yet

The Penguin First Reviews: Colin Farrell’s Wild Performance Makes the Series a Must-Watch

• Trending on RT
• Hispanic Heritage Month
• Emmy Predictions
• Toronto Film Festival
• Best New Horror Movies

Ant-Man and The Wasp Reviews

It’s not bad...

Full Review | Feb 27, 2024

Unlike other Marvel Movies, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a senseless movie except for Paul Rudd's performance which is closer to reality and teaches you some good life lessons.

Full Review | Sep 26, 2023

While it has a fabulous casting and some phenomenal action sequences, it ultimately fails in giving the audience a decent plot with suitable antagonists.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Jul 24, 2023

Ant-Man And The Wasp is still one of the best entries in the MCU so far and it checks off all the boxes of what an Ant-Man Sequel should be. It is funny, charming, emotional, and has some fantastic action scenes...

Full Review | Original Score: 10/10 | Jan 22, 2023

What I wasn't laughing at, I was smiling at. That's the film's greatest strength: its "feel-goodness."

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 19, 2023

The sequel is funnier and the action has a delightfully playful flavor. And the stakes here are more personal.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 19, 2022

Heart and humor remain the best powers on display in this sequel and momentary palette cleanser.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 14, 2022

It is a charming, entertaining adventure that doubles down on what made the original a hit without losing sight of its light spontaneity.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | May 17, 2022

The filmmaking and plotting may not live up to Ant-Man or the usual cohesiveness of a standard MCU entry, but its humor is unrelenting and makes for two-hours of near-constant laughter.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 11, 2022

Ant-Man And The Wasp is an ideal popcorn flick that is perfect escapism. The film is heartfelt, hilarious, action-packed and is the first Marvel film to have a female superhero in its title!

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Nov 21, 2021

It keeps the tone very light and funny, incorporates themes of responsibility towards your family, and it capitalizes on Paul Rudd's comedic charisma.

Full Review | Original Score: 6.5/10 | Aug 17, 2021

Amid all the fun and action of Ant-Man and the Wasp comes the example of what true love will give for another.

Full Review | Aug 13, 2021

This sequel is much more more fleet of foot.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Aug 10, 2021

It's a lot weirder than the original film, but the ridiculousness of it all only adds to the fun.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5 / 5 | Jun 24, 2021

Silly, low-stakes, highly entertaining fluff...

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 29, 2021

It is complete nonsense ... but the great trick Ant-Man and The Wasp pulls is that it's really easy just to go along with it.

Full Review | Feb 19, 2021

With one notable exception, the entire film appears to be completely inconsequential to the rest of the MCU, which may leave some die-hard fans a little disappointed.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 27, 2021

Make no mistake, Ant-Man and the Wasp is a comedy before it's an action movie. But that doesn't mean the action isn't top notch.

Full Review | Dec 8, 2020

Not only do all of the antagonists provide their own comedy moments (even making light of a potentially daunting torture scene), but so too do all of the background parts.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Dec 5, 2020

Did Marvel do it again? Yes. While not as kinetically moving as Winter Soldier or dramatically pleasing as Civil War, Ant Man and the Wasp gives audiences an extra scoop of ice cream in their escape from the summer heat.

Full Review | Nov 10, 2020