Review by John P. Harvey
Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has written the book of his previous adventures as Ant-Man, and is coasting along being the guy everybody likes because he saved the world. His wife, Hope (Evangeline Lilly), is a little more serious about continuing the good work, and both of them do the best they can by their daughter, Cassie (now played by Kathryn Newton).
Since escaping back home from her 30 years trapped in the quantum realm (while five years elapsed in the macro world), Hope’s mother, Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer), has not yet told her family just what occurred “down there”. This oversight turns out to be unfortunate.
When Janet realises that Cassie has initiated an ingenious process that could inadvertently release a force of terrible destruction, she urges its immediate cessation — but just too late. The entire family is now thrust into the quantum realm, where they must wage a desperate battle against Marvel’s newest superlative villain: Kang (Jonathan Majors), called The Conqueror. And Kang, bent on unlimited vengeance, is a hard man to beat.
Marvel does a great job of delivering tension, action, adventure, and wonders to behold, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is no exception, its eye-blurring action and intricate gadgets worth watching carefully. If character development in this instance is pretty light, the movie makes up for it as usual in concepts, twists, personal challenges, and, after the credits, a promise of further mayhem.
Quantumania’s characters’ personal journeys may be limited, but the film’s action choreography, special effects, and storyline — tangled as usual in the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse — make for a mesmerising two hours of entertainment.
Screening at Palace, Dendy, Hoyts, and Limelight cinemas.
