Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania review — Jonathan Majors' Kang saves a flawed flick

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a movie that matches its title: it's more than a mouthful. After two solo films and inclusion in many a cross-over event Marvel movie, the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which kicks off Phase 5, if you're counting), Paul Rudd's Scott Lang/Ant-Man is back with a lot of heavy lifting to set up what's to come. Which, of course, is set up in Ant-Man and the Wasp's post-credits scenes.

And when Quantumania soars, it's often thanks to Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror, a variant (alternative version) of He Who Remains. If you're asking "who?" We recommend you go back and watch Loki. 

Unfortunately, it somewhat feels like Quantumania has too much work to do, preparing the way for the next upcoming Marvel movies and shows, since Kang's name is literally in 2025's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. And, after thinking about it some more, we've realized that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania nearly ruined Kang.

On top of that, well, Marvel's CGI problems continue to rear their head, and this time feel more blatant than ever. And with other early reviews more negative than our own, we bet many will be waiting to watch Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania on Disney Plus.

So grab two of shrinking/growing discs, as this spoiler-free Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania review will help you figure out if you need to see it now — or if you should wait for it to come out on Disney Plus.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania review — A cast with a Majors upgrade

Paul Rudd's Scott Lang is living the sweet life after saving the universe with the Avengers. Rudd’s natural charm makes Scott’s silly dad moments elicit a smile or chuckle. Yet, he can also deliver on more serious scenes; even a mere book reading, for Scott’s memoir, feels emotional. 

But its Jonathan Majors' super-super villain Kang the Conqueror that stands the tallest here — even above the sometimes-towering Ant-Man. As the successor to Josh Brolin's Thanos, the big bad that Avengers and other heroes will fight over a series of films, Majors' Kang always feels like a huge deal — even if you don't know what he can do. Emotive and charismatic, even when he's delivering dialogue that needs to be decoded, Kang captivates on a high level. 

That said, Michelle Pfieffer also does a fantastic job with the material given to her for Janet van Dyne, a character that's finally getting fleshed out. With her past from the Quantum Realm coming back to bite her, Janet's dealing with secrets of both grave and humorous natures. 

Unfortunately, Janet's backstory in this movie doesn't exactly back up the emotion that Pfieffer brings to the character — and therefore giving her a tougher job of making things compelling. It's a case of being told too much instead of seeing it for ourselves.

Michael Douglas and Kathryn Newton work similar magic as Hank Pym and Cassandra "Cassie" Lang, bringing charm to liven a slightly needing script. Newton is in an unfortunate situation as the third actress to play Cassie, but she makes things work.

While there's a lot of characters I can't explain without spoiling, all I'll say about M.O.D.O.K is that you will be going "huh?" It's a character that feels utterly baffling. Elsewhere, you have plenty of neat little characters, thought they're mostly forgettable.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania review — bad CGI makes an OK script worse

Suspension of disbelief is often impossible. I would know; I'm a pro wrestling fan. But when our heroes first encounter the Quantum Realm, I found it impossible to not think "well that's a green screen." And it got worse with the more nature-like section of the Quantum Realm, which has a focus so soft, old Hollywood wants to use it.

A big issue, visually, is that much of Quantumania is frustratingly dark. I can't imagine that my parents, who complain about this issue when we watch Marvel movies at home, will find this chapter to be any improvement. Sometimes, the walls of CGI deliver beautiful visuals, so it's not a total loss. If you can lose yourself in the visual excess, you'll be able to have a good time. 

The cities of the Quantum Realm are also a bit lacking, appearing as a vast and uninteresting series of buildings. That may be the point, that Kang has conquered and created a soulless cityscape — but that could be more pronounced. Nothing ever gets time to breathe, and Kang's villainy suffers for it.

Similarly, the big narrative question of the film, regarding when you help others in their fight or just protect your own, feels a bit cookie-cutter here. And that may have been why I found myself checking the time, something you shouldn't need to do in a 2-hour, 5-minute movie.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania review: Verdict

As this Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania review has explained, the film's flaws lie not in its capable cast, but the world they're trying to bring to life. Both the visuals and the script may leave you wanting more. The actors — and the drama they're delivering — could have had a much easier job.

But like The Dude's rug in The Big Lebowski, Jonathan Majors ties Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania together. While the film can often almost repel audiences away with its CGI, Majors brings Bond villain brilliance to the MCU and continues to plot his course to be an all-time franchise player.

Oh, and before you go, check out our spoiler-free rundown of the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania post-credit scenes.

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