Ant-Man

Funnier than most MCU offerings, popcorn movie relies on the appeal of likable Paul Rudd, magnificent new villain Jonathan Majors and their wonderful ...

Mostly, though, Scott and company must contend with Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror, a time-manipulating, seemingly invincible supervillain with a universe-conquering record and megalomaniacal ambitions that make Thanos seem like a small businessman. Everyone smiles at him on the street, folks are constantly asking him to pose for selfies with their pups, the corner coffee shop won’t take his money and he has published a memoir titled “Look Out for the Little Guy.” Scott and daughter Cassie land amidst a band of rebels fighting an uphill battle against a fascist regime, while Hank, Janet and Hope are plunked into a Tatooine-like desert landscape before eventually winding up in a joint that looks like a more elaborate version of the Mos Eisley cantina. As they endeavor to find each other and find a way home, our heroes encounter a number of colorful characters who become either allies or foes, including Bill Murray (effortlessly doing his Bill Murray thing) as the duplicitous Lord Krylar, who apparently has quite the history with Janet; Corey Stoll’s Darren from the first “Ant-Man” film, who now has morphed into the ludicrous and hideous M.O.D.O.K. It relies heavily on the strengths of its wonderful cast, led by the ridiculously likable (and often likably ridiculous) Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, and a brilliant supporting cast including generational icons Michael Douglas, Bill Murray and Michelle Pfeiffer; reliable stalwarts Evangeline Lily, Corey Stoll, William Jackson Harper and Katy M. Marvel Studios presents a film directed by Peyton Reed and written by Jeff Loveness.

"Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" is the second MCU movie to get a "rotten" rating after "Eternals" in 2021.

[Insider's own review calls the movie](https://www.insider.com/ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania-review-kang-fun-clunky-2023-2) "fun, but clunky," pointing out that the script "struggles to keep things flowing in a way that doesn't give the audience whiplash." Critic Mick LaSalle said: "'Ant-Man' isn't an example of bad comedy. Ann Hornaday wrote: "The endearing sweetness of the early 'Ant-Man' movies, which tapped Rudd's ineffable charm, has been bigfooted into a noisy, smash-and-grab extravaganza that, for all its self-conscious bigness, feels smaller and less ambitious than its predecessors. But it could be better." Insider, however, praised Majors for being an "intimidating presence" as Kang and giving the movie a "genuine sense of gravitas." [Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror](https://www.insider.com/paul-rudd-jonathan-majors-ant-man-kang-first-meeting-interview-2023-2), the Marvel Cinematic Universe's new big bad ahead of [two "Avengers" movies in 2025 and 2026](https://www.insider.com/marvel-movie-release-date-schedule-2020-4).

Ant-Man can no longer call out comic book movies for their bullshit because, as purveyor of prologue for the Marvel movies that will follow, the character ...

Ant-Man can’t call out comic book movies for their bullshit because, as purveyor of prologue for the Marvel movies that will follow, the character is now too irredeemably full of bullshit himself. Rudd’s Ant-Man is now operating without his multiethnic gang of buddies, who provided the funniest and most heartfelt moments of the previous two movies. Ant-Man and Deadpool offered us, blissfully, escape from the escapism of comic book movies, by calling out comic book movies on their bullshit. The threat of displacement, and the creation of refugee camps, is addressed through what is jokingly described and depicted in Ant-Man 3 as a “socialist, collective action.” The idea that such a message could be delivered via such a soulless corporate product packed with corporate product placement in which the heroes are the very technocrats who are making San Francisco unlivable is grotesque. This comic book–level villainy is conflated in Ant-Man 3 with the very real oppression and displacement of people victimized by gentrification and corporatization. Because audiences have no dog in the fight and the screenwriters can’t be bothered to create an emotional context for them to actually have a dog in the fight.

The latest in the superhero franchise is not without its pleasures, but is mostly a strange, headache inducing mess. Film : 'ANT-MAN AND THE WASP' (2018) ...

Janet has not been entirely clear with her family on the depth of her involvement in the quantum realm’s politics and warfare, thus emerging as a leader of sorts when she returns. The bizarre creatures, inhabitants, and spaceships of the world are often fun to watch, even as Star Wars and Dune remain too major of an influence to call any of this totally unique. But even they can’t quite hold the seams together here.

Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man, and his allies return to the big screen on Friday, years after the origin story in 2015's Ant-Man cameos in other Marvel films, ...

For star Paul Rudd, this also included one of the most challenging sequences so far in his history with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In addition to Kang the Conqueror, fan-favorite Marvel villain M.O.D.O.K will be making his live-action debut in the film. [Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania](https://www.comingsoon.net/movie/ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania-2022), Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly once again share top billing as Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Hope van Dyne/Wasp, respectively. For star Paul Rudd, this also included one of the most challenging sequences so far in his history with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going big with its tiniest heroes, as Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania opens in theaters on February 17.

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. To even wonder about the answer is to miss that the only real conqueror in “Quantumania” is the MCU. There's a fascinating world to explore here, and Ant-Man finally gets close to the full realization of the potential of his character and this concept, but it all, unfortunately, gets overtaken by the Conquerer. Even so, Quantumania works as a culmination of the Ant-Man series, a way to start things in motion for Phase 5, and a promising roadmap of where the Multiverse Saga is going. It's not a bad movie, per se, which is on some level probably a credit to the Marvel machine. Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going big with its tiniest heroes, as Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania opens in theaters on February 17.

The 31st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has scored only 53 per cent on the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. It has now become only the second MCU ...

CNN.com's Brian Lowry wrote, "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania works on one key level, establishing Kang the Conqueror as a truly formidable and worthy villain. Joining him are Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne, Kathryn Newton as the adult version of Cassie Lang, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, and Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet van Dyne. The critical consensus reads, "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania mostly lacks the spark of fun that elevated earlier adventures, but Jonathan Majors' Kang is a thrilling villain poised to alter the course of the MCU."

The MCU sequel now stands as the second “rotten” movie in the franchise (which, considering this is the 31st movie is a pretty good track record) and currently ...

The MCU sequel now stands as the second “rotten” movie in the franchise (which, considering this is the 31st movie is a pretty good track record) and currently holds a rating of 53% based on 136 reviews on the review aggregator site [Rotten Tomatoes](https://movieweb.com/tag/rotten-tomatoes/). As Frank Scheck of the Hollywood Reporter puts it... [Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania](https://movieweb.com/movie/ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania/), and sadly, things are not looking too good. “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 looks surreal, but feels shackled. Too bad that, for all its amusing jokes, the world onscreen mostly looks like a Marvel screen-saver.” Jonathan Majors is an absolute beast as Kang the Conqueror.

"Quantumania," which begins the build towards the next "Avengers" phase, will be a test of Marvel's post-"Endgame" popularity.

“Ant-Man and the Wasp” grossed $121 million in China, approximately 19% of its worldwide total, so Ant-Man in particular has leaned on that market to lift up its box office performance. “Quantumania,” on the other hand, is the start of MCU’s Phase Five and introduces Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, the big bad villain of the next three years of Marvel films. If non-hardcore moviegoers aren’t as invested in MCU’s Multiverse Saga as they were for the Infinity Saga, the global total of “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” in 2025 may be substantially below that of “Infinity War” and “Endgame,” barring of course a return of Robert Downey Jr. That’s why “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” needs to do better than its 2015 and 2018 predecessors, two films that were smaller, more self-contained MCU films. But since the pandemic, Sony’s release of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” ($1.91 billion) is the only MCU film to top $1 billion, something that Marvel was able to do with five out of its six films released in 2018 and 2019, when the words “Infinity Stones” were on the tongues of billions of moviegoers. [Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania](https://www.thewrap.com/ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania-first-reactions/)” doesn’t need to make a billion dollars at the box office to be a hit for Disney and Marvel Studios.

Uh oh. That was my first thought when I saw the review scores rolling in for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, the third Ant-Man movie, but a seemingly ...

I do wonder if a few more reviews may sink Quantumania below Eternals, though I will say in the middle to bottom ranking order of MCU movies by critic scores, I think they got a long wrong. That’s obviously something DC can’t say, as the DCEU boasts a number of films under that mark, and early on often split between high audience scores for Snyder-era films and low critic scores. Taking place almost entirely in the Quantum Zone, the film is in turn almost completely CGI, and even in the trailers it looked like that could be a problem. Second, since the movie is actually out now, user scores are in and they are not just higher than critics, which you might expect, but much higher, currently at an 84%. That’s a dismal score for an MCU feature, and marks only the second time that an MCU movie has had a “rotten” (below 60%) score on the site, the first time being Eternals in 2021. The thrill isn't just gone, it's been buried beneath a swarm of plot contrivances and truly hideous CGI.” [Whynow](https://whynow.co.uk/read/ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania-review): “Visually, the film is messy and flat; the CGI is shockingly poor and the action looks muddled. It says something that out of 30+ MCU features in a decade and a half, that there are literally only two with sub 60% scores. Of course, many MCU fans may wait and see what audience scores are like. But I would be surprised if this was a huge disparity as this always seemed like a pretty risky film. What’s wrong with the movie? We know there’s currently a visual effects shortage in Hollywood, in part because of the demands of places like Marvel, and perhaps this was too much work given not enough time and the end result is just…not very good. They were never really considered top-tier Marvel movies but this is a huge drop.

Jonathan Majors is the main event as Kang the Conqueror, but there's another villain that delights in "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania."

Which is fitting for a villain with such a big head. Kang the Conqueror is, without a doubt, the gravest threat of them all, so grave, in fact, the fourth Avengers film has his name in the title (Avengers: The Kang Dynasty). (now that the MCU has begun meddling with the multiverse, these sorts of things are possible), the Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing. is a floating menace with the canon-correct colossal head. Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania arrives in theaters on February 17, and the reviews are already calling it a mind-melting, psychedelic sci-fi extravaganza and a stellar way to kick off Marvel’s Phase 5. You hang on his every word; he makes vengeance and genocide sound like the most hypnotically casual of propositions.” Over at [The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania-review-paul-rudd-evangeline-lilly-jonathan-majors-1235319646/), critic Frank Scheck said Majors “invests his performance with such an arrestingly quiet stillness and ambivalence that you’re on edge every moment he’s on screen.” won’t have the same origin story as the one from the comics, of course, but he’s got a big role to play. M.O.D.O.K. The Quantum Realm is filled with bizarre creatures, wild tribes, and all sorts of dangers. If you don’t want to know anything more about Quantuamania, now’s a great time to stop reading. Ant-Man defeated Yellowjacket in the first film (obviously), sabotaging his suit and shrinking him to bits. If you’ve been keeping up with director Peyton Reed’s film, you know by now it introduces the next Big Bad in the MCU—Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror.

Returning Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lily in the titular roles, Marvel's 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' is the first event pic of 2023.

Three years later, the second film, [Ant-Man and the Wasp](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/ant-man-and-the-wasp/), started off with $75.8 million in North America before topping out at $622.7 million worldwide. Ant-Man 3 is making a huge 3D push following the success of Avatar: The Way of Water and, more recently, a 3D remastered edition of Titanic. [Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania-review-paul-rudd-evangeline-lilly-jonathan-majors-1235319646/) is hoping to open to at least $110 million domestically over the four-day Presidents Day weekend, including $95 million for the three days. Overseas, Ant-Man 3 could start off with anywhere from $130 million to $190 million. The cast also includes Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jonathan Majors, Kathryn Newton, Bill Murray, Katy O’Brian, William Jackson Harper, James Cutler and David Dastmalchian. [Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania/) reunites director Peyton Reed with actors [Paul Rudd](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/paul-rudd/) and [Evangeline Lilly](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/evangeline-lilly/). The upcharge for the format in North America could result in a bump in the mid- to high teens for Quantumania. The original Ant-Man earned a total of $105 million in China, followed by $122.2 million for the sequel. [box office](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/box-office/) opening of 2023 to date (granted, the year is only six weeks in) and top the holiday weekend chart. [Ant-Man](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/ant-man-2/) launched to $57.2 million domestically — the lowest start of any MCU offering — on its way to earning $519.3 million globally. More bullish estimate services show the movie coming in at $100 million to $105 million for the three days, and $115 million to $120 million for the four. Quantumania is the third title in the more low-key superhero franchise, and the 31st entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It's a real indictment of any movie as unrelentingly loud, bombastic and big when you turn to your plus one in the screening room and find them asleep.

The post-Endgame era of Marvel has been crying out for some kindling, something to throw the afterburners on; this is just more ugly cement. In the meantime, daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton), who has seen no end of shit and is presumably in desperate need of a therapist, has been getting herself in heaps of trouble, protesting the crisis of homelessness in the wake of the snap. The object, then, is to get back to Big Earth: fortunately, Janet knows a guy from her own 30-year marooning down on the Quantum side, who they meet up with in a jovial (again, It's a shame he's given so much of that aforementioned, dawdling exposition to deal with. It's around an hour in that we're properly acquainted with Majors' Kang, by far the most compelling element at play: he emanates movie star gravitas, helped by the fact that he's the only guy who really seems committed to the bit. It's a real indictment of any movie as unrelentingly loud, bombastic and big when you turn to your plus one in the screening room and find them asleep.

The reviews are in for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and they are...kinda meh. The movie is fun (if you can get past the bad stuff).

[The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/feb/14/ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania-review-paul-rudd-kang-the-conqueror?CMP=twt_a-culture_b-gdnculture): “Does Kang bang? [Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels](https://www.amazon.com/b/?rh=i:instant-video,n:2858778011&ie=UTF8&filterId=OFFER_FILTER=SUBSCRIPTIONS&node=2858778011&ref_=assoc_tag_ph_1465430649312&_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=pf4&tag=fs-livedrops1-20&linkId=90b2815fb79ba0e403137c68e139db16%E2%80%9D) [Jonathan Majors](https://winteriscoming.net/2023/02/09/ant-man-3-star-jonathan-majors-inspired-heath-ledger-joker/) does a good job as Kang the Conqueror, who’s being set up as the new Thanos-level threat to the MCU. Club](https://www.avclub.com/a-review-of-ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania-1850111199): “Quantumania’s tone is sure to be polarizing, but if you can surrender yourself to its bonkers A Bug’s Life-meets-Return of the Jedi antics, the two hours (already short for a Marvel film) will fly by.” [Evening Standard](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/antman-and-the-wasp-quantumania-review-kang-jonathan-majors-paul-rudd-b1060245.html): “If you can ignore the convoluted plot – not, sadly, a rarity in the increasingly complex Marvel Cinematic Universe – you’ll have a blast with these characters.” [Moviebob](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbdgYSGE744): “Delivers (however disjointedly) on ‘B-lister in over his head’ cosmic adventure romp despite obvious post-Pandemic schedule-retooling into a big franchise place-setter; buoyed by a scene-stealing heavy turn from Johnathan Majors” [Consequence Film](https://consequence.net/2023/02/ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania-review/): “Quantumania might be key to kicking off the big arcs to come in the MCU Phase 5, but it doesn’t forget to have a good time.” [Empire:](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania/)“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 looks surreal, but feels shackled. [The Globe and Mail](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/reviews/article-ugly-and-interminable-marvels-ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania-is-fit/) put it like this: “[Ant-Man 3 is both] a dispiriting reminder that the MCU has abandoned wit and that even the most clever and idiosyncratic of filmmakers can be steamrolled by the unstoppable obligations of corporate storytelling.” “Majors thankfully rights the ship every time he pops up with his deliciously disconcerting presence,” writes [USA Today](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2023/02/14/ant-man-quantumania-review-marvel/11222578002/). And many didn’t like the somber tone, which is at odds with the first two Ant-Man films, which were breezier affairs. The note about bad CGI comes up several times in the reviews, which is surprising; whatever you think of Marvel movies, you can usually depend on them to look good. “The thrill isn’t just gone, it’s been buried beneath a swarm of plot contrivances and truly hideous CGI.” [split](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ant_man_and_the_wasp_quantumania/reviews?type=top_critics) at best, with the lot of critics dinging the movie for a host of issues. Is this one worth your time and money?

Domestically, the superhero threequel is expected to make between $95 million and $100 million in its first three days, according to Variety, with the number ...

[Peyton Reed](https://collider.com/the-mandalorian-volume-technology-peyton-reed-comments/), who also helmed Ant-Man 1 and 2, declared heading into this one that he no longer wanted his films to be perceived as counter-programming within the MCU, and made it a point to craft a more epic narrative. Reviews for Ant-Man 3 have been generally muted, otherwise; this is only the second MCU film ever, for instance, to get a “rotten” score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The first Ant-Man tapped out with $519 million globally, while the second film finished with a little more than $620 million worldwide. Ant-Man 3 also happens to be only the second MCU film since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame to score a China release. [Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania](https://collider.com/tag/ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania/) have been lowered heading into its opening weekend. Domestically, the superhero threequel is expected to make between $95 million and $100 million in its first three days, according to [Variety](https://variety.com/2023/film/box-office/box-office-preview-ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania-opening-weekend-1235522559/), with the number increasing to $110 million across the four-day extended President’s Day weekend.

The third film in Marvel's Ant-Man trilogy sends the MCU's tinest titans into a subatomic universe, where they — and we the viewers — get stuck.

The characters of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, at least, are flat. 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. ... Oh and also throw in a few bucks on coconut oil while you're at it. The voice actors record their tracks in separate sound booths at separate times. 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. She might as well be one of the CGI barstools.) 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. But in absolutely no way does it look like they did, and it sure as hell doesn't feel like they did. They could have made a film together at any time during that period and now, finally, here they are and here it is. 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. 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. 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.

Before seeing "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," here's everything you should know from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

He is devastated to learn that Hank, Hope and Janet are gone, but he discovers that Cassie survived the snap — and has aged into a teenager (although her exact age is Hank and Hope create a way to safely travel into the Quantum Realm using an invention called the Quantum tunnel. Hank believes that once a person goes subatomic, they irrevocably enter the Quantum Realm, a dimension that exists outside of our concepts of space and time. Despite the assurances of [Marvel Studios](https://variety.com/t/marvel-studios/) chief Kevin Feige that every Marvel title can exist on its own terms, the third “Ant-Man” film is neck deep in series lore as it launches Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — and the second act of the Multiverse Saga. [Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania](https://variety.com/t/ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania/)” is a different beast entirely. And yeah, the introduction of the Quantum Realm in the 2018 sequel lays the groundwork for the time travel shenanigans in “Avengers: Endgame.” But generally speaking, audiences could take in Scott’s size-shifting adventures alongside scientist Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), his daughter Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Hank’s wife and Hope’s mother Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), without needing to be steeped within the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe.

This is only the second Marvel Cinematic Universe film to earn a Rotten rating. Jonathan Majors shines as Kang the Conqueror, but the film is an overstuffed ...

"Michael Pena's absence should have been a warning," wrote Kristy Puchko in her review of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" for Mashable. "Ant-Man and the Wasp in Quantumania" held a 53% "rotten" rating from 148 reviews, as of Wednesday afternoon. "The result is an undercooked, overstuffed action movie that feels like a shadow of better pulpy adventure sendups before it." to buckle at the knees," O'Sullivan wrote. "Ultimately, 'Quantumania' does a middling job of both. The film itself is anything but light. There, they face off against Kang, a dimension-hopping tyrant who is trying to escape from the realm after being exiled there for his rampages across time and space. (Majors will also appear as the antagonist in next month's "Creed III." Critics praised Majors' performance in the film, as the actor was able to bring gravitas to the the role and exude the kind of menace that made previous big bad Thanos (Josh Brolin) such a compelling, and threatening, villain. He was introduced in the Disney+ show "Loki." However, Kang's larger-than-life presence overshadowed the quirky and charming narrative that fans have come to expect from Ant-Man side quests, critics say. Peyton Reed's previous Ant-Man installments offered the MCU a smaller-than-life look at what it means to be a hero.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a sci-fi adventure in the mold of Thor: Ragnarok.

The bigger, more general theme is the strength of the little guy, even in the face of overwhelming power. Cassie (Newton) is the heart of the film, Hank (Douglas) does the science and Janet (Pfeiffer) is the plot powerhouse whose worst nightmare catches up to her. Quantumania sets up the future of the MCU, and also manages to pack in some other bigger themes. Still, the number of times characters refuse to divulge crucial information to string out the supposed suspense ("No time to explain!" If Quantumania doesn't quite know what to do with Ant-Man, it really doesn't know what to do with the other title character. Fans have been prepped for the arrival of Kang, who was first seen in the Disney Plus series Loki, and the movie does a fine job introducing the villainous characters to fresh viewers. It's a breezy, bizarro sci-fi adventure in the mold of Thor: Ragnarok, as familiar faces from the Marvel roster drop into an alien realm for fun and fighting before inspiring the locals to rise up and overthrow a hateful dictator. The weirdness of the micro-Mad Max setting gives rise to some entertaining jokes, arresting visuals and one or two mind-bending set pieces. Old enemies come looking for her and her fam, forcing her to face up to what she did during exile. Having rescued Janet van Dyne from the quantum realm in the previous Ant-Man and the Wasp film (and you'd be forgiven for remembering basically nothing about that movie), the Ant-gang is sucked back into the itty-bitty universe layered below the atoms of our full-size world. Kathryn Newton plays the now-teenaged Cassie Lang, Scott's daughter, and in the quantum realm they encounter William Jackson Harper, Katy O'Brian and Bill Murray (yes, that Bill Murray). [Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania](https://www.cnet.com/culture/entertainment/ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania-trailer-plot-cast-release-date/) is in theaters Friday, Feb.

The loopy humor and style of the first two “Ant-Man” movies have been flattened by the M.C.U.'s franchise formatting.

The feeling of giddy wonder is what distinguishes the first two “Ant-Man” films; they help to restore the brand name of Marvel to a common noun and to a verb, and they do so starting from the top, with a sense of the filmmaker’s own experience—his ardent curiosity, free-ranging inventiveness, and imaginative sympathy. What’s absent is a sense of experience—conveying to viewers the extraordinary and quasi-miraculous aspects of what the characters are undergoing, observing, and doing. The best thing about “Quantumania” is, surprisingly, its script (by Jeff Loveness), which is like saying that the best thing about a building is its blueprint. The occasional spectacular idea—such as the weirdness unleashed when Scott is caught in a “probability storm”—gets submerged in a sludge of imagery that offers little but the concept itself, unmoored from its surroundings, its implications, and, above all, the perspective of the characters. It’s sadly appropriate for the degree zero of superhero-franchise synthetics to have been reached, or asymptotically approximated, in the infinitesimal realm in which “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is set. The scant grounding and bare inner life of the characters give the remarkable actors little to work with. (The MacGuffin is a “multiversal engine core” that Kang needs.) They also encounter the principled underground leader Jentorra (Katy M. The second film in the cycle, “ [Ant-Man and the Wasp](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/ant-man-and-the-wasp-should-have-been-the-godfather-part-ii-of-superhero-movies),” felt tethered—Reed unleashed intermittent flourishes of inspiration, but now they were completely bound by the M.C.U.’s gravitational field, pulled down to the franchise’s established map, and sent forth to do their duty. Its modelling on the “Star Wars” template is made all too explicit by a scene (the liveliest in the film) that’s a parody of the celebrated cantina set piece. (As one of the newly arrived fivesome exclaims, “There’s quantum people in the Quantum Realm.”) It’s not just humans but also a humanoid who can read minds (William Jackson Harper), plus vaguely human-shaped beings with glowing blue heads, others with green floret-topped heads that Hank likens to broccoli, lizardy hybrids, jellyfish-like floaters, gigantic flying stingrays, and buildings that are alive. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), who devised the technology with which they shrink down to bug size yet exert colossal force; and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), Hank’s wife and Hope’s mother (and the original Wasp), who was trapped for thirty years in the infinitesimal, subatomic Quantum Realm. Just as the trouble with Bible-thumping is the thumping, not the Bible, the problem with superhero-franchise movies isn’t the source material but the uses to which it’s put.