Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

A recipe for Marvel’s whatever phase: Assemble a core cast of characters who withhold cruel information from each other for no reason and act like idiots just so the central plot of the film can take place. Add annoying new characters who are instantly the best at everything and on whom you can build future movies. Sprinkle in a ton of digital effects, a handful of awful dialogue and a dash of lame humour. Stir the whole mix with the fact that although each of the characters should have their ring-fenced characteristic abilities, conveniently they are constantly either forgetting them or only using them when it suits the screenwriter. Or to be sure, do not specify this abilities at all, so that anything can happen. And don’t forget to spice it with a pointless cameo role. What you get out of it is a nasty concoction that consumers will still eat up with gusto, because you are a brand: Marvel Studios. (18/02/2023)

Starship Troopers! A solid digital adventure, without fatalities or major surprises. The trailers that teased a fatal clash are rather a disservice. The Lang and Pym families are sucked into the quantum realm and have to fight a familiar arch-enemy. Douglas shits and wonders why a guy who looks like broccoli is hitting on his daughter. Pfeiffer confesses to quantum infidelity and Paul Rudd teaches his daughter the proper way to punch people, or whatever. The amazing world now, after Avatar: the Way of Water, boggles the mind with its lack of thought, lack of sophistication and the inconsistency of the visual effects – Disney probably should have timed it differently. I was annoyed by the breaking of the rules set in the first and second episodes regarding the quantum realm and augmentation, and MODOK is more annoying than scary. Still, quite an entertaining chapter about perhaps the only happy Avenger. (15/02/2023)

The third Ant-Man, following the example of its MCU predecessors, plays with multidimensional multiverses, but this time this colourful CGI ride didn't work for me. The Quantum Realm reminded me a lot of Star Wars in places with its atmosphere and diverse cast of characters, but that wasn't a bad thing. What struck me the most, however, was the character of M.O.D.O.K. - I haven't seen something so perverse in the cinema for quite some time. Even Weasel from DC wasn't that perverted. Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer really try, but the script throws ("socialist") sticks under their feet. Bill Murray's cameo was clunky, and I had mixed impressions of both Jonathan Majors and Kathryn Newton. Three (ant-sized) stars! (18/02/2023)

Weak. Marvel is really fading and it shows with every new movie. This just isn't even funny anymore. It's a world copied from Star Wars and since I don't like that either, nothing has changed. The action looks downright childish and uninteresting, the humor is absent, and Jonathan Majors as Kang didn't impress much either (he was much better in Creed III). I wasn't entertained at all and stopped caring after about an hour. Hopefully Guardians of the Galaxy will be a nice hit and I'm afraid the last one for a while. (21/04/2023)

The first huge disappointment, one I struggled with for a long time. The broken continuity, which the universe of the white lettering on a red background has always guarded to the maximum, surprised me the most. Janet, who cheerfully supported experiments towards the Quantum Realm in the previous ant-themed installment, suddenly panics and acts mysteriously, revealing connections to ancient history. The Wasp is on the sidelines, the bet on absolute dominance of special effects pays off in only half of the cases, and the humor ranges from the simplest visual gags to strangely outdated jokes. I couldn't resist, I watched it again and reconcilingly acknowledge that with adjusted expectations, the experience is much better and somehow easier. Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania doesn't work as the pinnacle of the trilogy, but rather as a piece of the puzzle. I understand the introduction of a new threat, but several times I thought that if Thor, Doctor Strange, or the Guardians of the Galaxy were to have confronted the Conqueror, it would have only the smallest impact on his development for the future finale. That's why I am disappointed that Ant-Man's likely final solo adventure ends awkwardly, with too little connection to the first two installments; for me, it carries the sad stamp of the weakest film in the MCU. (19/07/2023)