Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the first MCU movie of 2023. As if that’s not exciting enough, it promises to take us to a whole new, largely unexplored dimension of the Quantum Realm as well as introduce us to Phase 5’s main villain heads-on.
Despite all of these fantastic selling points, Ant-Man 3 hasn’t fared well, being graded with mixed-to-bad critic reviews. So, why exactly does Ant-Man 3 have bad ratings? More importantly, should you still give it a go?
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has received criticism for its weak plot, bad CGI, and lack of wit or emotional depth that the previous Ant-Man movies had. Despite this, die-hard Marvel fans should definitely watch the film as it sets up important details about the Multiverse Saga.
It’s true that Ant-Man 3 just isn’t one of MCU’s finest. Sadly, it’s one of the only two MCU movies that has gotten a Rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes. So let’s get into what aspects of the film are being criticized and the reasons why you should still give go watch it.
Reason for Ant-Man’s Bad Reviews
I. Lacks Ant-Man 1 & 2’s Wit
One of the reasons Ant-Man is one of Marvel’s most underrated movie series is because of how well it handles humor. The first two movies were light, breezy, and fun to watch, even if the stakes were low — all of which made it a breath of fresh air (much like Guardians of the Galaxy!)
This aspect that made Ant-Man so unique is thoroughly missing from the third movie, as it tries to transition itself into a more “serious” film and leaves fans disappointed. Especially, because what they get is a regurgitation of a Marvel formula they’ve seen 5-6 times already.
Also, Ant-Man and the Wasp take the back burner in a movie that literally has their name in it!
II. Weak Plot, Weak CGI
One of the biggest disappointments is that Ant-Man abandons its previous heist-like approach for a straightforward “let’s have a showdown with the bad guy” but this time in the Quantum Realm.
(Think how amazing a heist inside the Quantum Realm would be!)
Besides introducing a whole new dimension, the film does very little with its setting — Exploring the Quantum Realm and having misadventures trying to figure out its mechanics and everyone who lives there would’ve been entertaining on its own. Instead, the film keeps harboring on Janet’s past that she frustrating refuses to talk about.
Then there’s the matter of the bad GCI. Whatever you expected the Quantum Realm to look like, I’m sure you didn’t imagine it to be a senseless jelly-bean mish-mash. Maybe it’s time to take a page of out Doctor Strange’s films.
III. Scott and Cassie’s Father-Daughter is a Downer
There are quite a few pairings in the MCU that focus on parent-kid relationships, like Tony-Peter, Clint-Kate, Stephen-America, etc. But most (if not all) of them are found families.
Ant-Man 3 had a unique chance of bringing a father-daughter duo who were tied by blood and circumstance, and explore the emotional depth of what it is like not just to have an absentee father, but also one who is a superhero that got stuck in the Quantum real during the Blip.
This could’ve been an emotionally charged story. But the script just doesn’t provide any room for it, nor does Kathryn Newton seem to have fully integrated into Cassie’s role. Overall, I’m really sad that Scott and Cassie’s relationship wasn’t given the emphasis it deserved.
Reason Why You Should Watch Ant-Man 3
I. More Purposeful, More Streamlined Phase 5
The rebuttal for the shift in tone for Ant-Man 3 is that this is Phase 5’s first project and as such, reaffirms that Marvel Studios is very serious about getting back to business.
What do I mean by this? If you may have not noticed, Phase 4 was about dealing with End Game’s aftermath, tying off loose ends, and exploring a bunch of different formats, stories, and superheroes. This one phase alone launched MCU’s most diverse portfolio, but at the same time, it was pretty directionless — which is why a lot of fans were confused or disappointed by it.
Ant-Man’s story makes one thing very clear: the MCU is going to be more streamlined and set up proper connecting bridges to its next End Game-level arc, the Multiverse Saga.
II. Shifting Gears into the Multiverse
The multiverse has been teased plenty of times in Phase 4 via WandaVision, Loki, Spider-Man 3, and Doctor Strange 2. But all of them worked to familiarize the audiences with the Multiverse rather than setting up the saga itself.
Ant-Man highlights that even though Phase 5 is starting in the Quantum Realm, every single aspect of the stories coming ahead is going to be rocked by the Multiverse saga.
As such, watching Ant-Man is important because you don’t want to miss out on any important details, Easter eggs, character introductions, and even post-credits scenes that will help you make sense of the epic saga that’s yet to come!
III. Unique in Setting Up Its Villain
The best part about Ant-Man 3 is its villain, Kang the Conquerer! This is one character die-hard fans have been waiting to see on screen and may I say, Jonathan Majors delivers in the most perfect way possible! I’m going to stop here because you have to see him for yourself.
Besides Majors’ performance, the reason you should watch Ant-Man 3 is because this is the first time Marvel is introducing its saga’s villain in the very first chapter. To give you an example, it would’ve been like properly introducing Thanos in the 2012 Avengers movie itself.
Not only is this a bold move but the way Kang’s story is constructed raises the stakes of what’s at risk if the villain has their way. The Multiverse Saga headed by Kang is truly an exciting arc for the MCU, and while Ant-Man 3 doesn’t always have its best foot forward, it is a good step for Phase 5.
About Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is an American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics characters Scott Lang / Ant-Man and Hope van Dyne / Wasp. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Motion Pictures, it is intended to continue the story of Ant-Man after Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) as a part of the MCU.
Directed by Peyton Reed, it was released on February 17, 2023. Filming began in early February 2021 in Turkey and was also shot in Atlanta, London, and Los Angeles.
It is the thirty-second film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the first instalment of the MCU’s Phase V. The movie follows Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne, along with Hank Pym, Janet Van Dyne and Cassie Lang, battling against the evil time traveler Kang the Conqueror.
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