Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

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Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Filmstill

For the 31st time, we return to the depths of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has expanded to the point of being called the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse. For the third part of the Ant-Man series, we enter the quantum plane created by Marvel, which is a dimension that can only be reached through extreme shrinkage, magic or mystical journeys. In layman’s terms, it is the counterpart of the universe. This concept is derived from quantum physics, which deals with the laws of nature in the atomic and subatomic realms. In order to explore this level further, YES MAN director Peyton Reed took over the direction for the third time and was able to fall back on largely the same cast as in the previous parts. Only Emma Fuhrmann, who was seen as Cassie Lang, was secretly replaced for AVENGERS: ENDGAME. BEN IS BACK actress Kathryn Newton has now taken over this role.

This is what it’s all about

Scott Lang has become a celebrated hero and is valued as an Avenger. In the enjoyment of this prestige, however, he completely misses the fact that his daughter is experimenting with new things in the laboratory together with Dr. Hank Pim. Cassie tries to establish communication with the quantum plane, but this ends in disaster and they are all suddenly transported to that very plane. In their search for a way back, they discover that there are actually life forms there. Hope’s mother Janet meets old friends and acquaintances. Some secrets that were never supposed to come to light are revealed and Scott sees himself as responsible for doing great things with small deeds and for preserving life on the quantum plane in the future.

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Review

The now-concluded fourth phase of the MCU series has taught audiences to massively lower their expectations. Apart from a certain amount of fanservice, hardly any of the films were able to match the qualities we experienced in varying degrees in the first 23 works. Accordingly, the hopes for a successful reboot with Phase 5, which is introduced with ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA, are extremely high among many fans, as is the concern about an absolute flop and a continuation of the cinematic downward slide. Instead of taking place almost exclusively in the quantum plane as in previous works, this film once again explores new terrain alongside the newly introduced multiverse. Accordingly, a lot of time is spent explaining the new scientific facts and making the visual impressions of this world palatable to the audience. In a way, this is reminiscent of Disney’s animation flop STRANGE WORLD.

But this mammoth task merely serves as an accessory to two even more essential goals of the film: on the one hand, the family dynamics of the familiar characters are to be further developed and, on the other hand, the work serves to build up the new ultimate villain, who now takes over Thanos’ legacy. All this in just 125 minutes, which are also filled with classic Marvel humour, various allusions to earlier films and some new characters. Once again, a general problem of the franchise becomes apparent, because today’s films always have to be a little funny, a little dark, a little adventurous, a little romantic, familiar and superheroic. A clear genre classification thus becomes almost impossible. And since two superheroes and one antagonist are not enough, the whole thing is naturally expanded. The fact that THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER was shot at the same time is hardly surprising, because here too the protagonist is faced with the decision to save the world or his family.

The battle of red against blue goes into a new round

Instead of delicately taking the new direction of travel, Marvel just throws us a hung piece of meat that we have to decide whether to bite or better leave it alone. The new chief villain Kang gets a completely insignificant introduction which, of course, is once again based on the fact that something essential from the characters’ past just happened to be forgotten to be told and now forms the crucial basis. Those who have not seen the LOKI series might also wonder what is actually going on here. The story cobbling thus continues. What’s bad about it, however, is that in the course of this, Marvel’s own previously established laws of nature are completely thrown overboard and no one really has a grasp of how the world actually works anymore. Whereas once the suit was necessary for characters to shrink and survive this, now it’s just a gimmick to make some arbitrary and unclear enlargements and reductions.

We’re not spies. He’s my father.<span class="su-quote-cite">Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania</span>

Instead of forcing the question of when a crossover with DEADPOOL or the other X-MEN will finally take place, ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA rather makes you wonder if we are not seeing a new episode of a STAR WARS story. There are a frightening number of parallels, both visually and in terms of content. Corey Stoll is presented to us as M.O.D.O.K., whose character name is explained in detail even to the last person in the cinema. The fact that this character has existed for a long time and also has idiosyncratic proportions in the comics unfortunately does not make the portrayal any better. But to portray him as a prodigal son who finally finds his way to the truth only shows the idiocy with which Marvel now treats its audience.

Not all that glitters is gold

Now it may be that a completely isolated view of this film leads to the conclusion that the work is quite alright after all, since we are of course shown an impressive world, a nice little cameo and above all an entertaining story. However, since we are not talking about the 3rd film of the MCU here, but the 31st, a certain creative learning curve should be recognisable after all – mind you, not downwards, as is currently the case. In fact, the team around Peyton Reed has even made use of the new ILM stagecraft technique “The Volume” to declare war on the unspeakable CGI drivel. However, this is only used in four settings and unfortunately it shows. If that’s not enough, you get the usual editing thunderstorm on top. It has been a long time since Kevin Feige’s game paradise had a memorable score.

A second viewing in IMAX format also showed that even better projection technology cannot save this film and rather reveals further gaps. It is not at all unusual for films to be incoherent and it is part of the good tone of today’s dramaturgy (opening sequences tease a bit and to avoid spoilers they are kept so vague that they no longer make any sense). But the fact that for some time now new works have been torpedoing the entire Marvel history in their own logic is downright shocking and makes even the die-hard lovers dislike the fabulous first three phases. Any laws of nature that have been developed are thrown overboard in favour of a short, striking plot that ultimately remains completely meaningless and displays a shocking ridiculousness.

Marvel’s shameless deception

Instagram Story Foto

As if these disastrous plot holes weren’t enough insult to the audience, quite a few influencers on the social media channels (TikTok in particular) were bought by Marvel to do advertising on a grand scale about 3 weeks before the film’s release. The advertising aspect itself is of course perfectly legitimate and at best even in the interest of all involved, including the consumers. But to make a positive impact (“Ant-Man – it’s going to be too rad” (source: TikTok @keinpart2); “That’s why Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be one of the best Marvel films” (source: TikTok @xnerdzika)) without even knowing the final product is a downright distortion of competition and shocking. Mind you, at least some of these people were not even paid until one day before the official German theatrical release. Five of the TikTokers alone reached a whole 30 million people with their advertising.

But that’s not all, because on 13 February an exclusive preview of the film took place at the UCI Luxe Mercedes Platz, where almost exclusively “influencers” were invited. The editors do not know whether money was paid for this event, even though advertising notes suggest that it was. In any case, there are surprisingly many very positive voices in these stories (see picture gallery). Of course, it is everyone’s right to present their own opinions. However, as Marvin Wildhage has already revealed (among others in this video: https://youtu.be/CuIE8RDYYpQ), it has become sadly normal that bought voices express a distorted and false opinion. As various comments on TikTok under corresponding advertising posts show, the influencing of users is successful.

Conclusion

Marvel thus continues exactly where they left off with Phase 4, which is why the sudden announcement of the premature end of that very phase is no longer so surprising. After all, not only visually everything blurs into an unspectacular mishmash, which makes it completely irrelevant when anything ends. Since the introduction of the new draught horse Kang is just as terse as the handling of new and old laws of nature, it should be clear by now at the latest that the lack of creativity must now be regarded as a serious problem and that Marvel’s road to success is slowly leading into an abyss. Even the likeable Paul Rudd has to surrender to the tragedy without a fight and, together with all the other characters, is just lovelessly burned up for “the big picture”. Fortunately, this new STAR WARS part comes to an end after just 125 minutes, even if it is more like a coup de grace.

How did you like the movie?
(5 Bewertungen, Durchschnitt: 4,20 von 10)