The early reviews are in, and while lots of people had nothing but good things to say
about "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," a few critics were considerably more harsh.
With the Avengers established as Earth's premier superhero force and the Guardians of the Galaxy
patrolling the stars, a new hero emerged in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2015. At long last,
Ant-Man — Scott Lang, as portrayed by Paul Rudd — made it to the movies in
his own self-titled film. It was a heist story full of action, laughs,
and worldbuilding that would greatly impact the MCU in the years to come.
"Wait a minute. Did you just compliment me? He did, didn't he?"
"It sounded like he did."
Its sequel, 2018's "Ant-Man and the Wasp," delivered more science-tinged hijinks, also
letting audiences know where the lead heroes were during the events of "Avengers: Infinity War."
After playing a key role in "Avengers: Endgame," helping the titular team navigate the microscopic
Quantum Realm and undo Thanos' "Infinity War" destruction, Ant-Man is coming back to the movies.
The release of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" is right around the corner, and it seems like a
high-stakes affair to launch MCU Phase Five. Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly's Wasp, and their
family are sucked into the Quantum Realm with no method of escape. While trying to get home,
they come face-to-face with the formidable warlord Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors.
In the wake of a few teasers and TV spots, the first reactions to "Ant-Man and the Wasp:
Quantumania" have hit the internet. For the most part, things are looking good for the long-awaited
third installment. Just after midnight struck on the East Coast of the U.S. on February 7,
2023, social media was flooded with early impressions of the movie, and the majority
of lucky viewers who got to see it ahead of time are happy with what it has to offer.
For example, film critic Matt Cote praised it for its psychedelic nature
and consistency with the previous two "Ant-Man" movies. He also gave Jonathan
Majors credit for his first outing as Kang, a variant of He Who Remains from
"Loki." Numerous other fans also gave Majors major kudos for his performance.
"This is the beginning. And he cannot be contained."
Speaking of performances, Geek Vibes Nation writes,
"Paul Rudd gives his most emotional performance as Scott Lang in #AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania
as we see the smallest Avenger take on his biggest threat yet."
Fico Canigano of CineXpress went as far as to call "Quantumania" the best entry in the
"Ant-Man" trilogy. Going behind the scenes a bit, critic Michael J. Lee shines a spotlight
on Peyton Reed's directing and his "Star Wars" influence on the film in their tweet:
"Peyton Reed's time as a director of The Mandalorian episodes really
shows. Not in just his use of the Volume [LED soundstage technology]
but the production and character designs. It's out of this world!"
Even with the showering of love from most Twitter critics so far, there are also more than a few
people who have seen it and walked away somewhat disappointed. Jeremy Mathai of /Film wrote,
"#AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania is a lot of things: loud, super-sized, and constantly dialed up to 11.
Too bad so little of it feels new, visually creative, or, uh, just plain interesting.
Not even Jonathan Majors can save this hollow, repetitive exercise in WeIrD sTuFf HaPpEnNiNg."
Another viewer who got an early look was impressed with Majors' take on Kang, but feels "Quantumania"
missed the mark as the start of Phase Five. Critic Jordie Poblete found it to be a middle-of-the-road
flick that fails to be as entertaining as some of its MCU contemporaries. And critic Courtney
Howard notes that it struggles to find its footing emotionally and in terms of structure.
POC Culture also found "Quantumania" to be a mixed bag, writing,
"#AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania is a super weird movie. And possibly the
most #StarWars of any #Marvel film. At times the humor was overly silly & took
me out. Think opinions will vary widely on MODOK."
As their tweet notes, this movie will serve as the introduction of longtime Marvel Comics
villain M.O.D.O.K., played by Corey Stoll. Stoll was also in 2015's "Ant-Man" as Darren Cross,
aka Yellowjacket, who seems to have morphed into M.O.D.O.K. since moviegoers last saw him.
"Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" premieres on February 17, 2023,
and it promises two post-credits scenes.