Ant-Man and the Wasp

Within the not-so-young history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, each and every one of us has experienced a moment in which we believe that something went wrong. In “Endgame,” there is a turning point that many fans believe the franchise never recovered from, and this is the case for many fans. Even earlier, in the middle of Phase 3, Disney started to confuse seriousness with melodrama, and humor with self-sarcasm. This is when I began to get a sense of weariness. Although there have been instances of regaining lost grandeur, such as numerous instances in the “Avengers” volumes, there have also been instances of pleasant bursts of humor, such as “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” as well as minor and satisfactory products, such as “Loki” or “She-Hulk: Hulka Advocate.”

That sense of wonder, that feeling that just around the corner we were going to have an unimaginable surprise, an unexpected twist, a bold and never-before-seen concept, was what I missed the most not only from the first Marvel movies, but also directly from the great superhero movies that came before the Marvel Cinematic Universe (from “Superman” to “Blade” and passing through the animated “The Marvel Adventures”), was the thing that I missed the most. In the Marvel universe of movies that are pre-made and do not involve any risks, such as “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” it appeared to be an aspect that was not a part of the equation.

It has given me back some of the hope that I had lost because it has exactly what I ask of a superhero movie: on the one hand, that capacity to surprise that can only be recovered by getting rid of the corsets, the commitments, and the shared universes, which are very good for a wink but are an agony when they weigh down the rhythm and the arguments. ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ is another film that has given me back some of the hope that I had lost. We are presented with an adventure that does not contain an excessive number of exterior continuities, does not have any narrative debts, and just focuses on a family that is lost in a dimension that is virtually microcosmic.

A certain level of knowledge and chemistry with the foundations that underlie the story, the aesthetics, and the spirit of the genre is the other need that I have, and it is the one that raises a successful and justifiable superhero movie to the level of exquisiteness. ‘Quantumania’ shines in this regard as well. That is, in this particular instance, the classic superhero comics, which range from the classic cosmic sagas to the self-contained adventures, the pulp of galactic exploration, and the science fiction of concepts that are bold and abstract. A rather insignificant example, but one that channels what ought to be channeled: the credits of “Quantumania,” which are a tribute in the key of analogue psychedelia to the science fiction produced by the BBC in the seventies, such as “Chocky,” “The Tomorrow People,” or “Doctor Who.”

Exciting experiences in the minuscule dimension
Quantumania is a place where everything fits together in a way that is incredibly straightforward. Peyton Reed has brought a wonderful narrative agility to the three Ant-Man films, refusing to enter into Marvel’s long-faced, medium-shot game and providing the film with the frenetic dynamics of his best comedies (especially that classic for gourmets of unapologetic teenage cinema entitled Bring It On). This is not too surprising that Peyton Reed has brought this to the table. This is something that he has already proved with the earlier Ant-Man films, which were marked by an uncontrollable speed (especially the first one, which was a great caper movie) and by superb direction of actors.

In this instance, the actors once again take the cake, and not just because the five members of the Ant-Man family, all of whom are outstanding (Michelle Pfeiffer and Michael Douglas, of course, but Evangeline Lilly and Paul Rudd also make up a duo full of chemistry, and they are joined by Kathryn Newton as Cassie, one of the few teenagers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe who is truly heroic), are all excellent. Nevertheless, the two outstanding antagonists deserve a portion of the credit as well. In the film Loki, we were introduced to Kang, played by Jonathan Majors, and his command of voice and body language is mesmerizing. And Corey Stoll’s MODOK is the most remarkable discovery of the movie. He is as absurd and terrifying as the character should be, and he is on par with his most recent cartoon iteration, which is hilarious.

In point of fact, MODOK is the best illustration of the film’s wonderful combination of humor, superhero mythology, and science fiction at the same time. MODOK is not a caricature of a villain, but rather a ridiculous villain in his own right. He is both fearsome and sad, and he has the best parting phrase in the entire history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That one-of-a-kind tone that makes the two-hour movie fly by also shines when ‘Ant-Man’ transforms into a combination of a human tower and Schrodinger’s cat, or when he interacts with aliens in galactic brotherhood sequences that are more hilarious than those in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy. All of these moments are highlights of the film.

In addition, and to complete the entire, ‘Quantumania’ differentiates itself from the dynamic of Marvel superheroes, particularly the Avengers, which is that they take on the role of guardians of the status quo. It is in this scenario that Ant-Man and his people lead a popular insurrection against a tyrant. This is accomplished by the utilization of superhuman powers that have political resonances, and it is also the case that Captain America will not be there. You are deserving of the second season of ‘Inhumans’ if that does not result in you regaining faith in Marvel, even if it is only for one hundred and twenty minutes.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

By nr39r

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