Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania review: Michelle Pfeiffer steals the show amidst Star Wars-esque creatures

What would happen if Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) went into space? While that hasn't happened (he fights aliens from outer space though) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), we get a glimpse of what that would be like in his journey into the Quantum Realm in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The denizens of the Quantum Realm are span the gamut of shapes, colours and forms — bearing a striking similarity to the diversity of the Star Wars universe. In that sense, this is the closest we've ever gotten to a Star Wars-MCU crossover — with Ant-Man and his allies entering a world with Quantum Realm creatures that feel a lot like Star Wars aliens.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a superhero film that is a sequel to Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp. It is the 31st film in the MCU and the first film of Phase Five. The movie sees Ant-Man and his allies getting trapped in the Quantum Realm, a strange universe out of time and space. In order to escape, they must discover the secrets of that world... and the unlikely connection that one of them has to a tyrant in the Quantum Realm.

If the film feels like Ant-Man in space — why not actually have Ant-Man go into outer space for this movie? Well, thematically, outer space travel is not really an Ant-Man thing, so tonally it doesn't fit so well. In addition, there is already an outer space in the MCU, which looks a little different from the Quantum Realm. So in that sense, this film is the answer to what outer space would look like if done Ant-Man style, which gives us Quantum Realmers that look like migrants from the Star Wars universe. Visually, the Quantum Realm looks strikingly similar to the magical dimensions seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, reinforcing the link (and look) of the Multiverse in Phase Five.

But the star of the show is definitely Michelle Pfeiffer, who plays Janet van Dyne. In fact, the movie could arguably be called Janet van Dyne: Quantumania, because the plot revolves around her and the consequences of her being trapped in the Quantum Realm for 30 years. She was rescued in Ant-Man and the Wasp but ended up falling victim to Thanos' snap in Avengers: Infinity War. In this film, it's revealed that Janet had quite a colourful (both literally and physically) time in the Quantum Realm, as well as assorted relationships with the various lifeforms there. Her performance is what drives this movie — you're not quite sure of her allegiance at times, what secrets she's keeping, or what abilities she has. She's revealed to be quite the formidable fighter (although her background as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent has already hinted as much), and you expect her to break out into her costume at any time.

What makes her so interesting has to do with the villain of the piece, Kang the Conquerer (Jonathan Majors). As with almost all MCU villains, Kang's humanity is revealed and explored in the film, giving us more depth to a character (or rather, a version of the character) that we last saw in Loki. There's vulnerability and a sense of loss with Kang, bringing forth the idea that had things turned out differently, Kang could have been swayed from conquering so much. Alas, this is a whole new universe, and it needs a villain of suitably epic proportions to menace it. When the story calls for it, Kang morphs into a villain of grandiose proportions, making sweeping proclamations and deadly threats, menacing all that exists (in the Quantum Realm, that is).

As hinted at in the trailers, M.O.D.O.K. makes his debut in the film — a person with an oversized head and mechanical armour that has been transformed into a Mechanical Organism Designed Only for Killing. He's given a fun new identity and origin story that ties back to the first Ant-Man and he even gets his own character arc in the film. Not bad for what seemed to be a throwaway character at first! Much of the humour in the film comes from M.O.D.O.K., as Paul Rudd doesn't really get a chance to play up the funnies in the film thanks to Ant-Man's role in the movie. Much of that has to do with his relationship with his daughter Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), who grew up while he was away in Avengers: Endgame.

Much of Ant-Man's motivation and character comes from wanting to care for and provide for his daughter, whom we saw as a child in Ant-Man. As a teenager, her dynamic with her father has changed, understandably so. But this takes away from the light-hearted humour that we're used to from Ant-Man, and makes his character more of a serious, overprotective type. While Paul Rudd tries his best to marry the two aspects of his character, the writing doesn't quite allow for it to flow. To top it off, Cassie isn't the most sympathetic of characters — she's supposed to be a relatable teenager, but Kathryn Newton tries too hard in this respect. As a result, the formerly endearing relationship between father and daughter loses a bit of that spark, although there are some heartwarming bits at the end.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania explores more vistas in the MCU as we see what the Quantum Realm is like, up close. It's a movie that's predominantly about Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet van Dyne, a character who has only gotten more interesting as we learn more about her. The film definitely takes some cues from Star Wars, and ties back to earlier ones. Although it's not the end of a trilogy, it does make for a good third movie in the Ant-Man series. Needless to say, you should stay back for the two end-credits scenes.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania opens in cinemas 16 February.

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