Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania w/Paul Rudd – movie review Published By Alexandra Heilbron on Feb 15, 2023

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is the third installment in the Ant-Man Marvel franchise. In this one, Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton) is now a teen, and a pivotal part of the story. It’s her actions that are the catalyst of the story, as Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and her parents, Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), along with Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Cassie tumble down into the Quantum Realm -- and are separated.

Scott and Cassie don’t know what happened to Janet when she was trapped in the Quantum Realm for 30 years, but Janet knows the danger and when they’re separated during the fall, she knows that they have to reunite and get out as fast as they can. As she and Hank are trying to find the others, they run into Janet's old “friend,” Kang (Jonathan Majors). He wants vengeance for what happened to him years earlier, and if he has to kill a lot of people to get payback, so be it. Janet is now faced with the same problem she had while in the Quantum Realm, and that’s to stop Kang so he can’t proceed with his plan.

The movie starts off with Scott walking through his neighborhood, his heart light, as he visits local establishments to the tune of the theme song from the ‘70s sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter. It’s a great start, and reminiscent of the start of the prior film, Ant-Man and The Wasp, which began with the theme song from the ‘70s sitcom The Partridge Family. All is well, until Cassie shows them what she’s discovered and they wind up in the Quantum Realm.

With much of the movie spent in a place that has strange landscapes and even stranger creatures, the story doesn’t have quite the same fun – or as many funny moments – as the first two films. However, it’s still a highly entertaining movie and the addition of Cassie as a crime fighter is a perfect progression of her character. Kathryn Newton plays the young girl with energy and charisma as Cassie reveals what her goals are -- and that's to fight crime and help people alongside her father. Cassie's inclusion brings the audience a view of the world through a youth's eyes, and the passion that comes with wanting to make the world a better place.

As always, make sure to stay through the credits for two extra scenes, including one with Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Mobius (Owen Wilson). ~Alexandra Heilbron

4.5 out of 5 stars

If you've seen Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and you'd like to rate/review it yourself, click here. To watch our interview with Kathryn Newton (Cassie Lang), click below.