Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania IMAX 3D Review

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the third installment in the Marvel's Ant-Man series and the latest installment in the overarching MCU. Scott Lang has come home after the events of Endgame and is getting used to a new life as the recently famous Ant-Man. However, when his daughter creates a machine intended to act as a satellite of the Quantum Realm, it goes wrong and accidentally sends her, her dad, Hope (the Wasp), Hank, and Janet Pym into the Quantum Realm. Their mission soon becomes to get out and back home in one piece, but it turns into something more when they uncover a threat that could potentially end the multiverse.

In his past two smaller-scale adventures, Ant-Man has proven himself to be a conceptually ridiculous, but light-hearted and ultimately enduring hero. In a world where Iron Man is stopping an army of invading aliens and Captain America is fighting so that heroes can keep fighting, it's nice to a get a superhero that doesn't take himself too seriously but can also deliver the goods when necessary. And while the days of Iron Man and Captain America are long gone now, Ant-Man is still around and back to remind us that superhero movies, if done right, can be emotionally engaging, but also a little goofy and amusing too. This newest Ant-Man film doesn't quite hit the highs the other two have set in terms of either emotions or laughs, but it still holds water as an enjoyable and overall solid superhero movie.

The characters we all know and like are back with Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Evangeline Lily as the Wasp, and more. If you've seen the previous two movies, you'll know the kind of chemistry abound with all the main characters, and how well it can work comedically, and Ant-Man 3 keeps the momentum going. One of my biggest concerns with the film was that it would try too hard to be funny and fall ever so short, a la last year's Thor: Love and Thunder. However, the humor was pretty surprisingly disciplined, which may have resulted in fewer overall laughs than the first two films, but ultimately ended up with more jokes that landed. There were a few moments, I did feel, that were a bit bizarre, including one with the return of Darren Cross that might remind a few people of a certain villain from an old cinematic gem called The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl. But even some of them had decent payoffs later. Bill Murray does make a cameo at one point that while doesn't necessarily advance the plot, was still a fun welcome and did encourage a giggle or two.

As for the story itself, it's little more of a mixed bag. Is it engaging, yes. Did it keep me wondering what was going to happen next throughout the entirety of the film, yes. However, looking back on it, there are plenty of things you can nitpick with it. When you're dealing with the Quantum Realm, of course you're going to require some suspension of disbelief. However, the lengths it goes at times can be enough to probably make you wonder just how structurally sound the story actually is. Ant-Man 3 seems to be pretty consistent with its mechanics for the most part, but I can see some people letting it get on their intelligence. Most everything else plot-wise is still paced well and there's hardly a moment that drags on. So if you can look past the strangeness of the world and the way it interacts with the story at times, it remains pretty entertaining. That being said, the movie at times feels so plot focused that it appears to forget to give the characters some type of emotional arc to bring the story together in a satisfying way. While you can have certain movies without it, such as Tenet, the lack of it can also make films feel somewhat hallow inside by the end, such as Tenet. I believe that is where Ant-Man 3 might lose plenty of people as while the story itself goes along nicely, the emotion that made the other films memorable is slightly lacking.

As for the performances, Johnathan Majors as Kang really stands out from the crowd. He performs the role with intimidation, but also enough nuance to make his on-screen appearances feel grand. There are times when we see him acting as a nice rational human being to others, mainly when the others don't know his darker intentions. And even during the battle scenes, he handles everything surprisingly calmly, as he knows he has the upper hand. That's the kind of villain that's been missing from most 21st century media. Besides him, most everybody else gives it their best and the characters remain likable enough.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is no superhero masterpiece, and it doesn't really hit the bar set by the surprisingly good first two films in the Ant-Man series. But I also think a rating of 48% on Rotten Tomatoes is just a wee bit harsh. As for me, I still had a fun time with it. The action was fun, the Quantum Realm was surreal, the humor lands, and Rudd is always a blast to see on the big screen. Granted, sometimes it feels like there's more in the way of style than substance. But I think in between Majors's performance and a plot involving shrinking down to a place where virtually anything can happen, there's still plenty this film has to offer. Is it as funny as the first two movies? No. Is it as emotionally impactful as the first two movies? No. Does it still pass as a slightly-above-average superhero movie? The decision ultimately lies with you. Personally, I say yes.

OVERALL FILM RATING: 3.5/5

The first two Ant-Man movies feature some of the strongest 3D I've ever seen in a superhero movie. When I say strong, I don't mean mesmerizing per se, but rather that the amount of depth on display is in full abundance. So if that's the case, why don't people talk about their 3D more? Personally, I think it's because with both movies, the 3D is excellent for the action and shrinking sequences. But for the rest of the runtime, the characters are mainly standing around talking or going through ordinary locations, which don't really give the 3D that much to do. I still recommend watching both films in 3D if you can get around to them. But the reason I bring up the first two films is to say that I'm proud to announce that for Quantumania, not only does the 3D remain ever so strong, but its usage throughout the film makes it the best 3D film of the Ant-Man trilogy.

Because of the way the story works, most of the film is spent in the Quantum Realm, which provides ample opportunity for 3D, and the filmmakers know it. Even during the film's quieter moments, the environment features plenty of surreal landscapes, deep backgrounds, and bright saturated colors that make the third dimension absolutely pop. Admittedly, describing these different elements will be harder than usual because the world the movie creates is filled with plenty of objects and substances I have virtually no name for. But I can try my best. I'll start with mentioning the wide fields and forests we go through filled with, not exactly foliage, but plenty of strange vegetation. The film opens up on one, albeit it's not very bright, and it's warped shape immediately draws attention in 3D, especially when we see a giant bug drawing blue energy from the ground. But it's not just the ground that benefits from the 3D. In the Quantum Realm, rather than getting a sky, we instead are treated to many far off boundaries that take many styles and textures. The best way I can describe this is that it looks almost like the characters are miniaturized in a very surreal cave. Either way, this scene, and many others like it, are nothing less than fun to look at in 3D. We also get plenty of cityscape shots that show buildings or objects going off far into the distance, give out depth in even the more mundane indoor or talking shots, or in the climax's case, looks down to reveal the void the city lives on top of.

As for the action, the 3D is simply top-notch in this area, and the switching aspect ratios I got in the IMAX screening were an added bonus that helped the 3D even more. Right when we get sucked into the Quantum Realm, we get the characters shrinking all the while microscopic object are flying towards the camera. It might've been the effectiveness of the IMAX experience, but shots such as these were an absolute blast the witness in the third dimension. There's plenty of fantastic uses of 3D here. But one very notable scene features thousands of Ant-Mans stacking up on top of one another in order to reach a ginormous floating orb (it looks ginormous, but that's part of the brilliant way this film uses deep 3D to enhance perspective). Getting an endless crowd of Ant-Mans is fun to watch. But when you're standing on the top of the pile, it can be a little vertigo inducing. Throughout the film, we also get plenty of flying vehicles, hovering objects, firing lasers, electricity, energy powered devices, and hand-to-hand combat. It makes the 3D here feel closer to something from Guardians of the Galaxy than from Ant-Man 1 or 2.

Pop outs? Yes, Quantumania has plenty of pop outs. Are they quite as frequent or as gimmicky as things we've gotten in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2? No. But in their own way, there's some good fun to be had in front of the screen. Going back to the beginning of the film, that bug I mentioned earlier charges at us in a couple of instances before getting blown to slime. And it doesn't stop there. When heading into the Quantum Realm, we get things and characters flying right beside you. Various creatures protrude the screen regularly. During the action, we get everything from lasers to weapons to energy to even humans in hand-to-hand combat. And even in the calmer moments, characters and surreal objects from the Quantum Realm pop out of the screen, albeit pretty modestly. There even a couple of pop outs involving Darren Cross, but they might not be entirely pleasant. And once again, they're a bit modest.

It's been a while since I pulled out the first two Ant-Man movies in 3D, and I think a review of them from The 3D Dinosaur is probably due. But like I said before, this newest addition to the Ant-Man series has better 3D than both of them. I guess the one thing you'll be missing slightly from this trip is an ample amount of miniaturized shots, which have always worked excellently in the first two movies at making the simple and mundane look huge and dangerous. But that's a small price to pay for what's otherwise an excellent 3D ride, which is something rare to get from Marvel nowadays. And if you want to get the most bang for your buck, go for an IMAX 3D showing as it'll make your journey into the Quantum Realm all the more immersive. None the less, whether you're a 3D fan or a person who just wants to have a good time at the movies, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will give you a 3D experience you won't soon forget.

3D RATING: EXCELLENT

FINAL THOUGHTS

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania seems to have been garnering plenty of criticism from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Will it sit well better with audiences? We'll have to wait and see. Personally, while I can acknowledge the movie does certainly have its flaws, I don't think they fully prevent it from delivering an overall enjoyable time. It's still has some decent funny moments, the action is still fun, and the characters are likable, which is something that I can pretty rarely say about a Marvel film these days. While I can't guarantee you'll find it a good superhero movie just because it doesn't live up to the first two Ant-Man films, it might not hurt to give the latest installment a shot. And if you do so, 3D is absolutely the way to go. If you've liked what you saw in the first two Ant-Man films, you'll love what you'll find here. With depth galore, the surreal environment of the Quantum Realm, and the sci-fi action sequences, It'll be hard not to walk away from Quantumania 3D without having a good time. And if you can go for an IMAX 3D showing, it's highly recommended.

P.S. With the $75 Japanese imports of Marvel films on 3D Blu-ray as of late, I have finally now found a film where the 3D is worth the price, though I haven't seen Shang-Chi, Eternals, Black Widow, Black Panther 2, or Doctor Strange 2 in 3D yet.

DID YOU LIKE "ANT MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA" IN 3D

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