Since joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ant-Man has had an interesting role on the big screen. Whether he was on his own adventures or playing a role in movies like Avengers: Endgame, there is no denying that the tiny avengers has left an impression with moviegoers and fans alike. Now Marvel begins a new journey with their next set of films and to start this Phase is none other than Ant-Man and the Wasp. However instead of putting together another heist, the tiny avengers deal with a much bigger threat in the new superhero blockbuster Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Quantumania features Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) who along with Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Cassie Lang (Katheryn Newton) find themselves trapped in the Quantum Realm where they discover a powerful tyrant name Kang (Jonathan Majors) who seeks to escape the Quantum Realm and take revenge on Hope’s mother Janet (Michelle Pfeifer). Quantumania sees Peyton Reed (director of the previous Ant-Man films) once again helm the latest chapter in Ant-Man’s story. The new Marvel film not only expands on the Quantum Realm, but also introduces one of Marvel’s most notorious supervillains in Kang; who will also serves as the main antagonist for Marvel’s Multiverse Saga. It is hard to believe that a movie like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania would have such stakes, but sure enough its role in the Multiverse Saga made this little adventure a must see-but was the film up to the task? While I cannot say this was a great start for Marvel’s Phase 5, Quantumania does bring a little enjoyment to the MCU.

Quantumania sets out to do a few things like establish Marvel’s next big villain while being a story about family; but the result led to a mixed experience. The idea of exploring the Quantum Realm made sense as it was an idea that could be further explored. Yet the movie left much to be desired when it came to expanding on this mysterious world, though the setting itself was investing. As for being an Ant-Man story, this plot tried its best to continue elements that worked in previous movies, but it was difficult to mesh these ideas with the overall plot. When it came to structure, the plot could get messy especially at the beginning. The plot split its perspective following Ant-Man and Wasp separately, but this narrative could get be jarring in places. Yet this is not to say the plot has nothing going for it. As soon as Kang entered the story, both the intrigue and the stakes were raised, and this was enough to give this astonishing tale a little substance as well as some entertainment.

As for the characters, the cast had its merits. Paul Rudd continues to impress as Scott Lang. While I felt some of his motivations were unclear, the character was still enjoyable thanks to Rudd’s solid charisma. As for his partner, Evangeline Lilly was fair as Hope. Wasp’s development was limited to say the least, but the character had her moments and her chemistry with Ant-Man continued to be a highlight. As for the inclusion of Cassie Lang, the character was very hit and miss. Cassie’s motive was rocky and the performance from Katheryn Newton was inconsistent, but as the film progressed, she did get a little better. The movie also featured supporting roles from both Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeifer, but their inclusion had its limits. Yet if there was one performance that stood it was none other than Jonathan Majors as Kang. From the moment Kang steps on screen, the character steals the show with his sheer presence. The intrigue surrounding this character showed Kang has a lot of potential in his role in the MCU, while giving this superhero cast an impressive highlight.

As spectacles go, Quantumania was decent to say the least. While some of the movie’s visuals looked better than others, the effects were able enhance the film’s setting while aspects like the heroes’ size changing were fluent in execution; and these elements were able to create some impressive moments for the film. As for action, the Marvel film had some flair to it but it did not break the mold when it comes to MCU or the superhero genre for that matter. Last and certainly not least is the music by Christoph Beck. Beck has created thematic music for Ant-Man and his score for Quantumania was no different by creating grandiose tone for this small tale.

As Marvel films go, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania leaves much to be desired. Between its inconsistent direction and moderate delivery, the movie does little for Ant-Man or the MCU. However, I would be remised to say that Quantumania had no merits to it. Along with some good performances, the movie also featured had an investing setting as well as some exciting moments that showed off the creature nature behind this Marvel hero. So while Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania may not be the movie Marvel was expecting, it was a tolerable installment for the MCU.