Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Marvel movies have stopped taking chances. You will never see another Marvel political thriller like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, or a fun heist picture like the original Ant-Man again. This one has Scott Lang of all people fighting an interdimensional tyrant. Yes, the movie is still fun. But the franchise has gotten way too big for its own good. Ant-Man movies do NOT need this scope. I actually don't WANT them to have it.

It's still a really good movie, especially considering how unhappy the rest of Phase Four and all of Marvel Studios television besides Loki has made me. Speaking of Loki, the reason I didn't like the final tag teasing Season 2 of that show is because nobody who has ever seen that show would have the slightest idea what is going on. I've actually seen it and the tag STILL confused me.

Kang was not the right villain for this movie. That being said I believe he will be a good villain going forward. But I wish Marvel movies were more invested in telling their own stories instead of setting up sequel after sequel. It's frustrating at this point.

MODOK was funny, which is good, but he wasn't scary, which is bad. That being said, it was kind of refreshing the movie gave him and Darren a measure of redemption by the end of it, which is totally unusual for that specific character. People will cry foul, but I dug the fact that you shouldn't have Scott comfort him as he lays dying and assuring him he has a spot in the Avengers. Because they shouldn't have done it is the exact reason I liked that they did.

"You talk to ants." That specific cavalry coming upon that exact line is not remotely credible, but it felt narratively satisfying anyways. Something can be badly written and feel right at the same time.

Why is Wasp second billed for this one? She barely did anything. Janet had a bigger and more important role than Hope did. So did Cassie for that matter.

I have to say Bill Murray is probably Marvel Studios' biggest "get" since Robert Redford in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In fact, I'd argue Redford is the only other actor on Murray's level who has done one of these. Murray is like Redford in being like "I can't believe these picky actors are in a Marvel movie. These movies must actually be all right."

People will complain Murray isn't given a bigger role, but that's not how Bill Murray works. Murray's shtick is to do a ten minute role in the movie and be the best and most memorable thing in it. You always wish you could see more of Murray, but you never do, so you never get sick of him. This small role was on-brand for Murray for that. What made it unlike every other Murray role is he didn't actually steal the movie. A movie with Bill Murray in it where Bill Murray isn't the best thing in it is using Bill Murray incorrectly. How does Feige not know that?

I liked it well enough. But the truth is I'm not actually too picky. If I were, I might have more things to harp upon. I let that stuff slide because the movie was all right. ****.