February 15, 2023
After the blip, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) retired from crime-fighting and would rather enjoy being a local celebrity and reading the book he wrote about his Avengers adventures to kids. In contrast, his 18-year old daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton) was actively worked for social change. She was also working with her mother Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and her grandfather Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to make a AI tracker into the Quantum Realm.
However, her grandmother Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfieffer) panicked when learned that they were sending a signal into the Quantum Realm. She had just returned after being trapped in the Quantum Realm for several years and since then, she had never told them what she knew about dangers lay within that place. Just as soon as the signal was sent, a strong magnetic force sucked all five of them into the Quantum Realm.
This was essentially a family adventure as all five get into the action. Scott and Cassie get separated from the others and get acquainted with freedom fighters Jentorra (Katie O'Brian), Quaz (William Jackson Harper) and the delightful red blob Veb (a recast David Dastmalchian). Hank, Janet and Hope meet up with the quantum denizens Janet never mentioned before, like Krylar (Bill Murray) and later, the main scar-faced antagonist Kang (Jonathan Majors).
Paul Rudd is effortlessly likable as Scott Lang. Kathryn Newton's Cassie was sassy and foolhardy, but her passion is admirable. Evangeline Lilly's Wasp had a less central role, but glad she was able to do make up for this towards the end. The roles of Michael Douglas, and especially Michelle Pfeiffer,were much expanded and we get to see them in action scenes. Corey Stoll's role as the mechanized giant head M.O.D.O.K. was quite amusing.
Since the majority of this film was set in the quantum realm, computer-generated imagery dominates the screen. The eclectic scenery and creatures were reminiscent of (a.k.a. practically similar to) the confusing chaos of the Multiverse in the last Doctor Strange movie. In fact, Janet used the word "Multiverse" when Hank and Hope were asking her to describe the mysterious underground place where she was trapped for the past thirty years.
Whether or not you connect with this new character of Kang the Conqueror will determine whether you will enjoy the rest of Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Jonathan Majors gives him the charm that can earn someone's sympathy, yet at the same time, an intimidating, menacing presence which makes him an effectively terrifying adversary. Clues are aplenty here that we will be seeing Kang many times in this current MCU phase 5. This film is just his introduction. 6/10
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