Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
MCU threequel falls short on humor; violence, language.
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Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 18 parent reviews
Based on 49 kid reviews
Kids say the latest installment in the superhero franchise falls flat with many expressing disappointment over its lackluster plot, poor character development, and excessive reliance on humor. While some appreciated the visual effects and family messages about teamwork and courage, most reviewers felt the movie was disjointed, predictable, or barely held the charm of earlier films in the series.
- weak plot
- poor characterization
- impressive visuals
- mixed humor reception
- notable family messages
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA begins with the theme from Welcome Back, Kotter playing as Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) explains how great life is now that Thanos has been thwarted and he's recognized around San Francisco as an Avenger (although he's occasionally misidentified as Spider-Man). He's even written a biography called Look Out for the Little Guy and enjoys family dinners with his now 18-year-old daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton), who's a budding activist; partner Hope (Evangeline Lilly); and her parents. But when Cassie's science experiment with "Grandpa Hank" (Michael Douglas) goes unexpectedly, the entire crew is sucked back into the quantum realm -- the very place Scott and Hope rescued her mother, Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer), from after she'd been stuck there 30 years. They find out rather quickly that Janet had kept some important details about her three decades in the quantum realm a secret. There's an entire universe of Star Wars-meets-Guardians of the Galaxy-style creatures and worlds down there, and they're all quaking in fear of the movie's tyrannical, genocidal Big Bad, Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors). He has a plan to escape the quantum realm and get revenge -- and he needs Pym particles to do it.
Is It Any Good?
This serviceable third installment strips the Ant-Man franchise of its best qualities in order to promote yet another seemingly indestructible MCU villain. Rudd is so charming that the movie's opening segment in San Francisco will garner laughs and reminders of how Ant-Man, like Hawkeye, is one of the humblest Avengers: a flawed guy who's never been afraid of doing shady stuff to get things done with his crew of misfit (and hilarious) friends. But all of Scott's comic relief X-Con Security pals are gone without explanation (Michael Peña's scene-stealing Luis is especially missed), and all that's left is Scott, Hope, Cassie, and the Pyms. Perhaps because Cassie is basically a brand-new character here (since she was a tween in the last movie), there's less feeling between her and Scott than there was before. She's also simultaneously self-righteous and naive, making her both sweet and unlikable.
The quantum realm is a creature fest, with so many beings that it's hard to get a hold on who's from where. Of course, none of it really matters, because the star of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania isn't Ant-Man, the Wasp, or their loved ones. It's the villain, played by the excellent Majors with a solemn gravitas that's usually reserved for DC characters. The time-jumping Kang's backstory isn't deeply explored (there must be more to come in the next film, one imagines), but he's definitely a Big Bad. Kang is a supervillain with no complicated familial or romantic attachments -- just an unquenchable thirst for revenge, even if wiping out entire planets and timelines is what he needs to do to sate that desire. Since Janet is partially to blame for Kang's genocidal antics (in the quantum realm, at least), she's on a redemption tour, while Scott tries to keep Cassie free from harm. Is it worth watching this to keep up with the MCU? Sure. It's hard not to root for the "little guy." But this movie is "just fine" instead of particularly funny, thrilling, or memorable. And in the MCU world, that means it's second (or third) tier.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. How does it compare to that of other MCU movies? Is the impact of close-up, weapons-based combat different from that of wide-scale destruction and death?
Discuss the differences between Kang the Conqueror and other MCU villains. Why do you think he's so much more serious than many of the other antagonists?
Who are the movie's role models, and what character strengths do they display? What are the movie's messages about teamwork and courage?
Michael Peña's lovable side character is missing from this installment of the series. Did you miss him? Was the lack of his humor filled by the presence of other minor characters?
Movie Details
- In theaters : February 17, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : May 16, 2023
- Cast : Paul Rudd , Evangeline Lilly , Jonathan Majors , Michael Douglas , Michelle Pfeiffer
- Director : Peyton Reed
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Disney/Marvel
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Superheroes
- Character Strengths : Courage , Teamwork
- Run time : 125 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence/action, and language
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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