6.5/10

Let me be frank. As a Marvel fan, I am sad to say that I almost fell asleep while watching this movie. Now that may be due to the fact that I worked all day prior to going to the theater, but still, I think the film itself had something to do with it. Now, I'm not trying to say that the movie was awful. However, in terms of the MCU, it is definitely not my favorite. Many people have noticed with each new Phase 4 movie that comes out, there has been a serious lack in the quality; whether it be the writing, CGI, or something else. 

The positives that I found were, of course, Paul Rudd's performance, as he makes every project that he touches significantly better. The interactions between Hank Pym, Janet Van Dyne, and Hope were also quite funny and were reminiscent of a real family dynamic, which hasn't been able to really be showcased in the previous two Ant-Man movies.

Another positive was the introduction of this version of Kang. I think the way they tied him in with having an old connection to Janet was interesting and they made him way more menacing than the chill, laid-back TVA version from the Loki show. And I feel like we can all relate to the existential dread and panic that Scott was describing at the end of the movie, which also was a great way to end off, setting up Avengers: Kang Dynasty and Loki Season 2. 

One big negative for me was M.O.D.O.K. I mean... what was that? They could have done so much more with that character but instead they used it to bring back one of the most forgettable villains in the MCU's history. They also tried to make him too much of a comic relief, which I really didn't like, but that's almost true of all Phase 4 movies thus far. They've found this pattern of trying to turn every movie into an Action-Comedy, and turn every character into somebody who tells jokes and is funny. (Example, Thor: Love & Thunder, Doctor Strange 2, the Disney+ Marvel shows, I digress.) Some characters just shouldn't be funny, because it isn't their personality, and that's OK. In terms of this movie in particular though, they had enough comedic relief with Scott Lang's character, who has always been funny and at the right moments. Hank Pym also has always had his funny moments, as the cranky old dad who loves his ants. They could've just left it that way. 

Overall, I may have to give this movie another watch to make sure I grasped everything, but if you're an MCU fan, you know how I feel. I like it because it's a Marvel movie and I'm invested in the characters already, but I'm not sure if it's something I'd recommend to someone who I'm trying to indoctrinate into the fandom. 

• Mar. 27, 2023