By: Owen Fugit

Media Production Editor

After a much-anticipated wait, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania released in theaters on Feb. 17. Amid poor reviews on sites like IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, it’s safe to say Ant-Man is a controversial movie among fans and critics alike. While the film does have some exceptional parts, there are many rough patches, more so than in previous movies in the franchise.

Ant-Man Three centers around Scott Lang — played by Paul Rudd — who recently published a book. However, his wave of success is short-lived as his daughter, played by Kathryn Newton, reveals a communication device sending signals to the Quantum realm. The device malfunctions and the Ant-Man franchise goes to the quantum realm, which has the same characteristics as a sci-fi universe, but on the scale of atoms. Michelle Pfeiffer’s character, Janet Van Dyne, tells the crew about her past in the Quantum Realm and how she met the movie’s villain Kang the Conqueror.

Kang, played by Jonathan Majors, has made appearances in the MCU before, but this is the first time audiences really learn about the character. The storyline of Ant-Man follows Kang more than the hero, a break from typical Marvel movie plots. One of the main complaints critics have about the film is the disjointed nature of the plot. The movie often has to play catchup with its own runtime. Some parts feel rushed and under-explained, while other less critical parts feel too drawn out. The audience score of 83 percent on Rotten Tomatoes is acceptable, but according to the site, “The plot’s a bit of a mess.”

Ant-Man Three also leans heavily on CGI and other computer graphics, making it seem fake and hokey to some. In the minds of other viewers, the movie feels like filler for a post-credit scene tied in with the hit show Loki. 

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania may feel overhyped at times, and it might even feel like a half-baked idea. Still, hundreds of reviewers agree that this was a necessary movie to kick off phase five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel definitely leans heavily on the Multiverse aspect of the film, which causes some confusion on top of the skewed plot.

For a movie with pivotal storyline impacts like this one, it is essential that writers and producers make it as seamless as possible for viewers. Otherwise, the storyline might feel like it was a section taken out of the Multiverse. Overall, Ant-Man 3 is a good movie and is worth a watch, despite the dismal 48 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

(Sources: IMDb,  Marvel, Rotten Tomatoes)