LIKES:
The Graphics/World Design
-Marvel really has a great budget to create worlds from our imagination and this installment continues to make it happen.
-Lavish colors, odd beasts, a world that Strange World was trying to make but with more thought and layering.
-Great cultures, a comic book sense of atmosphere, and a new world to which lots of foundations may just build from in the future.
-Feels like a strong mash up of Star Wars, Marvel, and Battlestar with pinches of other movies to help spice up a few things with them as well. Nice references indeed.
The Comedy At Times
-The comedy is awesome often thanks to writing and Paul Rudd making the lines come to life.
-The snarky humor and sarcasm works very well, and I truly did laugh a bunch at how he just owns AntMan and makes it work on levels to be fun.
-There are plenty of aggressive lines that will be there for people to enjoy, several filled with cursing so caution, but it works when in balance and timed just right.
-And some running gags add a little spice to the mix as well, and that was awesome to say the least.
-Overall, the comedy works for me, but there are limitations to be mentioned at a later section.
The Action At Times
-The action does have these moments that show Marvel can still make a good fight.
-Choreography has some flavor, the powers are fun, and the use of that awesome design comes out pretty well.
-Several moments have some impressive strategy behind it, and again surprises me with how some of these stunt people can move.
-And there is musical and visual support to help make everything come to life and have that movie magic that we love in these films.
-Throw in some emotional moments that work to add that bite and edge, and several comedic moments, and AntMan 3 really helps add a little more sauce to the factor that many come to these movies for.
The Character Development At Times
-Kang is the lead for me on this film, in just how much they took the one moment we had with him before and amplifies it so well. He gets a lot of time to flourish and I totally agree that he is worth it.
-As for Scott, again he and Janet get some surprising levels that I love and these moments really help amplify those who seem somewhat forgettable, a joke of the movie, and really bring them to the forefront to be the heroes we want.
The Acting
-Marvel is not often loaded with duds, so I can't say that I was surprised to see a strong hand played for this film.
-I'd say just about everyone hits their mark, but I have limited room, so I'll stick to the three top listed and go from there.
-Rudd is hilarious, hands down a solid balance of comedy, emotion, and bravado that establishes the themes of this movie and often does not stray into overacting. So natural in his delivery he keeps entertainment and drama in check.
-Lilly was fine in her time on the screen, but I can't say that Hope had the same punches or influence on me as the past. She seemed a little laid back, lackluster, and then finally picks it up but not to the degree I've seen her in other films.
-Majors though, wow, Majors kills this role. The man knows how to articulate movements, add elements to his speech and craft this role so well. Kang is such a layered villain and Majors destroys it with the way he incorporates so much into one man. What a fantastic ability to do so much.
DISLIKES:
The Pace Is A Fast
-Normally this is a good thing, and by the end you'll see why it might be a bit bad.
-Quantumania really has a lot of things launching from it, and not everything was fleshed out, thought through, or detailed as Phase 1 and 2 were able to do for the most part.
-It was great to see so much, and yet, it moved a tad too fast for me to really get everything down and have that commitment.
-Perhaps they tried to launch too much and had they toned back, several parts of this could have had a consistently strong bite that these climactic moments had.
-Though my bladder was happy, I think this one needed to slow down a bit in my opinion.
The Character Development Is Bland At Times
-With that pace, some development felt a bit simplified and lacking.
-Hope gets little for me in terms of truly worthwhile investment, and Hank is more comedic than truly amazing, lost to a secondary character status.
-Several other new members are there to have an inconsistent bite, and though there are shining moments, there are sadly not the same speed that I like in my character stories.
-Thus, these blander moments aren't the worst, but given the magic of Avengers and Civil War, I guess I expected more in this tale.
Many Elements Feel Simplified:
-Again, there is a lot of potential in this movie, and yet... did it fully achieve it?
-Some levels, yes, there are these champion aspects I wish I got more time with and had smoother transitions.
-And yet other things just felt so watered down. Several cultural tribes and relationships. New characters who had abilities to dig out things, but were comedic only, and even several elements of exploration were lost.
-All this build up at times sometimes just flops out and again, we are left with a bare bone, C-grade means to tell the tale.
The Comedy Forced Sometimes
-There is plenty of good laughs to be had and I admit again I chuckled a bunch, especially some of the adult jokes.
-But... again we have been robbed of balance and sometimes the comedy tried too hard to be funny for me and tripped up the momentum to be had.
-A running gag about how to punch sometimes flopped for me, other times it was just stopping to joke during an action scene, and other times was just a joke going too far for me that it lost its edge for me.
-I'm not saying it reached levels of Thor, but... I can also say sometimes the edge needed to win and stay while the jokes were left behind.
The Action Could Have Been More
-Again, there are moments where the action is on fire and some of the best I've seen in a while.
-But that doesn't mean it approaches the level that other films have done and given the buildup, I guess I feel more of it than other films.
-Many action sequences last less than 5 minutes, with a tad simplification and a minimization to the chaos they could have had.
-A few bad guys to beat down or at least scare off? Maybe a run in with Kang earlier and fleeing from him to an extent far less trivial.
-And they still have not gotten big battles with lots of pieces the due time and natural development I know they can do.
-Thus, the action could have been more in my opinion.
The VERDICT
The opening hand for Phase 5 is heavy and truly a visionary wonder to behold. AntMan's third trip to the screens is loaded with a bunch of things you might like in regards to your movie with action, comedy, edge, emotion, and stakes that have been absent in a lot of Marvel's productions. It really has a lot of good in my opinion and has done the job of set up and entertainment to the point that there is a lot to uncover. Some good character use, a dab of emotion, and some focus on evolving characters is a nice foundation, and the comedic antics with the comic capers of fighting further help add the spice to things that I like in a movie. Not to mention, Majors really is a welcome addition for me and what he has done with a villain in terms of exciting layers. And yet, the movie still has balance issues, primarily in the form of doing a consistent job of handling everything and not doing too much. I think there was a lot they try to accomplish, which they kind of did, but I just think more time or less content would have helped with character usage, action, and that full effect I like to see in other movies. Still, I don't think this is horrible, nor do I think it is perfect, but the opening gamble was enjoyable for me. My scores are:
Action/Adventure/Comedy: 8.0
Movie Overall: 7.0.
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