By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
My goodness,
Jonathan Majors is having a major moment right now. Not only is he set to go toe-to-toe with
Michael B. Jordan in the highly anticipated sports drama,
"Creed III" (March. 3), but he's also a formidable foe as Kang the Conqueror in Marvel's exciting new movie
"Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania."
Paul Rudd is back of course as Scott Lang/Ant-Man. He has his work cut out for him with Kang the Conqueror, but that comes later. For now, Scott's life is just grand. Pretty perfect actually. He's come a long way from working at Baskin-Robbins.
Scott has a best-selling book, "Look Out for the Little Guy" which is about his world-saving Avenger feats. Scott and his partner, Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly, TV's "What If...?), a.k.a. the Wasp, live in San Francisco and often chill out by taking in the spectacular views of the Bay while perched on the Golden Gate Bridge.
He’s also enjoying the celebrity treatment he gets around town especially at his favorite coffee shop. Never mind that the barista calls him "Spider-Man."
His teenage daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton, "The Map of Tiny Perfect Things" ) keeps him on his toes too. She also seems poised to follow in her family's superhero footsteps. Cassie is a science wiz and gets tons of support from her grandfather, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas, TV's "The Kominsky Method") as well as the Wasp (Lilly). Cassie has become fascinated by the sub dimension, known as the "Quantum Realm." She's even invented a device that can send signals to it.
That's the last thing Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer, TV's "The First Lady") wants to hear. She knows all too well about the Quantum Realm having been trapped in it for years. Yet even before she can object to Cassie's invention, she gets swept into it again along with the others.
The Quantum Realm is a breathtaking and scenic world that's ruled by Kang the Conqueror (Majors). Boy, is he a character. He's looking to get out of the Quantum Realm but needs Lang's skill and technology to do it. He'll stop at nothing--including capturing Cassie-- to achieve his goal.
Also in the mix is Lord Krylar (Bill Murray, "The Greatest Beer Run Ever"), the governor of the posh Axia Quantum Realm community who has a history with Janet van Dyne.
Can Cassie get in touch with her inner superhero and turn the Quantum People-- notably freedom fighters Jentorra (Katy O’Brian, TV's "Black Lightning") and the telepathic Quaz (William Jackson Harper, "Midsommar")--against Kang and save the day? Well, they get a welcome assist from an unlikely source. It's a mutated, cybernetically enhanced oversized flying head named M.O.D.O.K. (Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing). Yes, it's really Corey Stoll (TV's "Billions"). He's funny even when he's not trying to be.
You should never count out the little guy. He comes through here in a giant-sized way along with an army of killer ants thanks to Dr. Hank Pym.
Rudd's easy swagger, charm and wry humor make “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” a lot of fun.
The future of the MCU appears to be in good hands as you'll see during the two end credits of the movie. Long live Kang the Conqueror.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Look At This Trailer For
"ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
