It’s hard to make truly amazing movies. The bold make it. 2001: A Space OdysseyThe Star Gate sequence can still throw you into an altered state at 3am. by Alex Ghirlanda Annihilation, who turned people into flora, was cool. It can also be done on the cheap, as Shane Meadows has proven dead man shoes‘ LSD shocking sequence, and Ben Wheatley did it a field in englandIt’s frenzied psychedelia. So it’s strange that Marvel, with all their resources, made a film set in a universe where time and space are not as we know them, yet ended up with something that feels surreal, but feels chained. Incredibly, that’s not the case. But that doesn’t mean it’s not fun.
After two more bubbly outings, the third Ant-Man film takes Earth’s smallest hero to bigger places. Time/space pilot Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is living the best life he is, and the first few minutes of How much prepare potentially meaty material. Scott’s daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton) defies his coldness: while she fights for causes he believes in, he’s just happy and famous. He’s young and idealistic, full of vitality and vigor, which may matter later (spoiler: it will). Meanwhile, rescued Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) from decades trapped in the Quantum Realm is harboring secrets about what happened there (spoiler: a lot). But before any of them can actually get into any of this, quantum shit hits the quantum fan and they’re all transported to the land of madness.
In an attempt to compete with the more seismic MCU films, going big, this franchise loses some of its appeal.
To his favourite, How much plays out like an episode from the 1960s star Trek, those heavy themes and more (idealism, abandonment, morality, identity) explored against the backdrop of a wild universe inhabited by strange aliens. It is written forever Rick and Morty writer Jeff Loveness, explained the more surreal aspects: the curious creature of human holes; broccoli walking and talking; From the point of view of Marvel Comics legend MODOK, a completely ludicrous killing machine, the film happily leans into his silliness.
The madness, however, seems somewhat contained. There are imaginative scenarios, especially a little bit where Scott finds infinite versions of himself, but they look like smaller versions of things we’ve seen before, in The matrixsay, or even in the MCU itself (nothing here matches the invention of strange doctorextravagant sequences). And everywhere you can pretty much feel the green screen – as good as the CGI is, there’s plenty of it. This movie does the Star Wars the prequels feel thin, and what’s in them never feels strange enough, especially when it’s heading towards an overly conventional climax.
The edge is missing on all levels. Considering this is the first MCU movie to introduce the new Big Bad into the predictable, the motivations of Jonathan Majors controlling the timeline and Kang The Conqueror beating the world seem somewhat confusing. And while the story has huge ramifications, it all feels particularly irrelevant, more interested in paving the way for what comes next. In an attempt to compete with the more seismic MCU films, going big, this franchise loses some of its appeal. Ant-Man is better small.
And yet… Majors is an exciting watch. Su Kang, or at least this particular variant, is stealthy and strange, a world, a story behind his eyes. Kang is formidable and intimidating, but Majors imbues him with an inherent eccentricity, in an endearing way, making the multiversal villain multidimensional. The best scenes are not those populated by strange creatures, but those in which Majors and Pfeiffer talk, discuss their complex history. Much of the film is just that, and it’s tense, sweet stuff, proper human interaction that goes back to basics.
If it’s a shame the rest of the film lacks that, there’s at least enough to hold on to and enough silliness to laugh at, including some pretty interesting antics. How much It may be lighter than you think, but it has a few surprises up its sleeve, drawing on decades of the craziest ideas in comics. MODOK goods are on their way.
Source: EmpireOnline
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
