It's what Disney does with characters big enough to put their name in the title but they don't really know how to give them their own story. Make them a supporting character and let someone else drive the plot for a while. Look what they did with Doctor Strange
You know, you actually pointed out some of the reasons Ant-Man in general is my favorite MCU series so far. Paul Rudd is a delight. I like how Scott Lang is the closest we've gotten to a regular person being a hero. No magic, no genetic powers, he isn't born special, no military training, he's not even a genius much less the one that made his powers. He is just a person trying to do the right thing and be a good dad. I love how the movies are just wild fun. "If Ant-man is still the mass of a human how can he run on that gun?" doesn't matter don't care it's fun to watch.
To be honest, I like the "tell me if the movie is good, but don't spoil it"-approach. More movies should do that. Bob, I still remember your best review: Cabin in the Woods: first minute was basically "stop this video and see the movie". And I did and it's one of my most favorite movies of all time.
it’s already release in some countries today and some for advance screenings. i saw it today at advance screenings and the movie was so amazing i loved it
I’m just hoping it’s less…dreary…than Wakanda Forever was (and, that hurts to say because I wanted SO much to have enjoyed that…and walked out mostly feeling like I Endured it)
Honestly, MovieBob's reviews are always pretty good, even if I disagree with how much I like some movies that he either likes or dislikes more. His conversational style has a real gonzo quality to it, where it feels like you're briskly walking down a New York City street while Bob is talking about the movie to you and you're fully engaged with what he's saying. It's a type of stylistic maturity that stands apart. I also really like his perspective, because you can definitely feel like MovieBob has some real experience with and knowledge of the film business as it is today that other film reviewers, even ones that I really like (Chris Stuckmann, Jeremy Jahns, YourMovieSucks, Double Toasted) kind of lack. Like, I doubt any of the aforementioned reviewers could've explained to me how COVID most probably affected the development of Ant-Man 3 and other MCU and non-MCU movies. I also really really liked his recent video "So That Happened- New Big Picture" because Bob perfectly deconstructed, analyzed, and explained the constant misuse of the term "Marvel Humor" and how what we vaguely gesture at as "Marvel Humor" has existed for decades before the MCU was off the ground. Such a satisfying video.
Not that I disagree with the sentiment (I too think Bob has his own style and gives insight into the business side of things that other reviews often lack), but it's funny that you say Bob has real experience with the film business as opposed to those others when Stuckmann is the one who literally directed a movie of his own.
@@DerMoerpler To be more clear, when I say that Bob has real experience with the film business, the emphasis is on the business part. Yes, I know that Chris Stuckmann is like the only major film reviewer UA-camr who's actually made a film but my statement about Bob's experience with the film business had more to do with his insightful analysis of the way that the major studios make moves and the trends in filmmaking over the decades change.
Hey nothing against Chris Stuckman, I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but his reviews don’t go past film making 101, okay if you’re a 12 year old and you think Nolan is one of the greatest film makers of all time, but that’s about it. I’ve only seen his last short film and it is exactly what you’d expect from his reviews: wooden and mechanical too the core, 100% by the ‘film making 101 book’. Doesn’t have a soul. I’m not trying to be mean, but he doesn’t have the talent, it appears. Not that I want to stop him from trying…
I may not have *needed* this review to go watch the movie, I'm really glad I did watch it because the tone of your review is incredibly refreshing. I'm trying to distance myself from the doom trends that dominate reddit, twitter, and tiktok where people repeat angry hype crap for views. Your reviews always feel personal and grounded and yeah, I may not always agree, but I'm always glad I tuned in.
I'm glad Kang at least isn't as boring as he is in the comics. Maybe if he's more angry, more manically aggressive, he could still feel distinct when Doom finally comes in and makes the children stop fighting and go to bed so he can take care of the world's problems
Agreed, Kang kinda reminds me of Apocalypse; not a lot of writers can get a good story out of him... Also Doom's not going to solve any problems, he's going to steal every mcguffin, gain ultimate power, and he's going to do it while always speaking in two speech bubbles all the time.
I've had this thought banging around in my head for a while...what if Doom is a variant on Kang or even a root version of him in the MCU? The latter is a true possibility as suggested by Loki.
@@johnathonhaney8291there's some discourse between them in the comics with a Kang variant as to weather he is Doom's descendant or not. I could see your theory playing out
I love this review and all your other reviews. I was really interested in your comments about how the film was re-worked because of the scheduling/production chaos caused by The Pandemic. I really enjoy your insight into the film biz and the way you connect the dots. Would you want to do a video where you go over this idea more in depth with Quantumania and other movies that were similarly affected? Basically a in depth point-by-point breakdown that shows the "seams," or "fingerprints of adjustment" so to speak, or why based on what you know of Marvel it's likely the film we see was not likely the original conception of the story. Maybe this is better served as a twitter thread than a explainer vid, heh.
It's a really fun Ant Man adventure, with crazy weird visuals, and sets up Kang as an Avengers level threat very well. I have no idea where the hate is coming from, unless it's just from those who generate hate for clicks.
I think that people who are trying to watch the MCU as "one big tv series" are the ones that are getting frustrated, because the movies aren't connecting the way they want to.
I have not seen any of the Disney+ stuff, so I cannot speak on how Kang was in those, but I do agree that the original incarnation of Kang was probably not going to work and certainly not as an interesting character. I also stand with Bob's defense of Iron Man 3's Mandarin, as that character's original incarnation also would not have worked, though for somewhat different yet still somewhat similar/related reasons (go watch his review of Iron Man 3 - it is his defense, after all).
To put it in DC terms, this movie strikes me as the Jack Kirby version of Superman's Pal Jimmy Olson when Kirby introduced Darkseid. Also, anyone really think we WON'T see more Kang variants (Immortus, Scarlet Centurion, Victor Timely) before we're done? Majors could pull that off for certain.
@@kevinmckenna5682 No, he wasn't. Immortus is a lot more active as a rule, though he does share the goal of He Who Remains in terms of preserving certain timelines. But I could be wrong.
mild spoiler: My favorite moment was Hank Pym walking in with a smug swagger that was palpable. Kang's biggest mistake was that he thought he could out ego Hank Pym.
One of the big takeaways from the film is how bad Evangeline Lily is. She has 0 chemistry with Rudd and despite her character being somewhat important she's at best just kinda there.
Bob's shirt game continues to be strong. I find myself in a similar position on this one as I am with Love and Thunder - not much interest in the film overall but I'm looking forward to just seeing a supercut of good moments from the villain's performance because it's getting so much praise.
I mean, if you watched The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes cartoon, you were already a Kang fan. Glad to see Jonathan Majors is the film's highlight.
Or read Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco's excellent maxiseries Avengers Forever, which does the whole concept of Kang justice beyond anyone else I ever saw.
Actually really enjoyable to see Moviebob just riff on a subject without all the smashcuts and deeper, all-too-clever tongue twisting scripts. More please. :)
Honestly, MovieBob's reviews are always pretty good, even if I disagree with how much I like some movies that he either likes or dislikes more. His conversational style has a real gonzo quality to it, where it feels like you're briskly walking down a New York City street while Bob is talking about the movie to you and you're fully engaged with what he's saying. It's a type of stylistic maturity that stands apart. I also really like his perspective, because you can definitely feel like MovieBob has some real experience with and knowledge of the film business as it is today that other film reviewers, even ones that I really like (Chris Stuckmann, Jeremy Jahns, YourMovieSucks, Double Toasted) kind of lack. Like, I doubt any of the aforementioned reviewers could've explained to me how COVID most probably affected the development of Ant-Man 3 and other MCU and non-MCU movies. I also really really liked hus recent video "So That Happened- New Big Picture" because Bob perfectly deconstructed, analyzed, and explained the constant misuse of the term "Marvel Humor" and how what we vaguely gesture at as "Mavrel Humor" has existed for decades before the MCU was off the ground. Such a satisfying video.
Saw it last night, I thought of all the MCU films to date this had the most Star Wars vibe to it - a small group of friends get caught up with a weird rag tag bunch of people taking on stormtroopers of a sprawling empire. Characters know more than they are saying and the heroes unlock new potential. Not having Peña and the gang back is a missed opportunity and losing something that was great about the Ant Man adventures in the MCU. Majors is incredibly epic though. I hope he sticks around for years to come.
I'm curious about your thoughts for the whole Falcon Winter solider connection point. I can kind of see what you mean after seeing the movie, would just be interested in seeing you elaborate in the spoiler review.
I am too. I’ve not seen Falcon and the Winter Soldier but I’m sure that series has the opposite take on the “children are our future and we should listen to them” aspect.
I hope Paul Rudd is ok. I worry that the “Paul Rudd doesn’t age” thing is gonna mess with his head and make him feel like he has to do unnecessary and inadvisable procedures to maintain the illusion/joke.
Bob: *posts longest movie review since before COVID* Also Bob: "This is the *short* version..." Me: Hoo-boy, the spoilers to this one must be DOOZIES...
Having seen it? Yeah, you're pretty much spot on. It's fine. It hits the usual tropes (one of the easiest uprising-storming-the-castle bingo boards I've seen), it has some pretty bonkers scenes, it has some absolute dumbassery. I do think Majors legitimately saves the movie, though - a weaker villain would've made this absolutely, completely, 100 percent forgettable.
Just watched antman 3. So exetremely mid. Movie was very low energy. The quantum realm is a boring setting. There were little to no stakes. The character of derran, or modok, is got to be the worst and lamest mcu character. Genuinely cant think of anything good about the movie besides Kang.
Thanks for an honest review! Too many reviewers now are trying to ride waves of popularity (or rather, unpopularity) or fulfill their own prophecies of "Marvel's inevitable downfall! It's here, it's here!"
"nobody needs these things to be recommended or not recommended, people watch them at this point if they like them or don't like them." That's pretty gross.
No, buddy, I did too. It solidified in my mind how Ant-Man movies are the equivalent of old school live-action Disney films (Herbie, Absent-Minded Professor, Shaggy Dog). Quantumania has a feel of another forgotten Disney live-action sci-fi epic, The Black Hole, which I still fondly think of.
I enjoyed it. Not only are both characters solid in concept and gimmick but for me, it's mostly it's lead. Paul Rudd. The guy is an amazing talent and tends to shine in most of what he is in. I think the MCU is at the beginning stages of "brand matchurity" (an inevitable point in every brand/product were it declines a little or is not an impactful as it once was) whitch is okay. There are a lot of westerns made after the golden age of the western genre in film that still kick ass. That is what I suspect will become of the superhero genre some day.
@@johnathonhaney8291 I know there's the embargo but usually he's able to articulate why he enjoyed a movie even on spoiler-free reviews. In this one you can tell he's pretty much just looking for ways to say the movie isn't good in the nicest way possible.
@@jvictor3048 Or you are looking for ways to validate your conclusions based on sketchy information. The only true ding he gave it was in the marketing, which has nothing to do with the film itself. And 7/10 is way too strong a rating to justify your argument.
@johnathonhaney8291 it's so funny that y'all are going SO HARD for a movie that's, by your own admission, 7/10. Then again, I would expect nothing less from sheep.
I was pretty excited to see Kang in the MCU because talking about what Kang does is interesting and funny, even if reading what Kang does is like watching paint dry. So there was definitely room for writers to come in and improve on the story.
I just watched this movie this afternoon - it came out earlier in the Netherlands - and I agree with Bob here. It's clear that some scenes were shot before the script changed, but I find the movie rather enjoyable. Certainly better than Black Widow or Shang-Chi.
I thought Quantumania was great overall. I adored the Quantum realm and loved Majors as Kang. I do wish Kang was made even more powerful but simply got outwitted by the good guys instead of losing a fight.
Likely there were guidelines in writing on the subject and our Mr. Chipman erred on the side of caution by leaning on what has been revealed in the trailers. Plus side: we can be sure that Marvel Studios will issue no copyright strikes like a certain struggling studio owned by Lord Honey Boo Boo.
More of a B-, almost C+ for me. There was definitely a drop in quality and cohesion in the Phase 4 movies by at least 25%. Majors’ Kang resuscitates the film for a bit, but he can’t save it. Ultimately, the film has “little” effect.
It feels weird that they had to tell you the embargo lift was only was spoiler-free reviews. Why would you even consider putting out a spoiler-review before the movie comes out? In any case, this felt to me like Tron Legacy ft. Guardians of the Galaxy, and for that I liked it.
Yeah, no thanks to COVID effing up everything from top to bottom. But I still don't buy the "MCU is worse now" arguments being thrown out there. It's messy, for certain, but the kind of messiness that makes it worthwhile.
@@johnathonhaney8291 yeah, I mean we're still getting new players and they're working in the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Netflix marvel people plus whatever they want to do with Cosmic Marvel now that James Gunn seems to commit to DC.
I don't want to give spoilers but basically some redditors pitched the fan-theory years ago and you can tell that marketing was like "oh yeah that'll be great" and then by all accounts it just... doesn't quite work the way everyone hoped it would. Which is unfortunate.
Johnathan Majors is a good actor definitely, but some of his work as Kang is quite simply amateurish and broad, don't even blame him so much as the mediocre scripts and production process.
If I disagree with Bob about anything about the MCU, is I liked IRON MAN 2 and THOR 2 more than IRON MAN 3, THOR 4, and ETERNALS. Man, was THAT a slog to get through. But yes, I like the relatively light and zany ANT-MAN movies as deserts following something as big and filling as an AVENGERS movie. I still wonder What If... Edgar Wright got to finish the script for his Ant-Man movie and direct it on time for Phase 1. It makes more sense this new one fits in with the other Phase 4 things setting up the Cinematic Multiverse (was THAT the big connecting theme among them, or basically "Legacies of the older heroes"?), but I can't wait to see the whole thing. If Douglas and Pfeiffer suit up as their versions of ANT-MAN and The WASP, bonus!
I watched this because, aside from just enjoying your work in general, I wanted to know whether the Studio was actually struggling. It’s encouraging to hear that they still know what they’re doing.
I don't think there was any doubt that they knew what they were doing. I think it was a case of already being in a vulnerable, transition phase getting multiplied by COVID. It didn't help that this was the time they decided to spread horizontally instead of finding a few vertical anchors. The Disney Plus shows have been pretty consistent with actual Marvel comics quality which is to say that they start strong and end weak, and I think that batting average without a megastar anchors for the heroic leads really hurt the brand. Which is a shame too they have some ringers in their bench -- She Hulk, Ms Marvel, N'amor, Kate Bishop, Yelena, Moon Knight, Shang-Chi all of them are no-qualifiers great but to the loudest casual audience they aren't conventional white male leads, so hate to say it but the anchor points aren't there. It will all course correct. They have more than a few aces up their sleeve-- the big septic "anyone with two legs who ever once did a Marvel thing please cameo for our Multiverse special" Kang movies will be the saturation point to juice a bad quarter and the load bearing leviathans that are Fantastic Four and X-Men on the horizon. But yeah for the time being they are about as weak as they are ever going to be. I guess it's good that Majors seems to be as um, major a get as he seemed.
@@chavesa5 It helps that Marvel Studios has been here before in the form of Phase 2, which remains the messiest, most disjointed of the phases (yes, even Phase 4) where things came perilously close to falling apart thanks to Ike Perlmutter. It also helps that the strength of the brand has been enough to carry them through three very weird, stressful years. We've even gotten the occasional, improbable gem like Wakanda Forever out of it.
@@johnathonhaney8291 Phase Two had anchors and a much less horizontal spread. Remember when AoU introducing "just" five characters was considered massive overkill? Perlmutter nearly took out the enterprise, to be sure, but it's a little apples to oranges. There the foundation was insecure but the fire was hot. Here the fire is at its coolest but the foundation is rock solid.
@@johnathonhaney8291 It's not an analogy. It's a visualized metaphor. I know it's good. Thank you. The machine will be fine, the question is whether or not they find an anchor lead who sells four quadrants like RDJ, Evans, or Holland did-- before, after, or during the Fantastic Four launch.
Really enjoyed it! Loved Pfeiffer and Douglas’ expanded roles. Shots of Hank by the end was terrific. Rudd and Newton had nice chemistry! Majors perfect. VFX was good as well, and imagining of the Quantum realm was terrific. I enjoyed the heck out of it. No apologies here.
The thing about fatigue... At least for me... Yes, I never got on board with phase whatever it is and I'm pretty bored with the latest installments. Black Panther bored me, and most of what worked FOR ME in the latest phase, is mostly callbacks to that glorious decade. I remember engaging in speculation, getting excited... Now it all feels so meh... I don't know of this is a reflection of me growing old. I loved wandavision until the end... Falcon and winter soldier I just loved. Loki wsd amazing. Everything after that... It just stopped working for me
before, they were being innovative because they kind of had to. now, they're just crapping out product after product from the assembly line, and the quality is declining as a result.
@@erubin100 it kinda feels like it. Shang Chi was AMAZING until it wasn't. Dr. Strange had some cool moments here and there. Spiderman was a beautiful fan service. Again, I might be getting old and only crack a smile when I see a callback... Maybe Captain Marvel appears as a cameo and I smile but that's kinda it... But in comics I also leaned towards Image and Dark Horse rather than Marvel and DC
@@Petu1987 you're not "getting old;" that's just an excuse that Disney-drones say to those who disagree with them. it's okay to not like something even though many others do; a minority opinion isn't necessarily wrong. If anything, I'd say the MCU model is living past its expiration point, which is pretty common with movie trends over the decades.
If you're that bored, then just GO. Brand loyalty and FOMO is meaningless if that's become your reaction. There's a whole wide world beyond the MCU worth exploring out there. Use that to find something that DOES excite you. I speak from experience when I say that you will likely find something. Best of luck!
I agree with some comments. Easy guys, I'm not looking for confirmation or encouragement to stop watching... It was just a reflection, I like bob videos and usually comment a thing or two
The DM in me will always love a story that can be described as, the PC blunder into a situation thinking they are fighting a villain of a week only to realise that this is a big bad and that is very much in danger. so i wan to see this now
Just a question...does anyone know if the antagonist from Ant-man 2(ghost/phantom, whatever her name was) is in the movie? At the end of 2, they were getting quantum fairy dust to treat her when the snap happened.
@versena Welp, I guess the writers forgot about her or didn't have anything else for her to contribute. You'd think they'd at least kill her off in one of the series like they did to Capt. Marvel's friend or something.
This is going to be the first big test of "do you have to watch EVERYTHING to understand what's going on." Will they spoon-feed enough about Kang in this to cover for those who didn't watch Loki?
I mean, they didn't even call him "Kang" in Loki, so no. As with all of these, the only things that would come close to "required viewing, probably" would be any previous movie with Ant-Man in it.
After only 4.5 million years of rewrites, and generation after generation of Reeses monkeys assaulting warehouses full of typewriters at DC Comics, Bob is going to finally has a stable movie against which to release his Flashpoint opus!
All that time writing ABOUT the movie, it'd be hilarious if he did a 30 second review saying. "It's fine... It's memberrries. It's fine. I'm Bob and I wasted so much of my life on useless shit."
@@hardy83 I love Bob in full 'I don't give a rip" mode like with Morbuis and the last Fantastic Beasts but I love his analytic content too. That would be really funny though.
I honestly no longer care. Also, can we appreciate how a movie about "the fastest man alive" has been one of the slowest to get off the ground? Only Black Adam had a more tortured production history at WBD.
If there was ever a character ideally suited for a movie where it’s paradoxically too big & too small at the same time, it’d be Ant-Man.
It's what Disney does with characters big enough to put their name in the title but they don't really know how to give them their own story. Make them a supporting character and let someone else drive the plot for a while. Look what they did with Doctor Strange
You know, you actually pointed out some of the reasons Ant-Man in general is my favorite MCU series so far. Paul Rudd is a delight. I like how Scott Lang is the closest we've gotten to a regular person being a hero. No magic, no genetic powers, he isn't born special, no military training, he's not even a genius much less the one that made his powers. He is just a person trying to do the right thing and be a good dad. I love how the movies are just wild fun. "If Ant-man is still the mass of a human how can he run on that gun?" doesn't matter don't care it's fun to watch.
To be honest, I like the "tell me if the movie is good, but don't spoil it"-approach. More movies should do that. Bob, I still remember your best review: Cabin in the Woods: first minute was basically "stop this video and see the movie". And I did and it's one of my most favorite movies of all time.
Reviewers shouldn't spoil the movie. That's what trailers are for.
i saw the movie just before its so amazing and loki is in post credit scene
Bahaha accurate 😂
it’s already release in some countries today and some for advance screenings. i saw it today at advance screenings and the movie was so amazing i loved it
I’m just hoping it’s less…dreary…than Wakanda Forever was (and, that hurts to say because I wanted SO much to have enjoyed that…and walked out mostly feeling like I Endured it)
TRU
Moviebob has a great episode on Kang and how a lot of the time, he was just an excuse to cover up plot holes because of his time travel shenanigans.
The most obvious example (and arguably best use of such) being Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco's excellent maxiseries Avengers Forever.
A wizard did it!
@@ChristianNeihart Named Immortus in this case.
Honestly, MovieBob's reviews are always pretty good, even if I disagree with how much I like some movies that he either likes or dislikes more. His conversational style has a real gonzo quality to it, where it feels like you're briskly walking down a New York City street while Bob is talking about the movie to you and you're fully engaged with what he's saying. It's a type of stylistic maturity that stands apart. I also really like his perspective, because you can definitely feel like MovieBob has some real experience with and knowledge of the film business as it is today that other film reviewers, even ones that I really like (Chris Stuckmann, Jeremy Jahns, YourMovieSucks, Double Toasted) kind of lack. Like, I doubt any of the aforementioned reviewers could've explained to me how COVID most probably affected the development of Ant-Man 3 and other MCU and non-MCU movies.
I also really really liked his recent video "So That Happened- New Big Picture" because Bob perfectly deconstructed, analyzed, and explained the constant misuse of the term "Marvel Humor" and how what we vaguely gesture at as "Marvel Humor" has existed for decades before the MCU was off the ground. Such a satisfying video.
Not that I disagree with the sentiment (I too think Bob has his own style and gives insight into the business side of things that other reviews often lack), but it's funny that you say Bob has real experience with the film business as opposed to those others when Stuckmann is the one who literally directed a movie of his own.
@@DerMoerpler To be more clear, when I say that Bob has real experience with the film business, the emphasis is on the business part. Yes, I know that Chris Stuckmann is like the only major film reviewer UA-camr who's actually made a film but my statement about Bob's experience with the film business had more to do with his insightful analysis of the way that the major studios make moves and the trends in filmmaking over the decades change.
Jeez get a room already
Hey nothing against Chris Stuckman, I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but his reviews don’t go past film making 101, okay if you’re a 12 year old and you think Nolan is one of the greatest film makers of all time, but that’s about it. I’ve only seen his last short film and it is exactly what you’d expect from his reviews: wooden and mechanical too the core, 100% by the ‘film making 101 book’. Doesn’t have a soul.
I’m not trying to be mean, but he doesn’t have the talent, it appears. Not that I want to stop him from trying…
I may not have *needed* this review to go watch the movie, I'm really glad I did watch it because the tone of your review is incredibly refreshing. I'm trying to distance myself from the doom trends that dominate reddit, twitter, and tiktok where people repeat angry hype crap for views. Your reviews always feel personal and grounded and yeah, I may not always agree, but I'm always glad I tuned in.
I'm glad Kang at least isn't as boring as he is in the comics.
Maybe if he's more angry, more manically aggressive, he could still feel distinct when Doom finally comes in and makes the children stop fighting and go to bed so he can take care of the world's problems
Agreed, Kang kinda reminds me of Apocalypse; not a lot of writers can get a good story out of him...
Also Doom's not going to solve any problems, he's going to steal every mcguffin, gain ultimate power, and he's going to do it while always speaking in two speech bubbles all the time.
I've had this thought banging around in my head for a while...what if Doom is a variant on Kang or even a root version of him in the MCU? The latter is a true possibility as suggested by Loki.
In Loki he is pretty crazy.
@@johnathonhaney8291there's some discourse between them in the comics with a Kang variant as to weather he is Doom's descendant or not. I could see your theory playing out
Istg Doom is the most overrated Marvel character in existence alongside Iron Man
I love this review and all your other reviews. I was really interested in your comments about how the film was re-worked because of the scheduling/production chaos caused by The Pandemic. I really enjoy your insight into the film biz and the way you connect the dots. Would you want to do a video where you go over this idea more in depth with Quantumania and other movies that were similarly affected? Basically a in depth point-by-point breakdown that shows the "seams," or "fingerprints of adjustment" so to speak, or why based on what you know of Marvel it's likely the film we see was not likely the original conception of the story. Maybe this is better served as a twitter thread than a explainer vid, heh.
It's a really fun Ant Man adventure, with crazy weird visuals, and sets up Kang as an Avengers level threat very well. I have no idea where the hate is coming from, unless it's just from those who generate hate for clicks.
Isn't it usually? And let's be honest...the Ant-Man have gotten the least respect of the MCU that didn't tip into outright hate.
I think that people who are trying to watch the MCU as "one big tv series" are the ones that are getting frustrated, because the movies aren't connecting the way they want to.
I have not seen any of the Disney+ stuff, so I cannot speak on how Kang was in those, but I do agree that the original incarnation of Kang was probably not going to work and certainly not as an interesting character. I also stand with Bob's defense of Iron Man 3's Mandarin, as that character's original incarnation also would not have worked, though for somewhat different yet still somewhat similar/related reasons (go watch his review of Iron Man 3 - it is his defense, after all).
Iron man 3 is the best iron man film.
Bob wearing an unbuttoned button-down Mario character collage shirt is the perfect choice for this review. Seriously.
To put it in DC terms, this movie strikes me as the Jack Kirby version of Superman's Pal Jimmy Olson when Kirby introduced Darkseid. Also, anyone really think we WON'T see more Kang variants (Immortus, Scarlet Centurion, Victor Timely) before we're done? Majors could pull that off for certain.
There was already a (you don't even have to blink and you'll miss it) reference to Pharaoh Rama-Tut in Moon Knight. So hopefully this will be a thing.
@@JWest8606 Precisely...more is coming, I think.
He Who Remains was basically Immortus.
@@kevinmckenna5682 No, he wasn't. Immortus is a lot more active as a rule, though he does share the goal of He Who Remains in terms of preserving certain timelines. But I could be wrong.
Well have I got news for you...
mild spoiler: My favorite moment was Hank Pym walking in with a smug swagger that was palpable. Kang's biggest mistake was that he thought he could out ego Hank Pym.
Age of Ultron the most underrated and overhated MCU fight me bish.
I'd watch Age of Ultron everyday for the next 3 months before I'd watch Endgame again.
One of the big takeaways from the film is how bad Evangeline Lily is. She has 0 chemistry with Rudd and despite her character being somewhat important she's at best just kinda there.
Bob's shirt game continues to be strong. I find myself in a similar position on this one as I am with Love and Thunder - not much interest in the film overall but I'm looking forward to just seeing a supercut of good moments from the villain's performance because it's getting so much praise.
I mean, if you watched The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes cartoon, you were already a Kang fan. Glad to see Jonathan Majors is the film's highlight.
Or read Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco's excellent maxiseries Avengers Forever, which does the whole concept of Kang justice beyond anyone else I ever saw.
Oh hey it's Pillar of Garbage
At this point it might be easier to say when a review *isn't* an off the cuff train of thought :V
Actually really enjoyable to see Moviebob just riff on a subject without all the smashcuts and deeper, all-too-clever tongue twisting scripts. More please. :)
Review starts at 1:45.
First time watching your channel lol 😆😆😆😆 love your break down
Honestly, MovieBob's reviews are always pretty good, even if I disagree with how much I like some movies that he either likes or dislikes more. His conversational style has a real gonzo quality to it, where it feels like you're briskly walking down a New York City street while Bob is talking about the movie to you and you're fully engaged with what he's saying. It's a type of stylistic maturity that stands apart. I also really like his perspective, because you can definitely feel like MovieBob has some real experience with and knowledge of the film business as it is today that other film reviewers, even ones that I really like (Chris Stuckmann, Jeremy Jahns, YourMovieSucks, Double Toasted) kind of lack. Like, I doubt any of the aforementioned reviewers could've explained to me how COVID most probably affected the development of Ant-Man 3 and other MCU and non-MCU movies.
I also really really liked hus recent video "So That Happened- New Big Picture" because Bob perfectly deconstructed, analyzed, and explained the constant misuse of the term "Marvel Humor" and how what we vaguely gesture at as "Mavrel Humor" has existed for decades before the MCU was off the ground. Such a satisfying video.
4:00 What happened there? I think the video glitched or it was a weird edit.
Great review!
Now, to what matters...
How do I get that shirt? 🧐
It's "Ant-Man Meets The Off-Brand Micronauts." Plus Kang shows up to mess up the whole town.
I'm sold. Sounds like a fun night at the movies.
But isn't that always how the Ant-Man films are...way more fun than expected?
@@johnathonhaney8291 I'll get back to you once I finally watch "Ant-Man And The Wasp."
@@thetribunaloftheimaginatio5247 Wait, what? Trib, get on that ASAP...it's an improvement on the first in many ways.
@@johnathonhaney8291 Oh, I'll get around to it... I have access to Disney Plus, after all.
Saw it last night, I thought of all the MCU films to date this had the most Star Wars vibe to it - a small group of friends get caught up with a weird rag tag bunch of people taking on stormtroopers of a sprawling empire. Characters know more than they are saying and the heroes unlock new potential.
Not having Peña and the gang back is a missed opportunity and losing something that was great about the Ant Man adventures in the MCU.
Majors is incredibly epic though. I hope he sticks around for years to come.
It was so super Star Wars I half expected a Grogu cameo. 🤣 Not that it's a bad thing, just mega SW vibes for sure.
Glad to see you doing movie reviews again Bob
How much did Disney pay you to give this movie a positive Review, Bob?
Not enough
I still can't believe they did.........
....Ramah-goddamned-Tut
Absolutely interested in a spoiler review when it’s the right time
Why your change of opinion on this movie?
I remember when avenger s forever had to spend a issue retelling kangs back story and took the whole issue just to recap it!
Oh yes and made it coherent! All credit to Kurt Busiek for pulling THAT miracle off.
Do you have an old explainer video on Kang that uses the ancient robot guy from Aqua Teen Hunger Force, or did I Mandela Effect that into my brain?
M.O.D.O.K. should just quit while he's a head.
He thinks he's head and shoulders above other supervillains.
Anyone remember reading the Micronauts comic tie ins?
I remember the Microverse from the Marvel Universe Handbook...that count?
Bob where did you get those shirts?
Interesting that in Movie Bob's rubric, 7/10 = B+
I always like your reviews I hope to see more of them this year.
Also, MODOK FTW!
Is anyone going to mention how MODOK was one of Jack Kirby's weirder designs? Right up there with his original conception of Arnim Zola?
@@johnathonhaney8291 and that is why he is great!
AIM movie with Modok and Bob The Henchman eventually?
@@snackplaylove we can only hope.
They're still doing the Dairy Queen thing? Feels like we thematically left that behind about a century ago.
Baskin-Robbins...c'mon, man, keep it straight!
Can't wait for you next marvel big picture or spoiler review of this movie if that's it's own video. Looking forward!
I'm curious about your thoughts for the whole Falcon Winter solider connection point. I can kind of see what you mean after seeing the movie, would just be interested in seeing you elaborate in the spoiler review.
I am too. I’ve not seen Falcon and the Winter Soldier but I’m sure that series has the opposite take on the “children are our future and we should listen to them” aspect.
I must have that Mario shirt, where did you get it good sir?
Iwas scrolling looking for an answer to this
B+?
I hope Paul Rudd is ok. I worry that the “Paul Rudd doesn’t age” thing is gonna mess with his head and make him feel like he has to do unnecessary and inadvisable procedures to maintain the illusion/joke.
I’m sure the millionaire superstar is totally fine lol
Bob: *posts longest movie review since before COVID*
Also Bob: "This is the *short* version..."
Me: Hoo-boy, the spoilers to this one must be DOOZIES...
Having seen it? Yeah, you're pretty much spot on. It's fine. It hits the usual tropes (one of the easiest uprising-storming-the-castle bingo boards I've seen), it has some pretty bonkers scenes, it has some absolute dumbassery. I do think Majors legitimately saves the movie, though - a weaker villain would've made this absolutely, completely, 100 percent forgettable.
I enjoyed this, but it did not feel like an Antman movie. It felt like a Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Still enjoyed it.
I just wanted Kang to be a badass, so this sounds like a win!
Don't get your hopes up.
I have NO doubt that Majors will CRUSH it. Whatever they give him to work with, he's gonna give us the best version of how to portray it.
@@peteremmet4093 He was so mid in this.
Good news is that most reviews I've seen of this while bashing the film, all highlight Majors Kang as the best part of the movie
@@blaster915 That's not saying much considering how trash the rest of the movie was. MCU ruined Kang.
Hope we're getting your reaction to the Flash movie trailer soon.
Just watched antman 3.
So exetremely mid. Movie was very low energy. The quantum realm is a boring setting. There were little to no stakes. The character of derran, or modok, is got to be the worst and lamest mcu character. Genuinely cant think of anything good about the movie besides Kang.
Well this sounds better than I expected and sounds like fun at the movies. Also Michelle Pfeiffer.
Sold
Ant-Man films are always underestimated as a rule. I find them pleasant surprises.
Pfeiffer and Majors
You know this is like the third time we are in a Marvel movie we are going to the Quantum Realm… when are we going to meet Psycho-Man?
I'm glad this was spoiler-free. I forgot about your end cards. "Can't, man." is genius. And, I think we all want to believe.
Thanks for an honest review! Too many reviewers now are trying to ride waves of popularity (or rather, unpopularity) or fulfill their own prophecies of "Marvel's inevitable downfall! It's here, it's here!"
"nobody needs these things to be recommended or not recommended, people watch them at this point if they like them or don't like them." That's pretty gross.
Truth is rarely pretty. Adults still need know how to face it.
I swear, I'm the only one who loved Ant-Man & The Wasp.
No, buddy, I did too. It solidified in my mind how Ant-Man movies are the equivalent of old school live-action Disney films (Herbie, Absent-Minded Professor, Shaggy Dog). Quantumania has a feel of another forgotten Disney live-action sci-fi epic, The Black Hole, which I still fondly think of.
My favorite of the two
I enjoyed it. Not only are both characters solid in concept and gimmick but for me, it's mostly it's lead. Paul Rudd. The guy is an amazing talent and tends to shine in most of what he is in. I think the MCU is at the beginning stages of "brand matchurity" (an inevitable point in every brand/product were it declines a little or is not an impactful as it once was) whitch is okay. There are a lot of westerns made after the golden age of the western genre in film that still kick ass. That is what I suspect will become of the superhero genre some day.
Man, you know one of these movies isn't very good when even this dude struggles to find something nice to say about them lol
Did someone miss the "spoilers embargo" portion of this review?
@@johnathonhaney8291 I know there's the embargo but usually he's able to articulate why he enjoyed a movie even on spoiler-free reviews. In this one you can tell he's pretty much just looking for ways to say the movie isn't good in the nicest way possible.
@@jvictor3048 Or you are looking for ways to validate your conclusions based on sketchy information. The only true ding he gave it was in the marketing, which has nothing to do with the film itself. And 7/10 is way too strong a rating to justify your argument.
@@jvictor3048 Don't listen to this guy. He's a shill like Bob
@johnathonhaney8291 it's so funny that y'all are going SO HARD for a movie that's, by your own admission, 7/10. Then again, I would expect nothing less from sheep.
Nice rveiew! no spoilers, and I can stop expecting it to be the big start of phase 5 like I was expecting
I was pretty excited to see Kang in the MCU because talking about what Kang does is interesting and funny, even if reading what Kang does is like watching paint dry. So there was definitely room for writers to come in and improve on the story.
I just watched this movie this afternoon - it came out earlier in the Netherlands - and I agree with Bob here. It's clear that some scenes were shot before the script changed, but I find the movie rather enjoyable. Certainly better than Black Widow or Shang-Chi.
Shang-Chi is still great. Black Widow I consider a mess. And it feels like a story that should’ve happened sooner!
"This is another kinda off-the-cuff shorter review..."
Sees that it's 13 minutes and 20 seconds long
You never did do any followup to the Spoiler-Free review to Wakanda Forever!
So it sounds like this movie is exactly what I was expecting. Good to know.
Tonight's News: Marvel movie meets expectations. Film at 11.
I thought Quantumania was great overall. I adored the Quantum realm and loved Majors as Kang. I do wish Kang was made even more powerful but simply got outwitted by the good guys instead of losing a fight.
Is there some way of determining what is and is not a spoiler? This strikes me as dangerously subjective
Likely there were guidelines in writing on the subject and our Mr. Chipman erred on the side of caution by leaning on what has been revealed in the trailers. Plus side: we can be sure that Marvel Studios will issue no copyright strikes like a certain struggling studio owned by Lord Honey Boo Boo.
You had me at "Just under 2 hours". I am so tired of super long superhero movies.
More of a B-, almost C+ for me. There was definitely a drop in quality and cohesion in the Phase 4 movies by at least 25%. Majors’ Kang resuscitates the film for a bit, but he can’t save it. Ultimately, the film has “little” effect.
Just kinda mesmerized by the shirt...
It feels weird that they had to tell you the embargo lift was only was spoiler-free reviews. Why would you even consider putting out a spoiler-review before the movie comes out?
In any case, this felt to me like Tron Legacy ft. Guardians of the Galaxy, and for that I liked it.
Rise of the Skywalker was also labeled as fine.
So it sounds like we're still in the rebuilding season.
Yeah, no thanks to COVID effing up everything from top to bottom. But I still don't buy the "MCU is worse now" arguments being thrown out there. It's messy, for certain, but the kind of messiness that makes it worthwhile.
@@johnathonhaney8291 yeah, I mean we're still getting new players and they're working in the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Netflix marvel people plus whatever they want to do with Cosmic Marvel now that James Gunn seems to commit to DC.
There HAS to be one major mispronunciation per video, no Cavill or Rowling this time, but Country :P
I'm really surprised they included MODOK. I thought Disney was just going to let him exist in modern form in the Patton Oswalt show.
I don't want to give spoilers but basically some redditors pitched the fan-theory years ago and you can tell that marketing was like "oh yeah that'll be great" and then by all accounts it just... doesn't quite work the way everyone hoped it would. Which is unfortunate.
Gonna need to know where you got that shirt Bob. It's amazing.
Is this the shirt you'll be wearing to the Mario Movie?
Johnathan Majors is a good actor definitely, but some of his work as Kang is quite simply amateurish and broad, don't even blame him so much as the mediocre scripts and production process.
If I disagree with Bob about anything about the MCU, is I liked IRON MAN 2 and THOR 2 more than IRON MAN 3, THOR 4, and ETERNALS. Man, was THAT a slog to get through. But yes, I like the relatively light and zany ANT-MAN movies as deserts following something as big and filling as an AVENGERS movie. I still wonder What If... Edgar Wright got to finish the script for his Ant-Man movie and direct it on time for Phase 1. It makes more sense this new one fits in with the other Phase 4 things setting up the Cinematic Multiverse (was THAT the big connecting theme among them, or basically "Legacies of the older heroes"?), but I can't wait to see the whole thing. If Douglas and Pfeiffer suit up as their versions of ANT-MAN and The WASP, bonus!
Matt Wagner called it years ago: "Maybes are only for the loser." Wright and MCU are anything but that.
Iron Man 3 is the best one because a director got to make a movie his way.
Id be interested in seeing what you thought of The Amazing Maurice.
I'm expecting MODOK to look like... his Hulu series? weird how many people forgot that was a thing. maybe because it wasn't on D+?
I watched this because, aside from just enjoying your work in general, I wanted to know whether the Studio was actually struggling. It’s encouraging to hear that they still know what they’re doing.
I don't think there was any doubt that they knew what they were doing. I think it was a case of already being in a vulnerable, transition phase getting multiplied by COVID. It didn't help that this was the time they decided to spread horizontally instead of finding a few vertical anchors. The Disney Plus shows have been pretty consistent with actual Marvel comics quality which is to say that they start strong and end weak, and I think that batting average without a megastar anchors for the heroic leads really hurt the brand. Which is a shame too they have some ringers in their bench -- She Hulk, Ms Marvel, N'amor, Kate Bishop, Yelena, Moon Knight, Shang-Chi all of them are no-qualifiers great but to the loudest casual audience they aren't conventional white male leads, so hate to say it but the anchor points aren't there.
It will all course correct. They have more than a few aces up their sleeve-- the big septic "anyone with two legs who ever once did a Marvel thing please cameo for our Multiverse special" Kang movies will be the saturation point to juice a bad quarter and the load bearing leviathans that are Fantastic Four and X-Men on the horizon.
But yeah for the time being they are about as weak as they are ever going to be. I guess it's good that Majors seems to be as um, major a get as he seemed.
@@chavesa5 It helps that Marvel Studios has been here before in the form of Phase 2, which remains the messiest, most disjointed of the phases (yes, even Phase 4) where things came perilously close to falling apart thanks to Ike Perlmutter. It also helps that the strength of the brand has been enough to carry them through three very weird, stressful years. We've even gotten the occasional, improbable gem like Wakanda Forever out of it.
@@johnathonhaney8291 Phase Two had anchors and a much less horizontal spread. Remember when AoU introducing "just" five characters was considered massive overkill? Perlmutter nearly took out the enterprise, to be sure, but it's a little apples to oranges.
There the foundation was insecure but the fire was hot. Here the fire is at its coolest but the foundation is rock solid.
@@chavesa5 Good analogy, actually! Proving that a rock solid foundation can succeed where fire alone fails.
@@johnathonhaney8291 It's not an analogy. It's a visualized metaphor. I know it's good. Thank you.
The machine will be fine, the question is whether or not they find an anchor lead who sells four quadrants like RDJ, Evans, or Holland did-- before, after, or during the Fantastic Four launch.
Really enjoyed it! Loved Pfeiffer and Douglas’ expanded roles. Shots of Hank by the end was terrific. Rudd and Newton had nice chemistry! Majors perfect. VFX was good as well, and imagining of the Quantum realm was terrific. I enjoyed the heck out of it. No apologies here.
"Expanded roles." Sure, buddy.
I'm really only going for that Ant-Man helmet popcorn bucket lol
A popcorn helmet would be an interesting idea, nice for the person sitting behind you 👍
I actually really liked this movie. I liked it more than any of the phase four movies, which I wasn't expecting.
The thing about fatigue... At least for me... Yes, I never got on board with phase whatever it is and I'm pretty bored with the latest installments. Black Panther bored me, and most of what worked FOR ME in the latest phase, is mostly callbacks to that glorious decade. I remember engaging in speculation, getting excited... Now it all feels so meh... I don't know of this is a reflection of me growing old.
I loved wandavision until the end... Falcon and winter soldier I just loved. Loki wsd amazing. Everything after that... It just stopped working for me
before, they were being innovative because they kind of had to. now, they're just crapping out product after product from the assembly line, and the quality is declining as a result.
@@erubin100 it kinda feels like it. Shang Chi was AMAZING until it wasn't. Dr. Strange had some cool moments here and there. Spiderman was a beautiful fan service. Again, I might be getting old and only crack a smile when I see a callback... Maybe Captain Marvel appears as a cameo and I smile but that's kinda it... But in comics I also leaned towards Image and Dark Horse rather than Marvel and DC
@@Petu1987 you're not "getting old;" that's just an excuse that Disney-drones say to those who disagree with them. it's okay to not like something even though many others do; a minority opinion isn't necessarily wrong. If anything, I'd say the MCU model is living past its expiration point, which is pretty common with movie trends over the decades.
If you're that bored, then just GO. Brand loyalty and FOMO is meaningless if that's become your reaction. There's a whole wide world beyond the MCU worth exploring out there. Use that to find something that DOES excite you. I speak from experience when I say that you will likely find something. Best of luck!
I agree with some comments. Easy guys, I'm not looking for confirmation or encouragement to stop watching... It was just a reflection, I like bob videos and usually comment a thing or two
I sincerely missed Luis in this movie. Also I got a bit teary eyed at MODOK's death scene ;__;
The DM in me will always love a story that can be described as, the PC blunder into a situation thinking they are fighting a villain of a week only to realise that this is a big bad and that is very much in danger. so i wan to see this now
Six commercials. You tube is becoming Facebook.
Now just to wait for the Theories that will spin out of this Movie over the Weekend and the next few Weeks
I'm just hoping there's some version of the Micronauts present! 👍
Just a question...does anyone know if the antagonist from Ant-man 2(ghost/phantom, whatever her name was) is in the movie? At the end of 2, they were getting quantum fairy dust to treat her when the snap happened.
Nope she's not.
@versena Welp, I guess the writers forgot about her or didn't have anything else for her to contribute. You'd think they'd at least kill her off in one of the series like they did to Capt. Marvel's friend or something.
Is Wasp in it?
Bob may call it Antman 3 but it's Ant- Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, so yes, yes she is.
This is going to be the first big test of "do you have to watch EVERYTHING to understand what's going on." Will they spoon-feed enough about Kang in this to cover for those who didn't watch Loki?
Bssed on past history? Yes.
I mean, they didn't even call him "Kang" in Loki, so no. As with all of these, the only things that would come close to "required viewing, probably" would be any previous movie with Ant-Man in it.
DAMN, man, right off that bat, that shirt is awesome!
That shirt's awesome!!!
Great review.. but that shirt is amazing!!!! I need one!
Regarding the end stinger...I too want to believe, Mr. Chipman. But absent of proof, I cannot.
Can't wait for Bob's next video on the Flash.
After only 4.5 million years of rewrites, and generation after generation of Reeses monkeys assaulting warehouses full of typewriters at DC Comics, Bob is going to finally has a stable movie against which to release his Flashpoint opus!
All that time writing ABOUT the movie, it'd be hilarious if he did a 30 second review saying. "It's fine... It's memberrries. It's fine. I'm Bob and I wasted so much of my life on useless shit."
@@hardy83 I love Bob in full 'I don't give a rip" mode like with Morbuis and the last Fantastic Beasts but I love his analytic content too. That would be really funny though.
I honestly no longer care. Also, can we appreciate how a movie about "the fastest man alive" has been one of the slowest to get off the ground? Only Black Adam had a more tortured production history at WBD.
@@johnathonhaney8291 That is really funny and I can understand that.
I'm glad to see this in movie theaters, and not a D+ exclusive. I'm happy about that.
So much for doing the "short version" of this review, eh?