This past Friday, February 17th, the well-awaited trilogy to the Ant-Man franchise, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, was released in theaters. In this action-packed film, Scott Lang (Ant-Man), Hope van Dyne (Wasp), and the rest of their family crew (Cassie Lang, Hank Pym, and Janet van Dyne) journey into the vast, mysterious Quantum Realm. There, they dive beneath the surface of a universe that they, aside from Janet, know little about, discovering a place that is far more complex than they could have ever imagined. Now, the big question is: did this movie live up to Marvel fans’ expectations for the start of Phase 5? While I can’t speak for every fan out there, I have a few thoughts of my own.

**This review contains spoilers from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Overall, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a solid movie. While the trailer may have made it seem like this film could have veered too far down the “serious” road, it still gives viewers the Ant-Man they know and love. Just like the first two movies in the trilogy, it does a good job of seamlessly incorporating humor. The comical moments come just at the right times, and almost never feel forced– Scott certainly knows when to lighten the room with an effortlessly hilarious remark. I will say though, the humor would occasionally become a little too corny and unnecessary (unfortunately, I’m looking at you MODOK), but what’s an Ant-Man movie without a little extra touch of cheesiness?

I also think that something needs to be said about the pretty realistic quality of the CGI (computer-generated imagery) in this film. Seeing that most of the Quantum Realm is made digitally, it’s amazing how Marvel Studios is able to create an entire universe that is so lifelike. Kudos to all of the crew members involved in the digital animation (I mean, did you see how long the credits were?), because without their efforts, this movie would not nearly be as impressive as it is now.

And this leads to the acting quality of Quantumania. Playing a role and running through simulated destruction while attempting to convey a certain emotion is difficult, but the actors handled the job well. Returning cast members, Paul Rudd (Scott Lang), Evangeline Lilly (Hope van Dyne), Michelle Pfeiffer (Janet van Dyne), and Michael Douglas (Hank Pym) all executed their parts wonderfully. Even the newcomer, Jonathan Majors, who plays Kang the Conqueror (the antagonist of this movie and potentially for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe), also did a spectacular job of setting up an intriguing villain. Majors creates an ominous and sinister character who could give any viewer chills. Is he nefarious enough to fill the role of a Thanos-level threat? It’s possible, as it did take a whole Quantum Realm and an Ant-Man team to take down just one Kang, while there are tens of thousands more of his variants just waiting to wreak havoc. My only critique about the theatrical aspect of this film is Kathryn Newton’s portrayal of Cassie Lang, Scott’s daughter. While on her own, she’s a strong actress, the chemistry between her and Rudd’s character as father and daughter was a bit lacking. Paul Rudd played the father figure well, but Newton seemed more like a sidekick than a daughter. However, I would likely attribute this to the fact that this is the actress’ first time being introduced to the “Ant-Man environment” unlike most of the cast, and it’s especially difficult to jump in and play an older, different version of a daughter who was so well-loved (originally played by Abby Ryder Fortson).

Personally, I’m excited to see what the future holds for Phase 5 and the MCU. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania undoubtedly fulfills its purpose of setting up the Quantum Realm and opening doors for what could potentially be a compelling main storyline. Seeing Loki in the second post-credits scene was also a plus, as fans might finally be starting to see things connect. Thus, as a whole, with its enjoyable mix of humor and thrill, I would definitely watch this movie again.

Great job, Spider-Ma–sorry, I mean, Ant-Man!