Review: ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ is Full of Holes

Set in the aftermath of the tumultuous events of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, the third installment of the Ant-Man franchise, and the beginning of Marvel Studios’ Phase Five, wastes no time getting to the heart of the action, and more importantly, a proper introduction to the new “big bad.” Unfortunately, Phase Five starts not with a bang, but with a mess of characterization, pacing, and green-screen level CGI. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania loses sight of its characters, and in the process delivers a final product devoid of meaningful stakes and filled with lackluster action. 

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Review: ‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’ is Style over Substance

The best summary of this film is style over substance. The sets, costumes, makeup, and CGI are gorgeous (by today’s standards). Things do not look realistic, but for a fantasy environment, the film pulls it off really well. The costumes, especially Maleficent’s, are stunning, and it is clear they put effort into all the little details. Sadly, all the other aspects of the film fail to live up to how it looks. The characters are bland. So much time is wasted on characters that do nothing, and Maleficent does not get near enough screen time. Aurora (Elle Fanning) and Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson) are dreadful to have on camera. The characters are the opposite of charismatic and the actors don’t do anything notable with what they are given. It is hard to appreciate anyone but Maleficent and her raven lackey. They really carry the movie, but don’t get enough focus.

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UW Film Club Podcast #12 – Batman Returns

“Listen to the podcast. High fiber.” On our first of three Holiday episodes, former club president Jamie Housen guest stars to talk about Tim Burton’s 1992 superhero classic: Batman Returns! When the superhero genre was still in its infancy, Burton made two Batman films that set the stage for the genre we know today. In this episode, we talk about how this film compares to modern superhero films, the terrific performances from an all star cast, and why Gotham let three deranged individuals dressed up like animals run a muck in their city. Get in the holiday spirit with our 12th episode of the UW Film Club Podcast now!

On this week’s episode: Jamie Housen, Louie Ghalib, and Greg Arietta.

You can find us on Facebook at /UWFilmClub, and on Twitter and Instagram @FilmClubUW.  Make sure to rate, comment, and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts and Soundcloud, and tune in every Monday for a new episode of the UW Film Club Podcast!