DALLAS — Where's Marvel and what have they done with my superheroes?
Ever since "Endgame," with the exception of "Black Panther," these movies don't resonate. Case in point: this latest edition of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." How do you screw up a movie starring someone as likeable as Paul Rudd? Well, they try to. But it's not his fault.. nor the other stars'.
This movie (Peyton Reed has directed all 3) starts the new Phase 5 of the MCU. Ant-man is a hometown hero after saving the universe in "Avengers: Endgame." He's trying to bask in the glory, promoting his memoir, when his grown-up daughter decides to share an experiment she's been working on. Of course, it goes awry, and before you can say 'quantumania,' she (Kathryn Newton), The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) and The Wasp's parents (Michael Douglas as 'Hank' and Michelle Pfeiffer as 'Janet') all get sucked into the Quantum Realm, a place Pfeiffer's character knows all too well. There are some really strange things down there. I thought we were in the "Star Wars" planet, Tatooine, for a moment! It's also where super-villain 'Kang the Conqueror' (Jonathan Majors) has been hanging out and has a history with Janet. Bill Murray plays a Bill Murray-like character. We find out the fate of Pym Tecnologies bad guy, Darren Cross. But those are sidebars. At stake here: can the family get back home before Kang steals time away from them? Do we even care? How long do we have to stay in this crazy place?
Not only is way too much time spent in the realm, it sucks the life right out of the story. Plus, these days you have to know way too much and own a Disney+ subscription to understand what's going on in a Marvel movie, especially in the post-credit clips. (Yes, there are 2.) And, mind you, I've seen all 31 movies! This one features a phenomenon known as a 'probability storm.' It's probable Marvel can pull this back to the watchable days of Tony Stark. Majors makes a great villain. Or maybe the MCU just needs to take a rest before we get tired of it all.
(Disney/Marvel. Rated PG-13. Running Time 2 hrs. 5 mins. In Theaters Only)
MARLOWE
More than a dozen actors have played the iconic detective Philip Marlowe in movies... from Humphrey Bogart to Elliott Gould. This time it's Liam Neeson in the starring role. An heiress played by Diane Kruger hires him to find her missing lover. Jessica Lange (the best thing in the movie) plays her mother, a fading movie star who also has some skin in the game. The film noir may be set in 1930s Los Angeles, but it was shot in Barcelona by Oscar-winning director Neil Jordan. This all sounds enticing, and I love me some Neeson. But, unfortunately, no one has a bit of chemistry, and this is a giant bore. Instead of a who-dunnit, it's a why did they do it at all?
(Open Road Films. Rated R. Running Time 1 hr. 50 mins. In Theaters Only)
SHARPER
I can highly recommend a new streaming movie called "Sharper." And the less you know about it, the better, so I won't say much. Julianne Moore and Sebastian Stan (fresh off of "Pam & Tommy") lead an ensemble cast in a story of secrets and lies... deception and betrayal... multiple points of view, and I've just scratched the "Sharper" surface. Moore produced this one from the ground up, a first for her. It's also the first feature film for director Benjamin Caron, who's done "Andor" and "The Crown." Check it out, it will keep you guessing 'til the very end!
(A24. Rated R. Running Time 1 hr. 54 mins. Streaming on Apple TV+)
