In a recent expose, a source involved inAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniahas come forward with an explanation about the lacklustre CGI of the newly released film. These comments come as the critical reception to the film spotlights this specific issue.
Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, 2015’sAnt-Manfollows Scott Lang, a thief who inherits the moniker fromeccentric genius Hank Pymafter being manipulated into stealing Pym’s Ant-Man suit in a bid to salvage his relationship with his daughter. Now forced to fight for the greater good, Lang finds himself battling a powerful supervillain named Yellowjacket. The film was a success and spawned two sequels, with the latest installment titledAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniasetting franchise records at the box office.
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Despite the relative box office success, the film has seen a mixed bag from critics, with many middle-of-the-roadAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quatumaniareviewspointing to the same issues across the board. One of the most prominent of these was the uniform complaint about the CGI and special effects used in the film, which started as early as the film’s first reveal trailer. In a piece byVultureconcerning the film, one insider revealed thatBlack Panther 2’s post-production cycle was likely responsible for the lacklustre work on the Ant-Man movie. All the “best resources” went toBlack Panther 2, which diminished the VFX team’s"ability to carry ‘Ant-Man’ all the way through."
“Unfortunately, it is noticeable that there were shortcuts. Certain things were used to cover up incomplete work,” a visual effects technician attached to the project admitted. “Certain editorial cuts were made to not show as much action or effects as there could have been — likely because there just wasn’t enough time to render everything. It really did feel like certain scenes were trimmed or otherwise altered to either save money, save time, or cover up the inability to get it done.” This is a worrying admission for a projectthat Kevin Feige insists kicks off phase 5 of the MCU.
While behind-the-scenes issues negatively impacted the film’s visual effects, it is also worth noting that this might not be a problem unique toAnt-Man 3.As some have noted, the formerly top-tierMarvel CGI and visual effectsmay not have gotten worse so much as they have gotten old. In addition to the large catalog of MCU offerings that feature big-budget CGI and special effects, the release of the long-awaited sequel to Avatar might have raised audiences’ expectations. Clashing projects also seem to be a natural consequence of the MCU’s almost impossible marching pace into the future.
Despite the issues with the effects, the films have been well-received enough by regular moviegoers. However, the sweeping changes made to the Ant-Man character have managed to dull the interest of older fans. These changes are particularly noticeable inthe unrecognizable MCU portrayal of Hank Pym, which took one of the most conflicted and unpredictable heroes in the Marvel Universe and cleaned him up for the big screen. Whether or not the wider audience reach was worth fundamentally changing the character so much remains to be seen.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniais currently in theaters.
