Marvel Studios’ most recent blockbuster Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania officially released in theaters this month, and has been subject to controversy in the following weeks. The online review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes places the film at a 47% rating, which is tied with Eternals for the lowest rated Marvel Studios film on the site. However, the general public seems to enjoy the film, placing it at an 84% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. So what’s causing this movie to be so divisive among fans and critics?

For starters, it seems that many are becoming fatigued from the recent string of Marvel projects. With a whopping 17 movies and shows releasing in just a 3 year period, it’s no surprise that audiences are beginning to feel tired by the often formulaic Marvel blockbusters. Since the release of Avengers: Endgame in 2019, Marvel Studios has seen a decline in the quality of their projects. The problems range from a lack of a clear direction, poor visual effects, and a general oversaturation of content. All of these seemed to culminate in this film. Quantumania suffers from a convoluted plot that desperately tries to engage the audience in hopes to restore faith in the franchise. However, the film just barely succeeds more than it fails, providing an entertaining adventure film that introduces major players to the MCU’s canon.

One thing that critics and fans universally praise is Jonathan Majors’ performance as the classic comic book villain Kang The Conqueror. It’s no secret that Majors is being set up as the new main villain of the franchise, similar to Thanos in past Avengers films. If his role in this film is anything to go by, audiences are in for a menacing and charismatic character that will carry the franchise for at least another few years, as Kang’s storyline expands throughout multiple projects throughout the MCU’s future. Another standout of the film is the return of Corey Stoll as Ant-Man villain Darren Cross, now under the name MODOK. Kathryn Newton joins the cast as Cassie Lang, offering an enjoyable performance, but lacking the charisma of it’s leads. Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Evangeline Lilly all return from previous films, with Rudd and Pfeiffer being the standouts of the main cast of heroes.

Overall, the film lacks the much needed structure to compare to greater MCU hits, but it is far from the disaster that critics are making it out to be. While very flawed, the film offers an enjoyable family experience as well as the first steps to rebuilding the audiences’ faith in Marvel Studios.