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CHRISTIAN MOVIE REVIEW

Review: ant-man, by hannah goodwyn senior producer.

CBN.com - Marvel's Ant-Man , the cinematic origin story for their tiniest superhero, packs a mighty big punch. It's witty and entertaining, and a sure box office hit.

Ant-Man may be done on a smaller scale than previous Marvel superhero films, but that's its advantage. Unlike some over-the-top Sci-Fi/Action flicks, Ant-Man offers a simple story, real humor and heart rather than relying on one-liners or city-toppling action.

THE MOVIE IN A MINUTE

All that recently released felon Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) wants is a chance to get his life back together--for the sake of his daughter. Appreciating Lang's particular set of skills, particle scientist Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) recruits the former thief to don his amazing super-suit and pull off a heist to halt the nefarious plans of his protege (Corey Stoll).

THE GOOD AND BAD IN ANT-MAN

The Ant-Man suit fits Rudd perfectly. He believably assumes the role of unlikely hero and is most amusing as he figures out his strength along the way. The wit and heart Rudd brings to this unique superhero makes the movie worth watching. Douglas is commanding as Dr. Pym, with Evangeline Lilly playing his daughter. Stoll brings a subtle villainy to the story, a welcome shift from the usual, grandiose villain of comic book movies.

The plot moves as we get to know these interesting, lesser-known comic Marvel characters. Ant-Man doesn't lack when it comes to comedy, action or big themes of reconciliation, forgiveness and sacrifice despite its lead's often minuscule size. The movie's takeaway and one of the summing lines of dialogue is when Dr. Pym says, "Everyone deserves a shot at redemption."

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, parents of young children should proceed with caution. The movie contains foul language and some scary scenes when a man and animals are experimentally tested without success. Also, a word of caution to anyone who has an aversion to bugs. Ants definitely abound. Just know there are a lot of bugs on the big screen and in your face, should you attend a 3D screening.

Ant-Man is indeed a big surprise. It's well done, funny, full of heart, and a better movie experience than anticipated. For its questionable content though, caution is advised.

Note: If you see the film in theaters, don't forget to stay for the two clips that follow the intial credits and then the full credits. Marvel fans will especially want to check these teasers.

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Christian Movie Review for Parents

While I have personally loved the first two Ant-Man movies, I am the first to be critical of sequels. But it seems that, as of late, there have been subpar movies being produced. Can Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania help tunnel Marvel out of the proverbial anthill? My hope is that this Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania Christian Movie Review will help you decide if this show is suitable for your family.

We did see this movie on a big screen in 3D, but I don’t think it was necessary, and I would have enjoyed it without the 3D.

Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania Christian Movie Review

Synopsis: by studio.

In the film, which officially kicks off phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Super-Hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and the Wasp. Together, with Hope’s parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), the family finds themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible. Jonathan Majors joins the adventure as Kang. Director Peyton Reed returns to direct the film; Kevin Feige and Stephen Broussard produce. 

My Synopsis of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania for this Christian Movie Review

First, the movie begins with Scott Lang having a typical day in San Francisco. However, he is a superhero who saved the world, so his typical day is sprinkled with exchanges that you and I will never encounter.

We see Scott Lang and his teen daughter Cassie, Hope Van Dyne, and her parents, Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, having a normal family dinner when it has been revealed that Cassie has been working on something special without Janet or Scott’s knowledge. When they see what she has been experimenting with, she opens a portal, and the entire family is sucked back to the Quantum Realm where Hope was trapped for 30 years. Now the family must fight strange creatures, villains, and the unknown to return home. Along the way, secrets are revealed that can destroy all their lives.

AntMan and the Wasp: Quantumania Christian Movie Review – What Parents Want to Know

There is extensive fighting and violence throughout the movie, including bloody scenes. Furthermore, expect lasers, knives, cannons, creepy spiders, and bizarre creatures. An arm is cut off with a machete (no blood), and people drink a creature’s ooze. Additionally, there are extensive battle scenes.

Between the violence and the language, this film deserves its PG-13 rating. There are instances of taking God’s name in vain – g-d d-mn, and Oh my g-d. Multiple uses of holy sh-t, repeated use of “what the h-ll,” a-s, and slang terms for a body part – d-ck. “Don’t be a d-ck. I’m such a d-ck” etc.

The film’s villain acts like god and thinks he has the right to kill entire worlds. There is mention of evolution. Since this latest MCU films installment talks about the Quantum realm and multiverse, there is dialogue that delves into alternate timelines and altering timelines.

Other adult content:

One character asks another, “how many holes do you have?” This character has no holes, but there is an entire scene dedicated to holes in a body.

Two characters discuss having affairs. One woman encounters a man that she had a relationship with, and there is a sexual innuendo that may go over some kid’s heads.

A person is arrested. She justifies it by saying she is helping people who cannot help themselves. 

A scene involves a bar and drinks. One of the drinks has a live creature in it. 

Teachable Moments from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quatumania

One major teaching moment deals with faithfulness. One character says, “I had needs,” and justifies cheating. Obviously, as a Christian, when we marry, we take a vow of “till death do us part,” and that includes in sickness, health, richer and poorer, but do those vows include being separated for 30 years? These types of scenes in movies can be great moments of discussion. Is it ever okay to have an affair? What if your spouse has been in a coma for 5 years or MIA (missing in action)? Discuss these hard topics with your children.

Another area of discussion includes the fact that several characters keep secrets which leads to problems for everyone. Keeping secrets means people don’t have the information that they need.  Discuss: Are secrets always harmful? Is it ever okay to keep secrets? What type of secrets should you keep? (Surprise parties are an example of keeping a secret that is not harmful).

Lastly, love of family and sacrificing for others are positive aspects of this movie. Since, this message is sprinkled throughout the movie it is a key component of many scenes. Scott loves his daughter; Janet shows incredible love for her family. Being willing to sacrifice for another is love. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Christian Movie Review – My Viewing Recommendations

While Paul Rudd did an excellent job reprising his role as Scott Lang, and the cinematography was entertaining, especially in the quantum universe, overall, this movie failed to wow me. However, Scott’s daughter Cassie, played by Kathryn Newton, was great in her role, but many of the other characters fell flat. I especially liked the scenes where Scott Lang was in San Francisco. The rest of the film was less than anticipated. The first two movies in this series felt like comic-book movies, while this one felt like a bunch of random pages from unrelated comic books mixed haphazardly together.

Did I mention I loved Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, and there were some laugh-out-loud moments in this latest superhero movie? However, much of this movie was high-action, fighting, and filled with violence. It also lacked the endearing qualities of the first two movies in this franchise especially Michael Pena, whose comedic timing was crucial to the Ant-Man movies.

This movie has a PG-13 rating which is well-deserved. Because of the content, I can only recommend this movie to mature 13-year-olds and up. Furthermore, it wasn’t a great film which is disappointing because I wanted to like it. 

There were moments when I felt that I was watching scenes from Star Wars movies and the Disney Strange World movie. In fact, there was a moment when I thought Ant-Man was going to imply that the quantum realm they had entered was actually a galaxy far, far away. There were also some great scenes, but overall this movie had too much talent sharing one screen to deliver anything cohesive. What worked well together were the giant militant ants.

Facts about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Movie 

Runtime: 2 hours, 5 mins

Release Date: February 17, 2023

Rating: PG-13 

Cast of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Scott Lang played by Paul Rudd

Hope Van Dyne played by Evangeline Lilly

Cassie Lang………..Kathryn Newton

Janet Van Dyne….Michelle Pfeiffer

Dr. Hank Pym………Michael Douglas

Kang the Conqueror…Jonathan Majors

Quaz……………………..William Jackson Harper

Additional Cast Includes:

Jentorra…………………Katy M. O’Brian

Lord Krylar……………..Bill Murray

M.O.D.O.K……………….Corey Stoll

Police Officer…………..Clement Osby

Freedom Fighter………Younes Rocks

Coffee Shop……………David Bertucci

Nomad Alien……………Milo’s Linda’s

Veb………………………….David Dastmalchian

Q. Pilot 1…………………..Leonardo Taiwo 

Crystal Man……………..Mike Wood

Cafe Owner………………Ruben Rabasa

Director: Peyton Reed

Writers: Jack Kirby

          Jeff Loveness

Producer: Mitchell Bell

                   Stephen Broussard

                   Kevin de la Noy

                    Kevin Feige

Music: Christophe Beck

Cinematography: Bill Pope

Frequently Asked Questions: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Movie Review

Is ant-man and the wasp: quantumania on disney+.

The theatrical release date of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is February 17, 2023. At that time, the movie will not be streaming on Disney+.

When will Ant-Man 3 be streaming on Disney+?

It is anticipated that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be coming to Disney+ on July 8, 2023.

Will Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania be streaming on Netflix, HBO Max, or Peacock?

No. It is part of the Marvel franchise and will only be streaming on Disney+.

Should I stay to the end credits?

Yes. There are actually two scenes. One is mid post-credit, and one is quick scene at the very end of the credits. That scene sets up an upcoming Marvel movie, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which is scheduled for a May 2, 2025, release date. 

Do I need to watch the first two Ant-Man films before watching this movie?

If you don’t watch the other movies in the Ant-Man franchise, you may be confused as to what is going on. Therefore, it is important to watch Ant-Man, and Ant-Man and the Wasp. 

Additional Marvel movies to watch include: Avengers: Endgame and Loki.

If you watch Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, you will find that Strange did not fully delve into the multiverse world. This movie takes you further into that realm. Moreover, we can expect more MCU movies to explore these parallel universes.

How does this movie rank with the audience compared to the other two Marvel Studios Ant-Man movies?

Rotten Tomatoes has this third film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quatumania, at 48% critic score and 84% audience score. You can expect that score to drop as less “bloggers who promote movies” and more audiences that have paid for their tickets weigh in.

Ant-Man 1 (the original Ant-Man) has a critic score of 83%, with an audience score of 85%.

Ant-Man and the Wasp has a critic score of 87% and an audience score of 80%.

While I am not a comic book fan, I do know that I am lacking in knowledge of the backstories to all these characters. Click here, if you would like to know more about the History of Ant-Man.

Reviewing movies for parents from a Christian perspective since 2005. Know Before You Go!

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Common sense media reviewers.

Some iffy humor in quirky Danish tween superhero movie.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Themes of friendship, of being true to yourself, a

Pelle Nohrmann learns to use his superpowers to he

Two kids physically bully other kids in school. A

Parents need to know that Antboy is a 2013 Danish movie about a tween boy who becomes a superhero with the strength and agility of an ant. Although it's mostly a quirky and entertaining movie, there are some moments of iffy humor; for example, when Antboy learns that his urine is now corrosive just like…

Positive Messages

Themes of friendship, of being true to yourself, and of performing acts of heroism not because they'll garner popularity from your peers but because it's the right thing to do.

Positive Role Models

Pelle Nohrmann learns to use his superpowers to help make the world a better place.

Violence & Scariness

Two kids physically bully other kids in school. A PE teacher physically and verbally bullies a boy during an athletic competition in a gymnasium. Some superhero-style violence and peril.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Antboy is a 2013 Danish movie about a tween boy who becomes a superhero with the strength and agility of an ant. Although it's mostly a quirky and entertaining movie, there are some moments of iffy humor; for example, when Antboy learns that his urine is now corrosive just like an ant's, he uses this ability to urinate on locks. There's also some bullying from students, and in one scene a PE teacher is verbally and physically aggressive with Pelle/Antboy as they fight in the gymnasium with pugil sticks. There is mild profanity ("damn") and some superhero-style violence and peril. Overall, this based-on-a-book-series film teaches valuable lessons on friendship and doing the right thing for the right reasons. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (6)
• Kids say (3)

Based on 6 parent reviews

Good movie for family.

Great stuff, what's the story.

Pelle Nohrmann is a 12-year-old boy whom nobody ever seems to notice. This all changes when an ant bites him on the neck, and he begins to realize he has the strength and agility of an ant. With the help of a comics-obsessed classmate, Pelle transforms into Antboy, a superhero who stops bullies and rescues those around him who are in distress. Pelle begins to use Antboy as a springboard to attain the popularity he never received before, especially from shrieking girls who worship Antboy, but when a mad scientist known as the Flea takes a girl Pelle has a crush on prisoner because he feels wronged by the girl's wealthy father, Antboy/Pelle must find a way to stop the Flea and learn what it really means to be a superhero.

Is It Any Good?

Based on a book series, ANTBOY is a quirky and engaging movie that both celebrates and has some fun with the conventions of the superhero story as chronicled in both movies and comic books. Although this is a Danish movie, the character of 12-year-old Pelle Nohrmann is a universally relatable character, and the movie takes full advantage of all the possibilities inherent in him having the strength, agility, and dietary needs of an ant.

It isn't necessarily the most original story -- the quiet misfit kid gets superpowers and attains celebrity -- but as a superhero story, it doesn't really need to be anything but entertaining. It's fun, and the acting and production as a whole are at a high level. Plus, it's the kind of story that the whole family can enjoy on movie night; everyone loves an underdog tale.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about superhero movies. How is this movie similar to and different from other movies in which young people develop superpowers?

Before he becomes Antboy, what problems and issues does Pelle Nohrmann contend with, and how does that make him relatable to tweens?

How is bullying by students and teachers addressed in this movie?

Movie Details

• In theaters : April 16, 2014
• On DVD or streaming : July 22, 2014
• Cast : Oscar Dietz , Amalie Kruse Jensen , Samuel Ting Graf
• Director : Ask Hasselbalch
• Studio : Cinedigm
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Book Characters , Bugs , Friendship , Great Boy Role Models
• Run time : 78 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• MPAA explanation : Some action, language, and mild rude humor.
• Last updated : April 29, 2024

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‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Review: Paul Rudd’s Bug Superhero Goes Full Marvel

The third "Ant-Man" film is a piece of Quantum Realm psychedelia that's at once fun and numbing.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

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Now, though, with “ Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ,” the “Ant-Man” series has gone Full Marvel. The new movie takes place almost entirely in the Quantum Realm, a mutating sub-atomic sphere that exists outside our space-time continuum. It’s essentially an anything-goes FX playground that resembles a psychedelic album cover crossed with a 21st-century update of “Fantastic Voyage” (lots of things that look like corpuscles). What it feels like, most directly, is a planet from one of the later “Star Wars” films, with a few old-school Cantina vibes. (You could make a case that the George Lucas prequels represented the takeover of “Star Wars” by the Cantina.)

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Reed, at the same time, is out to conjure the deadly gravitas of an “Avengers” epic. Vast populations, whole strands of the multiverse, are at stake. Yet since “Quantumania” claims to be a film about the manipulation of matter, we should probably ask: With everything going on in this movie, does any of it actually matter?

Yes and no. “Quantumania” is a state-of-the-art exercise in world-building, and in the neverending fantasy world (namely, ours) that was built by J.R.R. Tolkien and Dungeons & Dragons and “Star Wars” and “Harry Potter” and sandbox video games and Lego assembly kits that can number 10,000 pieces, it’s worth noting how axiomatic it is that when people today use the phrase “world-building,” they mean it as a high compliment. Another world! Another fun place for us to play in!

“Quantumania” is fun, as well as bedazzling, relentless and numbing, then fun again just when you think you’ve had enough; all of that gets mashed together. The Marvel films have never pretended to be stand-alone entities, yet I’ve rarely encountered a Marvel adventure that’s this busy with a do-or-die saving-the-cosmos plot that feels this much like it exists simply to set up the next dozen chapters of something. But that’s what happens when you’re launching Phase 5 of the Marvel takeover of movie entertainment. “Quantumania” is no cheat (it sucks you in, hooks your eyeballs, wrings you out), but if this is what Phase 5 looks like, God save us from Phases 6, 7 and 8.

Scott’s science-prodigy daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton), now a plucky young woman of 18, has built some sort of meta telescope in the basement. Within minutes, the device sucks everyone to the Quantum Realm — Scott and Cassie, along with Scott’s bug-superhero partner and paramour, Hope van Dyne ( Evangeline Lilly ), and Hope’s parents, the crusty physicist and former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and the original Wasp, Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), who in the previous film was rescued after having spent 30 years down there. It turns out that she was doing more than passing the time watching Netflix. She was there when Kang first showed up as a stranded traveler — but, in fact, he was already an exile who’d been kicked to the Quantum Realm to halt his path of destruction. Janet blew up the core of Kang’s quantum device, which saved the multiverse. But she’s still regarded by the rebels with mistrust. And Kang hasn’t gone away; his designs have just been put on hold.

Rudd’s Scott, introduced by John Sebastian’s “Welcome Back, Kotter” theme, is presented as a complacent celebrity superhero who needs to be goosed into action. There’s a terrific scene in which he gets replicated and has to face down — and ultimately work with — a horde of his multiple selves. The scene allows Rudd to get seriously addled, which is when he’s at his best in “Quantumania.” But when Scott, now a giant version of himself, trashes Kang’s fascist metropolis like Godzilla, all I could think was: What, exactly, are the rules here? The script, by former “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “Rick and Morty” writer Jeff Loveness, is making up the rules as it goes along, which is why “Quantumania” whisks you through its visually zapping action without generating any real investment in it. In a way, the ultimate investment is offscreen: Will the film successfully launch Phase 5? To even wonder about the answer is to miss that the only real conqueror in “Quantumania” is the MCU.

Reviewed at AMC Lincoln Square, Feb. 6, 2023. MPA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 123 MIN.

• Production: A Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures release of a Marvel Studios production. Producers: Kevin Feige, Stephen Broussard. Executive producers: Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Kevin de la Noy.
• Crew: Director: Peyton Reed. Screenplay: Jeff Loveness. Camera: Bill Pope. Editors: Adam Gerstel, Laura Jennings. Music: Christophe Beck.
• With: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas, Bill Murray, Kathryn Newton, Corey Stoll, William Jackson Harper, Katy O’Brian.

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4 Things Parents Should Know about Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

• Michael Foust CrosswalkHeadlines Contributor
• Updated Feb 20, 2023

Cassie is a talented young woman with a mega-famous father.

Her dad, Scott Lang, is better known as Ant-Man – the ex-convict who took advantage of his second chance in life by becoming a superhero. He has saved countless lives – and the world – with his unique talent to change sizes. (He can shrink himself.)

Cassie has other talents, including the ability to invent. She created a machine that allows scientists to explore the so-called subatomic "quantum realm." As Cassie sees it, the machine is similar to a satellite for studying deep space – except it studies particles trillions of times smaller.

"It's amazing," her father says.

Unfortunately, though, the machine malfunctions, suctioning Cassie and her dad into the quantum realm. It also takes three other people – Lang's girlfriend, Hope Van Dyne (the Wasp) and her parents, Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne.

Will they ever return?

The new Marvel film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (PG-13) follows the adventures of Scott Lang and his family, who eventually face off against the quantum realm's evil ruler, Kang the Conqueror. It stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas and Jonathan Majors.

Here are four things parents should know:

Photo courtesy: ©Disney/Marvel, used with permission.

1. It's Star Wars Meets Horton Hears a Who

"It's a place outside of time and space – a secret universe beneath ours," we hear.

Quantumania is the third film in the Ant-Man series, following 2015's Ant-Man and 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp .

As the movie progresses, Lang and Cassie get separated from the rest of their party. Each group then goes on a separate quest with the goal of finding one another.

2. It's a Tale of Ethical Dilemmas

Initially, Scott Lang and his gang of lost earthlings have one goal: escape the quantum realm. That goal, though, becomes muddled due to demands placed on Lang and the others.

Lang and his daughter Cassie learn of a civilization-wide struggle between the people of the quantum realm and their evil ruler, Kang The Conqueror, who previously burned their land. (Although Cassie wants to help, Lang is less than willing to volunteer.)

Later, Lang faces an ethical dilemma when Kang threatens to kill Cassie if Lang doesn't help him escape the quantum realm. Lang, though, knows that Kang's escape will lead to him murdering countless people in the wider universe. (According to the film, Kang had been sentenced to the quantum realm for violent crimes.)

Meanwhile, we learn that Hope Van Dyne's mother, Janet, previously faced an ethical dilemma when she was stuck in the quantum realm with Kang – at the time a friend – for 30 years. Both were trying to escape the realm, but only Janet had pure motives (she wanted to see her family – Kang wanted to eliminate multiple universes).

3. It Launches a New Superhero

Ant-Man and the Wasp still have top billing, but we get a new superhero in Quantumania in Cassie Lang, who is now a teenager and who has similar superpowers as her more famous dad. Cassie is portrayed by Kathryn Newton, a different actress from the one featured in 2015's Ant-Man and 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp (Abby Ryder Fortson played Cassie in those two films).

Quantumania  also introduces legendary actor Bill Murray, who plays a comical character/bad guy named Lord Krylar, who apparently had a romantic interest in Janet Hope Van Dyne when she was stuck there for 30 years. Krylar's scenes are one of the film's high points. (At a restaurant, he happily swallows a squid-like tiny creature that screams in terror as it's digested.)

4. It's Family-Centric, But …

The relationship between Scott Lang and Cassie is exemplary for all fathers and daughters in the audience (as well as for anyone involved in a parent-child relationship). They joke. They tease. They laugh. They obviously love one another . Instead of growing angry at Cassie for accidentally sending him to the quantum realm, Lang models patience. ("It's OK. … It's like we're camping. We love camping," he says in an attempt to calm her nerves.) The film also offers solid lessons on selflessness, self-sacrifice and heroism.

Even with those positive elements, Quantumania includes plenty of PG-13 content that may push some parents away.

Although the violence is similar to other Marvel films – there are countless fights, battles and frightening creatures – its use of language and sexual discussions pushes boundaries for what some consider a family film. We learn that Janet had a relationship with Lord Krylar when stuck in the quantum realm for three decades. ("I was down here for 30 years," she tells her husband, Hank Pym. "I had needs." Hank then replies, "I did it with someone a few times.”) Quantumania  also has strong language (details below), including a back-and-forth commentary between Cassie and another character in which she tells him, "don't be a d--k." (The phrase is used multiple times.)

For families, Quantumania  has a few bumps in the road. But for the rest of the audience, it opens up a new fantastical world of creatures, ships and kingdoms that is fun to explore.

Rated PG-13 for violence/action and language. Language details: a-- 1, OMG 6, d--n 1, s--t 4, GD 1, d--k 4, h-ll 10.

Entertainment rating : 3 out of 5 stars.

Family-friendly rating : 3 out of 5 stars.

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press ,  Christianity Today ,  The Christian Post , the   Leaf-Chronicle , the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

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Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania

• Action/Adventure , Comedy , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

In Theaters

• February 17, 2023
• Paul Rudd as Scott Lang; Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne; Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror; Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang; Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne; Michael Douglas as Hank Pym; Willaim Jackson Harper as Quaz; Katy M. O’Brian as Jentorra; Bill Murray as Krylar; Corey Stoll as M.O.D.O.K.

Home Release Date

• April 18, 2023
• Peyton Reed

Distributor

• Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Movie Review

Scott Lang isn’t the sort of guy you’d expect to be an Avenger. While the rest of the super-powered crew was reeling from the five-year Blip and trying to find a way to defeat Thanos, the divorced, thrice-arrested ex-con was stuck in the subatomic Quantum Realm (though to him, it was just a few hours).

Scott managed to break free and help the Avengers undo Thanos’ work in big (and, ahem, little ) ways. But now that he’s helped save the world, he’s having a hard time readjusting to civilian life.

Everywhere he goes, Scott is recognized. Fans beg him to take pictures with their dogs, and he gets free coffee from his local café despite his insistence that he should be paying. He’s even written a book about his experiences as Ant-Man.

Scott insists he just wants to settle down and enjoy being a dad—an experience he missed out on between prison stints and his time in the Quantum Realm.

But his daughter, Cassie, isn’t a little girl anymore. She aged five years while Scott was gone. And during that time, she learned quite a bit about the Quantum Realm. So much so, in fact, that she’s not content with normal life anymore, either.

Cassie wants to make a difference and help people. After all, her grandparents were the original Ant-Man and Wasp. Her dad and stepmom are the current Ant-Man and Wasp. Why wouldn’t she want to don a suit and help out the little guy?

Cassie believes the Quantum Realm holds secrets to helping the world at large, and during Scott’s absence she’s created a way to explore it.

But Grandma Janet doesn’t want Cassie delving deeply into the place where she inadvertently spent 30 years. And given that experience, nobody knows more about how marvelous or dangerous it can be than Janet Van Dyne.

Unfortunately, before Janet can imprint these dangers upon her granddaughter, the entire family gets sucked through a portal. And now, they’ll have to find a way to escape a place outside of time and space.

And that’s not the only trouble they’re going to run into, either.

Positive Elements

We see instances of familial and sacrificial love sprinkled throughout the film. Several people risk their own lives and livelihoods to help those in need. Some who’ve made mistakes do their best to make redemptive choices instead. We hear about humanitarian and reforestation efforts. A villain admits he was only bad because he didn’t know how to be good.

Spiritual Elements

Spirituality comes into play in nearly every Marvel film as we deal with godlike superpowers and even characters who call themselves lowercase “g” gods. Quantumania is definitely more science-based, but it’s still no exception. Janet even calls Kang (this film’s villain and “conqueror” of the Quantum Realm) a monster who thinks he’s a god.

Hank Pym, who has devoted his life to science and studying the Quantum Realm, is shocked to learn that there are unique people and creatures native to it. He says that discovery changes everything—humanity’s place in the universe and purpose, evolution, even life itself—but then the movie’s plot jolts forward, stopping him from pondering such profound implications any further.

Quantumania also touches on Marvel’s theory of the Multiverse, showing how many parallel universes can coexist in some ways and clash in others.

Sexual Content

While there’s no visually explicit content, Hank and his wife, Janet, briefly and callously discuss how they both had extramarital affairs while Janet was trapped in the Quantum Realm for 30 years. We also see some awkward sexual tension between Janet and her Quantum paramour when they cross paths.

Cassie appears to ogle a female warrior, but it’s unclear if it’s in pure admiration or sexual desire. (The woman in question wears a revealing outfit that seems non-conducive to battling monsters and bad guys.) Hope, Hank and Janet’s daughter, receives unwanted advances from a Quantum creature.

A Quantum denizen obsesses over how many holes characters have on their bodies. This joke lends itself to innuendo. We see the bare rear end of a humanoid creature.

Violent Content

In typical MCU fashion, we see multiple fight scenes. Characters get beat up, shot down, knocked around, etc. Sometimes these characters are killed instantly (Kang uses his powers to vaporize multitudes of rebels), and sometimes their deaths are drawn out. Due to the way the plot unfolds, some characters seemingly die multiple times.

Kang, we learn, was exiled to the Quantum Realm because he wiped out multiple universes and timelines in the Multiverse. And we witness instances of this mass destruction.

Kang tortures Cassie and threatens to kill her in front of Scott. (Later, he orders a bounty hunter to kill her and the character chases after her in a vengeful fury.)

Several characters drink a beverage that contains a live creature. Later, this creature grows to a massive proportions using size-changing Pym particles, and it then takes revenge on its would-be consumers.

Cassie says that police officers used tear gas against peaceful protestors. Janet says she was a freedom fighter/terrorist when she was in the Quantum Realm the first time. We see a flashback to when Darren Cross (villain of the first Ant-Man flick, now known as the hunter M.O.D.O.K.) tried to kill Cassie when she was 6 years old. A strange greeting ritual involves cutting off a Quantum creature’s arm (which then grows back, leaving the creature unharmed). A man’s nose is heavily bloodied during a fight.

Crude or Profane Language

We hear four uses of the s-word. We also hear several uses each of “a–,” “a–hole,” “d–n,” “d–k” and “h—.” The phrase “son of a—” gets cut off. God’s name is abused nine times (once paired with “d–n”), and Christ’s name is abused once.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Janet escorts Hank and Hope to a speakeasy in the Quantum Realm. There, she orders beverages that appear to be alcoholic but actually make the drinker multilingual. (In another scene, Cassie and Scott are force-fed an “ooze” that grants the same ability.) People drink alcohol with meals. Hank talks about getting drunk at one point.

Other Negative Elements

Cassie gets bailed out of jail by her dad and Hope at the beginning of the film. Scott is shocked when he learns this is actually the second time she’s been arrested; not only did everyone lie about this fact, but they’re all seemingly OK with Cassie’s criminal record (since, you know, she did it for the “right” reasons).

Cassie is repeatedly rude to her dad. She’s never punished because the other adults in the room agree with her reasoning (though that still doesn’t excuse the rudeness).

Throughout the film, various characters lie, steal and kidnap.

Finally, a huge portion of the plot turns on one character’s core deception. But I’ll give you time to stop here if you don’t want further details, which are unpacked throughout the balance of this section.

[ Spoiler Warning ] None of the events in Quantumania would have taken place if Janet hadn’t lied about her experiences during her 30 years in the Quantum Realm. She claimed there was nothing there and that she passed those three decades in complete isolation.

That was a big, fat lie. There were people and creatures unique to the Quantum Realm. There was society and civilization. Most importantly, there was the Multiversal menace Kang, who’d been banished there and whose ire she had earned.

To make matters worse, by the time Janet comes clean, it’s less about making things right and more about explaining key plot elements so the film can move forward. And while her family forgives her, the whole sequence feels forced and unnatural.

Ever since Avengers: Endgame , I’ve felt that the Marvel storylines have been in decline. But it wasn’t until Quantumania that I truly felt disappointed leaving the theater.

Let me just say that if you are looking for typical Marvel fare—epic action sequences, beautiful CGI worlds, fun dialogue, good guys defeating bad guys—this has all of that. But in terms of character development and plot, everything feels shallow .

The previous two films in the Ant-Man franchise placed a greater focus on family than some of the other Avengers storylines. Scott struggled to get his life together so he could be present in Cassie’s life. Hank pushed Hope away after Janet disappeared. Both fathers had to work hard to heal those relationships. But Quantumania seems to take those processes for granted.

Cassie is outright rude to Scott when he expresses a desire for her to have a “normal” life. Scott tries to respect the fact that Cassie is older now by giving her some autonomy. But she takes that and gets arrested … twice . Then she has the gall to say, “Sorry, Pops, but saving the world just isn’t enough.” And Scott just sort of accepts it.

On Hank’s side of things, he worked for years to get his wife back from the Quantum Realm and put his family back together. And he finally did. But then when he and Hope learn that Janet has been lying to them since she got back (not to mention that she and Hank both cheated on each other during their time apart), it’s all just brushed aside breezily.

Janet says they’ll talk about her lies later but that they really need to focus on escaping the Quantum Realm before Kang finds and destroys them. Now, while I appreciate this deference from the action-movie trope of “explain everything to me or I won’t help,” they never actually return to the subject. And I think that after all the years we’ve invested in Marvel, audiences deserve more dimensional characters who express and work through their feelings instead of pretending nothing happened simply because they’re relieved that they didn’t die.

I wish that was all I had to say on the matter, but sadly, it’s not. Ant-Man has long been seen as the less-serious comic relief of Avengers fare. So some folks may be thinking that my review up to this point has been harsh. But Quantumania wasn’t even that funny.

Not just one but two of the film’s lightest moments were centered on repeating a curse word over and over. (And parents should be aware that the language in this film feels gratuitous not only because of that but because of four s-words as well.) Comic acting legend Bill Murray makes an appearance that feels phoned in. And when it comes to passing the torch from Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man to Kathryn Newton’s Cassie … well, let’s just say she doesn’t have nearly the comedic chops of her movie-dad.

Conversely, actor Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror was fantastic. And it’s mostly just a bummer that his villain origin story was so soiled by Marvel’s desire to drag out its special effects budget. (After all, is it even a Marvel movie if you don’t have a 10-minute long CGI battle at the end?)

Honestly, the nicest thing I have to say about Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is that the laser effects were cool. And the fact that I personally know one of the dudes who worked on those effects has everything to do with that compliment.

Emily Tsiao

Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.

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The term antichrist is commonly used to mean "the opposite of Christ." It actually translates from the original Greek as "opposed to Christ." This is a useful place to begin in considering Lars von Trier's new film. The central character in "Antichrist" is not supernatural, but an ordinary man, who loses our common moral values. He lacks all good and embodies evil, but that reflects his nature and not his theological identity.

This man, known only as He, is played by Willem Dafoe as a somber, driven, tortured soul. The film opens with He and his wife, She ( Charlotte Gainsbourg ), making passionate love. This is a moment of complete good. In the next room, their infant son begins to crawl around to explore and falls to his death. This in itself is a neutral act. It inspires the rest of the film, which labels itself in three stages: Grief, Pain and Despair.

We must begin by assuming that He and She are already at psychological tipping points. She has been doing research on witchcraft, and it leads her to wonder if women are inherently evil. That may cause her to devalue herself. He is a controlling, dominant personality, who I believe is moved by the traumatic death to punish the woman who delivered his child into the world.

Their first stage, Grief, is legitimate. Their error is in trying to treat it instead of accepting it and living it through. Of course they blame themselves for having sex when they should have been attentive to the infant. Guilt requires punishment. She mentally punishes herself. For reasons he may not be aware of, he is driven to deal with her guilt as a problem, lecturing her in calm, patient, detached psychobabble. Her grief is her fault, you see, and he will blame her for it.

This leads to pain, most directly when he insists, at this of all times, on their going to their remote cabin in a dark woods that she fears at the best of times. The cabin is named Eden; make of that what you will. They have already eaten of the fruit, and it will never be Eden for them again.

The psychic pain of his counseling and their removal to the forest are now joined by pain inflicted upon them by nature and each other. The woods are inhabited by strange animals that look ordinary -- a deer, a fox, a crow -- but are possessed and unnatural. He and She don't much seek refuge in their cabin but increasingly find themselves outside in the wilderness. They begin to inflict pain on each other in unspeakable and shockingly intimate ways.

These passages have been referred to as "torture porn." Sadomasochistic they certainly are, but porn is entirely in the mind of the beholder. Will even a single audience member find these scenes erotic? That is hard to imagine. They are extreme in a deliberate way; von Trier, who has always been a provocateur, is driven to confront and shake his audience more than any other serious filmmaker -- even Bunuel and Herzog. He will do this with sex, pain, boredom, theology and bizarre stylistic experiments. And why not? We are at least convinced we're watching a film precisely as he intended it, and not after a watering down by a fearful studio executive.

That said, I know what's in it for von Trier. What was in it for me? More than anything else, I responded to the performances. Feature films may be fiction, but they are certainly documentaries showing actors in front of a camera. Both Dafoe and Gainsbourg have been risk takers, as anyone working with von Trier must be. The ways they're called upon to act in this film are extraordinary. They respond without hesitation. More important, they convince. Who can say what von Trier intended? His own explanations have been vague. The actors take the words and actions at face value and invest them with all the conviction they can. The result, in a sense, is that He and She get away from von Trier's theoretical control and act on their own, as they are compelled to.

We don't know as much as we think we do about acting. In a recent interview, I asked Dafoe what discussions he had with Gainsbourg before their most difficult scenes. He said they discussed very little: "We had great intimacy on the set but the truth is we barely knew each other. We kissed in front of the camera the first time, we got naked for the first time with the camera rolling. This is pure pretending. Since our intimacy only exists before the camera, it makes it more potent for us."

So it is a documentary in one way. What does it document? The courage of the actors, for one thing. The realization of von Trier's images, for another. And on the personal level, our fear that evil does exist in the world, that our fellow men are capable of limitless cruelty, and that it might lead, as it does in the film, to the obliteration of human hope. The third stage is Despair.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film Credits

Antichrist (2009)

Rated NR intended for adults

100 minutes

Willem Dafoe as He

Charlotte Gainsbourg as She

Directed by

• Lars von Trier

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Prey (Christian Movie Review)

Verdict: One of cinema’s most iconic creatures returns in a fresh, violent, and well-crafted sci-fi horror/action thriller.

About The Movie

Arnold might not be back, but one of cinemas most iconic creatures makes its return to earth and onto the big small screen. A Hulu exclusive, Prey is a prequel set 300 years before the original Schwarzenegger-led Predator (1987). There have been several other lackluster entries in the franchise, but the series has mostly languished in mediocracy. Prey is a fresh, violent, and well-crafted sci-fi horror/action thriller that breathes new life into a classic franchise.

The movie is directed by Dan Trachtenberg, whose only previous feature film is 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), which was also an entertaining new entry in an existing sci-fi horror/thriller series. He doesn’t fall into the trap of leaning too heavily into nostalgia, and no prior knowledge of the character is needed to understand the story. He also brings something new to the series by setting the film in the Comanche Nation in the year 1719. This unique and fresh narrative framework is an intriguing deviation from the typical template of modern military versus advanced alien technology. Notably, it is allegedly the first franchise movie to star an all-Native American cast.

Speaking of the cast, Amber Midthunder (a relative newcomer) stars as Naru, a young warrior who is consistently overlooked by her tribe and driven by the desire to prove herself. Midthunder excels in the role. She is already a capable hunter/warrior when the story begins, but is also inexperienced and vulnerable. She struggles, fails, and learns from her mistakes. On several occasions, her mistakes and failures from earlier in the film are put to later use, making her character growth feel earned, rather than contrived.

Prey also takes cues from other classic monster/alien flicks, electing for a slow burn of rising tension rather than noisy spectacle. The Predator itself isn’t fully engaged until 35-40 minutes into the runtime. The more methodical pacing allows room for the human characters to breathe and leads to a better payoff when the inevitable showdown with the Predator begins.

Visually, Prey is a bit of a mixed bag. The cinematography is gorgeous, with stunning landscapes and some brilliantly framed shots. On the other hand, it still maintains a B-movie feel, amplified by the straight-to-Hulu release (and budget). The CGI of the animals, such as a bear, is particularly cartoonish. The characters are also far too clean and polished. The lack of dirt and grime makes the characters look more like people in costumes, rather than feeling authentic.

In the end, many Christians will understandably be turned off by the brutal violence and horror tone. While it won’t be for everyone, I enjoyed Prey as an engaging horror/thriller.

For Consideration

Profanity: 1 use of “s—”

Violence: As expected from its R-rating, this is a violent film. Hunted animals are skinned and gutted. There is also plenty of gruesome violence against human characters. For the most part, the movie refrains from reveling in blood and gore for their own sake. Much of the violence happens just off screen, or from a blurry or obscured perspective. For example, a character is killed in a field, filmed from a distance, where blood splatters but the mauled body is not seen. There are, however, also some moments of intense and brutal violence depicted on screen. Characters have limbs severed, are impaled through chest and head, struck in eye by a dart, decapitated etc. Tolerance for such violence will vary. Personally, I found it to be effectively vicious, establishing the brutality and danger of the situation, rather than a mindless, desensitizing indulgence of death and agony.

Sexuality: None.

Other: Set among the Comanche Nation, there are also moments of spirituality. A character refers to seeing, “a sign in the sky” which she calls “the thunderbird.” The tribe engages in a ritualistic celebration as a character becomes a war chief. Another character says a ritualistic prayer over a dead bison.

Engage The Film

Colonization.

The film asks viewers to consider the question: “Who is predator and who is prey?” The movie beings with a voiceover, “A long time ago, it is said, a monster came here.” While the immediate meaning is the Predator, it eventually becomes clear that the alien is also a metaphor, or at least a contrast, for colonization. The appearance of French colonists midway through the film serve to recontextualize the Predator. In fact, although adversaries, the Predator and the Comanche people share a sort of kinship. They are hunters, desiring to prove their worthiness by vanquishing the most formidable prey. In this way, the Predator is the main threat, but not necessarily the villain. At the end of the film, a character returns with a pistol from the colonists and declares, “There is danger nearby. We need to move to easier protected ground.” The implication is that while one predator is defeated, another‚ perhaps more devastating one, remains.

Another theme is about what makes a person worthy. Naru is discredited primarily because she is a woman. This aspect can be fairly on the nose. When Naru attempts to tag along with a band of male hunters, one snidely says, “Who invited you? We won’t be gone along enough to need a cook.” Moments like this feel a bit too much of a modern “woman in a man’s world” message. But the filmmakers have also described it more broadly simply as an “underdog” story that is applicable to all types of people who overlooked and counted out. In a sense, this is even the driving force for the Predator, who seeks to establish itself as the apex predator by slowly working its way up the food chain to bigger and more challenging prey.

For Christians, the application is twofold. On the one hand, Naru is clearly capable and not given her fair chance, and the film offers a lesson against prejudice. On the other hand, Christians know that while they should strive for excellence in all things, true worth does not depend on others or receiving public recognition. Scripture says, “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” ( 1 Samuel 16:7 ), and “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows” ( Luke 12:6-7 ). It is not wrong for Naru to desire fair treatment and recognition, but neither is her all-consuming mission for validation one that Christians must follow.

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Movie Review: Despite Hollow Script, 'Civil War' Delivers as Action-Packed War Movie

F ollowing months of subtle, intriguing promotion, Alex Garland’s epic, action-packed war flick Civil War is finally in theaters for everyone to see what the big deal is all about.

When the trailer dropped, there were many questions. Why is an English filmmaker making a political action-thriller set in the United States? Why does he portray California and Texas as allies? Wasn’t there a Captain America sequel already called Civil War ?

Well, after all the questions and theories, the big, important message Garland presents with his new film is…freedom of the press.

A movie like Civil War could probably only be made by someone aware of American politics from the sidelines. Here in this dystopian, mid-war universe, not only is the country split between the west and the east, but we have the military versus the government, and an authoritarian leader of the free world played by Nick Offerman.

Our central characters are veteran photojournalist Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst), rookie photojournalist Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), print journalist Joel (Wagner Moura) and rival journalist Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) as they race to attempt an on-the-spot interview with the President, who hasn’t spoken to the press in over a year. Sonoya Mizuno, Jefferson White, Nelson Lee and Evan Lai co-star as fellow reporters and Dunst’s real-life husband Jesse Plemons appears with a stress-inducing cameo.

Though it feels impossible to shoot a war movie and not make any political statements, Garland tries to be as vague as possible throughout Civil War . All the characters are generally neutral with their comments on the state of the country, with Lee, Joel and Jessie all coming from red states [Colorado, Florida and Missouri].

We never get an official reason why the President has taken advantage of his position or how California and Texas were chosen to be the heads of the rebel alliance. Victims and antagonists range everywhere from southern to liberal to people of color.

If there’s a political message here, it’s just the standard “war is hell” variety. The whole two hours are spent in the shoes of the journalists and how tense and dangerous it is to shoot live footage and candid photos of history in the making.

In an era where anyone with a public blog or video channel can be considered a reporter, I can see why critics are favoring Civil War . Its stark presentation of in-battle violence uses the camera as the eyes of the photographers. 

The real reason to see Garland’s film, especially on the big screen, is for the truly incredible sound design, which caused my seat to vibrate consistently for most of the third act. As for the script, focusing on being unbiased ultimately causes the themes to end up coming across a bit hollow and have us wonder if we would care about these characters if the action wasn’t so exciting.

All the same, if you want to keep the theater experience hype currently going since Denis Villeneuve’s Dune Part 2 and Adam Wingard’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire , Civil War would do the trick.

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Maxton Hall review: This swoony private school romance makes the grade

Prime Video's series adaptation of Mona Kasten's YA hit "Save Me" stars Harriet Herbig-Matten and Damian Hardung.

Kristen Baldwin is the TV critic for EW

James Beaufort (Damian Hardung) is a star athlete, an heir to his wealthy family’s fashion brand, and so physically perfect he could be mistaken for the younger brother of Michelangelo’s David. Ruby Bell (Harriet Herbig-Matten) is a scholarship student, brilliant and unassumingly beautiful, who works a waitressing job after school to help augment her family’s finances. Ruby thinks James “embodies everything that is wrong in the world of the rich.” James doesn’t even know Ruby exists — until an unexpected encounter throws them together. You know where this is going.

Maxton Hall — The World Between Us follows the YA enemies-to-lovers blueprint to the letter, and that soothing familiarity is its greatest strength. Based on Mona Kasten’s hit novel Save Me , the German-language romantic drama on Prime Video is a swoony, soapy, lushly produced treat that evokes all the right feels, as the kids probably no longer say.

Stephan Rabold/Prime Video

Ruby Bell has one goal in life: Oxford University. As a top student at Maxton Hall, an elite private school packed with kids from rich and powerful families, Ruby doesn’t mind being “invisible” to her uber-wealthy peers because it allows her to focus on her studies. But when she accidentally learns a scandalous secret about Lydia Beaufort (Sonja Weißer), James rushes to protect his twin sister by persuading Ruby — as obnoxiously as possible — to keep quiet. The escalating tensions between Ruby and James result in a comic catastrophe at an important school gala, prompting Maxton Hall’s humorless headmaster (Thomas Douglas) to craft a punishment that forces them to work together. Eventually, their barbed insults soften into cheeky flirting, and the likeliest of unlikely love stories begins.

The titular world between Ruby and James is less about money than it is family, and much of the charm of Maxton Hall comes from time spent with the Bell clan at their humble home. Ruby actually enjoys hanging out with her parents, Helen (Julia-Maria Köhler) and Angus (Martin Neuhaus), and she’s best friends with her younger sister, Ember (the immensely charismatic Runa Greiner), a bubbly and confident aspiring fashion designer. Though Angus suffered an accident that left him in a wheelchair and the family’s bank account is all but bare, the Bells are rich in love. The scenes between Ruby and her family, especially those with Neuhaus’ Angus, radiate a genuine warmth.

The atmosphere at the Beaufort mansion, by contrast, is chilly and harsh. James and Lydia live under the steely glare of their father, Mortimer (Fedja van Huêt), a ruthlessly ambitious and demanding power broker who expects his son to take over the company after attending Oxford. Mortimer all but ignores Lydia, and the twins’ mother, Claudia (Clelia Sarto), never challenges her husband’s severe parenting style. The closest James has to a real father figure is his chauffeur, Percy (Hyun Wanner), a fact that is as tragic as it is ridiculous. Though it’s not as self-aware as the original Gossip Girl , Maxton Hall treats the rarefied world of its wealthy characters as equal parts aspirational and absurd.

As the central couple navigates their class-crossing love story, no romantic trope is left behind: The charged and awkward moment on the dance floor when the music switches from a peppy pop song to a ballad; the constantly interrupted first kiss; the snooty mean girl (Eli Riccardi) who thinks James is hers for the taking. Naturally, Ruby and James teach each other important life lessons: She encourages him to find his true passion; he reminds her that the future isn’t as important as now.

Prime Video

Sure, James’ transformation from arrogant bully to soft-hearted sweetie is whiplash fast, but Maxton Hall knows what its audience wants: #Juby! (#Rames?) The improbable about-face wouldn’t work as well as it does if the leads didn’t have such appealing and authentic chemistry. Herbig-Matten brings a likable sharpness to Ruby, while Hardung reveals the sadness behind James’ icy gaze as he dares to imagine a life away from his father’s control. (One note: Viewers who dislike subtitles can watch Maxton Hall dubbed in English, but be warned, I found the sterile, uncanny smoothness of the dubbed dialogue almost intolerable.)

Six episodes isn’t enough to serve multiple subplots, but Maxton Hall squeezes them in anyway: James’ gay friend Alistair (Justus Riesner) nurses a crush on his classmate, and Lydia frets over a secret romance that could upend her life. Perhaps showrunner Daphne Ferraro is just seeding the ground for a potential second season, as there are two more installments in Kasten’s series: Save You and Save Us . I hope Prime Video greenlights another semester at Maxton Hall ; this broken boy-meets-brainy-girl story is by the book in the best way possible. Grade: B+

Maxton Hall — The World Between Us premieres Thursday, May 9, on Prime Video.

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Hope Floats

Reviewed by: W.J. Kimble CONTRIBUTOR

“Take a lesson from the ants, you lazy fellow. Learn from their ways and be wise!” — Proverbs 6:6 TLB

A funny thing happened when my brother blew up the ant nest,” says Birdie Pruitt ( Sandra Bullock ) to her daughter, Bernice (Mae Whitman, “ One Fine Day ”), “their home was destroyed, but they just went back and starting rebuilding. No one told them to, they just did it.” That’s what families do. They stick together and rebuild. While Birdie never quoted the scripture above, the lesson of the ant brought her to the realization that a happy home is where the family strives to retain its virtues and does whatever it takes to survive.

Please note: one viewer says “…it isn’t Birde that tells the story of the ants to Bernice. It is the grandmother. The grandma is the one at the point in the story who is trying to hold the family together.”

Birdie had been married to Bill Pruitt (Michael Pare, “Point of Impact”) for years, when suddenly she finds herself on the “Toni Post Show” (a TV talk-show with Kathy Najimy, “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit,” as the host). Believing that she is to receive a makeover, Birdie is horrified when her best friend (Rosanna Arquette) reveals that she is having an affair with Bill. Devastated, Birdie heads back to Smithville, Texas, her home town; where her eccentric mother, a taxidermist by the name of Ramona Calvert ( Gena Rowlands , Paulie), awaits to console her and reacquaint her with an old high-school sweetheart, Justin Matisse ( Harry Connick Jr. ). Slowly, Birdie finds the strength to go on, to rebuild her family and renew her relationship with her mother and father; thereby proving that when everything else has sunk, Hope Floats.

Divorce, which is always hard on children, often leaves them confused, disorganized, angry and bitter. In the case of Bernice, who shifts the blame from her father’s infidelity to her mother’s inability to keep Bill happy, we find some of the movie’s more intense and emotionally, heart-wrenching scenes. “It’s all your fault and you know it!” shouts Bernice, to her mother. “He’s coming back [you’ll see], he loves me!” It’s not long before we find her growing more belligerent, spiteful and rebellious. In another scene, Bernice is left crying out at the top of her lungs, “Daddy, don’t leave me, I love you,” as her father drives away. This scene was so intense that you could hear a pin drop; everyone was stunned. The silence was broken when the women in the audience began to cry.

Divorce also leaves emotional scars for those whose marriages have ended. “Hope Floats” attempts to deal with all these issues and to reassure us that no matter what happens we can go on. Sadly, they never talk about Jesus' ability to help us through these hardships.

While it is a good movie to see, it contains two vulgar jokes and mild profanity (hence the PG-13 rating). There is no nudity; but there is a scene in which Birdie and Justin are implied to have had intimate relations with each other.

Under what conditions may Christians divorce and remarry? Answer

What are the consequences of sexual immorality? Answer

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‘The Last Stop in Yuma County’ Review: A Diner Robbery Spirals out of Control in a Finely-Tuned First Feature

Christian blauvelt.

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A roadside diner. Not just a place to see peeling upholstery and rodent traps, and indulge in the occasional sugary slice, but a genuine icon of Americana from Edward Hopper to “Frasier.” A diner is the great, anxiety-drenched stage where most of first-time feature director Francis Galluppi ‘s “ The Last Stop in Yuma County ” takes place, and, though this thriller is packed with memorable characters, the diner itself might be its greatest.

They quickly take over the diner in question, holding hostage the only people present — Donahue’s waitress, named Charlotte, and a traveling knife salesman played by Jim Cummings , unnamed. Well, the only people there at that moment. Travis and Beau needed a place to hide out while waiting for the gas truck to arrive at the fill ‘er up station next door, so they can fill up and head out onto the 100-mile stretch of road that leads straight into the desert. The gas truck doesn’t arrive, though. The opening credits show why. And with a long wait for it to arrive, other people start pouring into the diner as well, also hoping to get some gas and unaware of the hostage situation playing out right in front of them.

This is one promising debut, but the reality is that it’s a far greater feat of directing than screenwriting, for which Galluppi has the sole credit as well. He’s great at telegraphing small details about his characters through close-up reaction shots — and his actors are more than up to the challenge of conveying a ton, without significant explanatory dialogue. Donahue, a scream queen who came to horror fans’ attention for Ti West’s “The House of the Devil,” is particularly adept at conveying so much of what she needs to through a flick of her eyes and a shift in her posture. But everyone’s dialogue feels a little too on-the-nose at times. Does Sybill really need to flat-out say that The Knife Salesman looks like the “cross-dresser from ‘Psycho’?” Cummings’ Anthony Perkins vibes here are already very palpable to anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of film . And the scenario itself is ultimately about moving them around like pieces on a chess board — about putting them into just the right positions for the most explosive effect. Because you know something major is going to go down.

Galluppi is clearly adept with actors, and he knows how to make the most of a simple setup — the way he slows down and speeds up the experience of time is particularly skillful — but “The Last Stop in Yuma County” has many of the hallmarks of a first film. It’s a showcase for its director’s skillset and chosen obsessions but with many notions feeling more like a tease than the full elaboration you might expect from a more experienced filmmaker. He’s directed music videos and his similarly dusty short-film thriller “High Desert Hell” won acclaim in 2019, but he’s got a way to go as a filmmaker.

The ambition is there, though, and Galluppi’s ability to maximize the potential of a single location and an ensemble within it should lend itself well to the Untitled “Evil Dead” film he’s attached to as his next project. After all, a roadside diner is usually just a place to stop for a bit when passing through. Maybe “The Last Stop in Yuma County” is just a pitstop on the way to an even more exciting cinematic destination to come.

Well Go will release “The Last Stop in Yuma County” in theaters and on VOD on Friday, May 10.

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