With each wave of summer time blockbusters that goes by, the extra apparent it turns into that Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is without doubt one of the most essential motion pictures of the final 40 years. Not only for its pioneering use of (gentle) digital images and results, or for reviving a decades-old franchise, however as a result of George Lucas’ course supplied a mannequin for large motion scenes that trendy blockbusters nonetheless copy to today. And that’s very true of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which echoed Phantom Menace’s third act all through the Infinity Saga movies. One exception to that rule is Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which advances issues just a little by taking its ending from Star Wars: Episode II – Assault of the Clones as a substitute.
[Ed. note: This story contains spoilers for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.]
The Phantom Menace wasn’t the primary film to finish with three parallel battles fought in three totally different locations (there are even shades of this in Return of the Jedi), but it surely’s the film that cemented the format’s slickness in a CG-enabled sci-fi setting. A younger Anakin Skywalker lights up Commerce Federation ships above Naboo whereas the Gungans struggle to repel the battle droids from the planet’s floor. In the meantime, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn struggle the acrobatic Darth Maul. However what makes this finale work for Phantom Menace is that these characters themselves by no means get misplaced within the scale of their conflicts.
Lucas’ first prequel is a grasp class in letting particular characters shine in the course of the motion — whether or not you want these characters or not. Jar Jar Binks takes out a complete military of droids accidentally, and younger Anakin says stuff like “I’ll attempt spinning, that’s an excellent trick!” It’s a relentless lighthearted tonal stability that reminds the viewer to not take any of the laser-fire chaos too critically, and makes for a superb distinction to the lethal critical (and endlessly phenomenal) “Duel of Fates” between Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Darth Maul. However even within the fast-paced lightsaber struggle there’s time for characters to have their very own moments, like Maul stalking forwards and backwards whereas Qui-Gon quietly meditates or Obi-Wan’s frantic pacing whereas he can’t assist his grasp.
Picture: Lucasfilm
It’s a genuinely thrilling sequence that, when one pulls again, makes virtually no concrete sense. We will kind of join any two of the battles to one another, however by no means all three, and there’s no actual indication that they’re occurring anyplace close to one another or whether or not or not that’s essential. Neither the ticking clock of the state of affairs or the consequence of any win or loss actually issues as a result of the modifying is so slick, and hides the seams so properly, that you simply by no means even have time to query something that’s occurring. You’re simply alongside for the experience.
This methodology of a number of forms of intercut motion scenes has been Marvel’s go-to template for “epic motion” for years now. It’s the precise setup of the unique Black Panther’s finale, however variations of it are additionally in motion pictures like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Avengers, and Avengers: Infinity Conflict. Principally, any time the MCU has too many solid members and must show {that a} battle is actually huge, the sequence doesn’t look to motion pictures like The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers or Saving Personal Ryan for inspiration; it at all times turns again to The Phantom Menace.
The issue is that none of those finales have ever matched Lucas’ prequel for rhythm, visuals, or enjoyable. The specificity of the worlds of Star Wars is changed by composited-in characters battling on generic canvases. Each Talokan and Wakanda are fascinating cities with attention-grabbing and distinctive structure and kinds, however the ending of Black Panther: Wakanda Perpetually takes place in the course of the open ocean, on a flat boat, and considerably close to a desert seashore.
Picture: Marvel Studios
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania modifications issues up — even when the outcomes are remarkably related. The third Ant-Man film is the beginning of Marvel’s Part 5, a brand new set of Multiverse Saga motion pictures that leads as much as two Avengers motion pictures: 2025’s The Kang Dynasty and 2026’s Secret Wars. After a quest by way of the Quantum Realm in the hunt for a means residence, Scott, Hope, Cassie, Hank, and Janet understand that they need to cease Kang from escaping with a purpose to each get residence and defend the remainder of the world. The small band of heroes is initially outnumbered by Kang’s big power earlier than they’re joined by a number of the different strange-looking multicolored creatures of the Quantum Realm who’ve determined to struggle Kang too. Regardless of their mixed efforts, all hope appears misplaced till a military of ants costs in with superior numbers and firepower and takes down Kang’s military. Lastly, all that’s left is Kang himself, which ends up in a climactic battle between Scott and Kang. That’s completely not what occurs in Phantom Menace. It’s, alternatively, rather a lot like Assault of the Clones.
Whereas the primary two Star Wars prequel motion pictures have similarities, Clones is a way more confined battle that largely follows Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padmé as they attempt to discover a approach to escape the world on Geonosis. Initially outnumbered, the group finds some sudden reinforcements with the arrival of the Jedi Order, a hodgepodge of odd-looking aliens with multicolored lightsabers. Even with the additional assist, our heroes ultimately begin to lose to the overwhelming flood of enemies, till an enormous military of clone troopers with superior numbers and firepower arrives to show the tide. Lastly, all that’s left is Rely Dooku, who Anakin makes an attempt to cope with on his personal — with considerably worse outcomes than Scott in Quantumania.
Picture: Lucasfilm
There are even moments in Quantumania that really feel overtly lifted from Clones, pulling out just a few extraordinarily related pictures, like Kang’s unexplained clone-ish armies lining up whereas being circled with ships in an unintelligible CGI fortress — a close to excellent match for Clones’ ending.
To check Quantumania to Assault of the Clones doesn’t do the Marvel threequel any favors. However for all of Episode II’s issues, the battle isn’t actually one in all them. Positive, some elements are just a little blander than they could possibly be and the consequences don’t fairly maintain up, but it surely’s an exceptionally well-staged set piece that successfully communicates its motion, its geography, its stakes, and the distinct personalities of its characters in the course of the chaos.
Assault of the Clones by no means matches the character-specific highs of Phantom Menace, but it surely doesn’t lose sight of them or allow them to mix collectively both. Padmé lastly will get to point out herself as a succesful fighter when commonplace diplomacy fails, and we see her and Anakin join in methods which can be extra convincing than their Naboo picnics or Tatooine getaways. Mace Windu establishes his dedication to theatrics, Boba Fett will get a second to witness the dying of his father, Dooku continues his everlasting quest to outlive at any value, and Yoda makes his most overconfident transfer but towards Palpatine. Everybody will get one thing that solely they may do, and every second feels each distinct and like a coherent little second contained in the bigger battle.
Picture: Marvel Studios
However Quantumania, like Marvel’s Phantom Menace-like finales earlier than it, lifts the appears to be like of Assault of the Clones with out its charms or character. Not one of the film’s motion beats really feel distinctive to the character performing them, past the shrinking and rising, and nobody comes up with a plan that appears uniquely in character reasonably than simply dictated by their powers. Quantumania begins with Scott studying his daughter has been arrested at protests a number of instances, however by the tip of the film, the characters barely really feel like they’ve gone anyplace or modified. Even one thing so simple as Cassie pulling out her shrunken police automobile in the course of the climactic battle may have led to a short second of character between her and Scott in the course of the chaotic struggle, however we get no such factor.
None of that is to say that Star Wars shouldn’t be emulated, simply that if Marvel’s going to do it — as Kevin Feige is open about — the corporate ought to really feel extra stress to match Lucas’ visionary strategy, and will do it just a little extra utterly. For all the issues the prequels have, and for all of the CGI negatives they gave blockbusters within the many years since, they’re nonetheless particular of their execution. They’re pushed by their characters and even probably the most chaotic motion is rooted of their views, humor, and personalities. They’re what motion pictures of a sure scale have to be.
