Review: The Marvels

I left the cinema genuinely excited for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time in a very long time. Like a lot of people, I have been sucker punched in the face by super-hero fatigue, so going into The Marvels, I was expecting disaster.

The Captain Marvel sequel follows our titular character on another space adventure against the Kree species, though there was a profound lack of Jude Law this time, as they attempt to avenge their dying planet. Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), joined by Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan AKA Ms Marvel (Iman Vellani), with the help of Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson), team together to prevent the galaxy-level damage this saviour plan could cause.
It’s the first time we have really seen Kamala and Monica in full superhero action, and it is marvellous.

Iman Vellani brings an innocent comedy and fannish relatability

Iman Vellani brings an innocent comedy and fannish relatability that seems to work far better than it did in her origin show on Disney+. She, and the Khan family, are by far the saviours of the movie, Kamala’s introduction through a comic-drawing-style montage incorporates the same illustrative talent that was used in the TV show but in moderation that didn’t become childish like I think the show did. Monica in complete contrast, grounds the film and brings the emotion that drives a lot of our heroes’ character development, as she comes to terms with her mother’s death and feeling of abandonment from Carol.

We were introduced to Monica as a kid in the first Captain Marvel movie but have seen her grow up and gain powers since in WandaVision; much like Kamala, the personality of Monica was much more refined and interesting in this movie compared to her previous appearances, which definitely made up for the lack of personality in the lead herself.

The Marvels is not perfect in any respect, the CGI is temperamental, the villain is mundane and petty, some scenes are strange and clunky. But it was so much fun. If I were to compare the tone to any of the past Marvel movies, I would relate it most closely with Thor: Ragnarok, and though director Nia DaCosta doesn’t quite nail the comedy like Taika Waititi did with Thor, it is as equally as fun and silly, allowing you to easily forget about all the technical faults.

The Marvels is not perfect in any respect […] but it was so much fun

There is one scene in the first act that I think may have become one of the coolest action sequences Marvel have done so far. In a quick-paced fight, we watch our three heroes swap places every time they use their powers in unison, a feature that was used as the cliff-hanger of Ms Marvel, resulting in hilarious chaos as the characters are never quite sure where they are or who they’re fighting. This skill is one the trio master as the movie goes on, leading to impressive match cuts and special effects as they use this entangled power to their advantage against Kree Supremor Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton). The soundtrack is as fun as everything else, and scores towards the end of the movie hint to the future of the MCU in ways I obviously will not mention but have been a long time coming and are hugely exciting. The Marvels borders on musical territory, with a performance by Carol Danvers and a foreign prince (Park Seo-joon) as they visit a planet where their language is strictly song. It’s the most noticeably ridiculous sequence, and you can sense Brie Larson’s discomfort as she dances and lip-syncs (badly) to a song that isn’t particularly good as it is. It was definitely a moment that left my face screwed up in disgust.

Just like with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 it was refreshing to watch an alien-space movie (for the most part) in the midst of the Multiverse Saga, which in my opinion is becoming more and more monotonous as the franchise develops. However, when you try to place this instalment in the larger MCU, the plot begins to make even less sense. We very obviously follow directly from Ms Marvel but there is no mention of Secret Invasion as The Marvels predecessor or follower. We are given no explanation to why Nick Fury is in space, or why the Skrulls have found a home away from Earth when that is where we have been told they are. There is no mention of Talos, who was presented as a key part of Carol Danvers’ life in the first movie. Because of this, it does make a lot of sense as to why hardcore fans are hesitant to accept it into the franchise with open arms.

…for me all of the faults were cast aside

As the movie reaches the end of its third act, for me all of the faults were cast aside as they set up Kamala Khan’s position in the future of the MCU and the next phase of heroes they can play with outside of the Multiverse. With this being something I have begged for for years now, I was ecstatic, and this was even before the post-credits scene. As the Marvel logo showed and the lights turned on, I was in high spirits rather than majorly disappointed like I have been so often since the conclusion of the Infinity Saga.

Verdict:

The Marvels is far from perfect, but it is everything fun that I love about superhero movies. It runs its already disappointing prequel into the ground and is refreshing for a franchise that is starting to get out of its depth. It’s quirky, and the easily loveable characters drive the story into just an all-around satisfying and pleasing movie experience for a casual watcher and hard-core fan.