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Posted in: Movies, Review, TV | Tagged: Marvel Studios, mcu, the marvels
The Marvels Is An Enjoyable, Solid Film, And That Is Okay {Review}
The Marvels overcomes some early issues to be a fun and exciting entry in the Marvel Studios cannon. It is now playing in theaters.
Article Summary
- 'The Marvels' offers a separate story from the MCU's multiverse craze.
- Strong leads and high-quality action scenes anchor the movie's appeal.
- Issues with pacing and a lackluster villain are noted as drawbacks.
- The film is a fun, worthwhile watch despite not reaching 'Endgame' heights.
The Marvels is very much its own thing, keeping the story and characters mostly separate from all the multiverse shenanigans that have been going on in the MCU, and it is all the better for it. All three leads are good, the supporting cast is funny, and the action is top-notch, something that hasn't always been the case as of late with Marvel Studios. There are some issues, like a weaker villain and a very wordy and dull front half, but once it gets going, just like every other good Marvel film, it becomes easy to give yourself over to the excitement.
The Marvels Mints New Stars
While the whole world has decided that Marvel Studios has lost its touch, The Marvels comes along after a few delays in release to strengthen the brand. And that is exactly what happens in the surprisingly brief run time. The three heroines, Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, are body-switching when they use their powers, which is a distraction from Kree-warrior Dar-Been (Zawe Ashton), who is opening wormholes between worlds to try and re-power Hala after Carol destroyed the Supreme Intelligence.
A lot of the first 40 minutes of the film unfurls at a rushed pace and is needlessly confusing. While it is arguable that one didn't have to see the Ms. Marvel series or Secret Invasion to enjoy this film, they might be a bit lost if they don't quite grasp the events that have happened since Captain Marvel. The Kree/Skrull politics slow everything to a complete stop and almost lose the audience, and the destruction and cameo that follow those scenes feel hollow. Dar-Been is not a very interesting villain, either. Her motivations are interesting, but the plan and execution are pretty dumb and feel half-baked. Because of the shorter run time, everything feels rushed. Director Nia DaCosta was hired for this film because of her grasp of the story and ability to juggle a big cast, but it is arguable that she dropped the ball in that regard and instead really brought it to the action scenes.
Which are all great. The film's budget was an absurd $250 million, and a lot of that is on the screen. The unfinished effects are not as big an issue here as they were in Ant-Man earlier this year; at least nothing that stood out. Especially in the film's second half, there is some great fight choreography and staging going on that is some of the best in a superhero film this year.
As far as the main three of the cast goes, Parris is the big standout as Monica. Vellani is strong as well, but Parris is The Marvels secret weapon. Monica gets the meatiest story of the three and is more than up for the part. It is also interesting to see Larson take a bit of a backseat to the other two. Her performance is odd; there are parts of the film where she looks like she would like to be anywhere less than in another Marvel film. She brings it in the last half and recovers nicely, but it is an interesting performance. Vellani will be this phases Tom Holland; she is just so fun and a breath of fresh air for how dour the MCU has been these last couple of years.
Overall, this is a middle-of-the-road Marvel Studios, which is not bad. Not every film can be Endgame, and it is worrisome that the fanbase thinks everything should be. The Marvels is a ton of fun, and because of the discourse, it feels like it may be overlooked. Don't do that. Go to the theater, buy a large popcorn, put some M&M's in there, and have a good time for a few hours. Enjoy something in the MCU. You can just go watch and enjoy and feel like you have homework afterward.
The Marvels
7/10
The Marvels overcomes some early issues to be a fun and exciting entry in the Marvel Studios cannon. All three leads are great, and this mostly standalone film can be enjoyed by anyone.
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