Film Review - "The Marvels"

The Marvels

Directed by Nia DaCosta

Starring Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani

I'm tired. I'm tired of the discourse surrounding the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and where it stands today. I don't want to listen to the haters, deflectors, and trolls anymore, calling for the end of the franchise, while at the same time I've grown weary defending it. Don't get me wrong, I loved 90% of Phase Four, but Phase Five...beyond Guardians Vol. 3 (Which I will eventually talk about) and the second season of Loki, I can't deny these are tough times. I mean I never even finished Secret Invasion.

Nevertheless, here we are with The Marvels. The thirty-third film of The MCU that (surprise) has left audiences split right down the middle. It is not the train wreck many are claiming it to be, but at the same time it's far from the best film of the franchise. It's fun, but it is flawed. (Do I want to write this?...I've come this far.)

The film is both a sequel to the original Captain Marvel film, and a follow-up to the events of the WandaVision and Ms. Marvel series. Carol Danvers (Larson) is out in space being a lone gunslinger, Monica Rambeau (Parris) now works with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) on the S.A.B.E.R. space station, and Kamala Kahn (Vellani) is enjoying life as a teenager and the hero of Jersey City. A bizarre phenomenon in the cosmos intertwines the powers of the three women, causing them to switch places whenever they use them at the same time. 

This leads them to join forces and figure out a way to control their "switch-powers" while also confronting the source of their troubles, which is a Kree Revolutionary named Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) who has a personal beef with Danvers, and is seeking to restore her now-dying homeworld, while destroying other planets in the process.

Right off the bat, our three leads are incredibly likable and they have immaculate chemistry. Larson gets a far better chance to shine here as Captain Marvel than she has so far in the MCU. She's tough but soft-hearted, comedic, charming, and easy to love, despite what the trolls say. Teyonah Parris also gets a chance to expand on her portrayal as Monica. Here we see a much more comedic side to her than we did in WandaVision, and she also gets to do a lot more heavy lifting in both the drama and action department. Iman Vellani charmed the world as she carried the Ms. Marvel series, and she's a real standout in The Marvels. You can tell she's having a lot of fun playing this character. I really want to see more of these three.

The supporting cast is also great. Honestly, Kamala's family got the biggest laughs out of me in the film, and Samuel L. Jackson continues to be the best as Nick Fury. Alas, Zawe Ashton's Dar-Ben falls into the category of Bad Marvel Villains. She does the best with the material she's given, but the character is incredibly underdeveloped, and comes off as a discount Ronan The Accuser from Guardians of The Galaxy.

While avoiding spoilers, Dar-Benn's whole arc (or lack thereof) in The Marvels make it feel like follow-up to a Captain Marvel 2 that we never got. There are exposition-filled moments that do their best to "fill in the gaps" but by the time we have all the pieces, the emotional disconnection between film and audience is too great. I found myself zoning out for a good portion of the film, which is something I don't think has ever happened between me and an MCU entry.

But what the film lacks in...plot, it makes up for in character work. Again, the three leads are incredible, and there are so many great scenes between them. A few moments between Larson and Parris stand out, that deal with the characters' history and fractured relationship. The action scenes in the film are a lot of fun, especially when the heroes are working together and switching powers. 

There are some...interesting set pieces in the film. There's a side-quest to a planet where the inhabitants can only communicate by singing, and then there's a bit involving Goose and his Cat-like species, set to the song "Memory" from the musical Cats (Cardinal sin. Don't remind me that exists.) To each their own but these didn't do anything for me.

The Marvels is flawed yes, but there's enough to enjoy here, and it's not devoid of heart. The characters in the film are endearing, and the performances carry this MCU entry to the finish line. If you like these characters, I imagine you will have a good time with this film. 

So...where do we go from here? Well, thanks to the WGA & SAG-AFTRA Strikes (Pay your creatives fairly), The MCU won't be around for a lot of 2024, at least in the movie theaters. Deadpool 3 will be the only film released from the franchise next year, and you know what? That might be a blessing in disguise.

Between COVID messing up their schedule, commercial and critical discourse post-Endgame, the death of Chadwick Bosemen, the allegations against Jonathan Majors, Jeremy Runner getting attacked by a snowplow, and the Sony/Spider-Man deal hanging by a thread, the MCU could afford to take a chance to breathe, and as Joe Byron would say "Build Back Better"

But if you enjoyed The Marvels, I'm glad you did. Who's to say that's wrong? As I say on my podcast Movies That Matter (shameless), entertainment is subjective and that's not a bad thing.

I don't want to say not every MCU film needs to be amazing or groundbreaking (because I've said that twice now and it's starting to get to me) but if anyone can walk out of theater having enjoyed themselves, then maybe this franchise is worth sticking around.