The Marvels Review: Story Problems Weigh Down an Effervescent Kitty-Filled Romp
The post The Marvels Review: Story Problems Weigh Down an Effervescent Kitty-Filled Romp appeared first on Consequence.
The Pitch: Teenage Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) has a vibrant imagination along with her light-based superpowers, but the MCU’s biggest fangirl when it comes to Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) never dreamed she’d meet her hero as a result of some intergalactic body-swapping. Yet that’s exactly what happens when Kree leader Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) uncovers the pair to Kamala’s bangle and harnesses its powers to help save her dying planet — in the process, accidentally entangling the powers of Kamala, Carol, and S.A.B.E.R. agent Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris).
Between Kamala freaking out over getting to spend time with superheroes, and Monica nursing decades of hurt over the fact that her beloved Aunt Carol never came back to Earth as promised, things are initially awkward between the reluctant teammates. But the three women have to learn to coordinate their powers to stop Dar-Benn from breaking down the entire universe. Thank god Goose the cat flerken is there to help…
Higher: When The Marvels is cooking, it really cooks. The official follow-up to 2019’s Captain Marvel, which also loops in no shortage of other MCU properties along the way, is at its best when it’s having fun, and there’s plenty of that across its one hour and 45 minute runtime. (It’s the shortest MCU movie to date.)
Central to what works about this movie is Iman Vellani, as the MCU needed a breath of fresh air in the form of a character who’s actively excited about the world of superheroes, after so many farewells and endings in recent years. Vellani’s real-life superpower is her innate charm, which Ms. Marvel viewers were already familiar with, and watching her blast her way across the big screen gives this film such welcome joy and energy. There are no origin stories involved in this film, but there is a training montage that is one of its high points.
Not the highest point, though. To describe the film’s absolute peak moment is difficult, because to spoil it would be a shame. Let’s just say that this film delivers one of the MCU’s most demented, unexpected, and hilarious scenes to date — it’s honestly hard to think of something that tops it. It’s bizarre. It’s magnificent. It’s a reason to see this movie at least twice.
Further: The catch is, seeing this movie a second time will only confirm, if not enhance, its story problems; it’s best described as a poorly-knitted sweater — pull one loose end, and it all unravels. There are choices made that never come together, narratives that feel too easily dropped, and an ending that contains some satisfying beats but also some genuinely confusing plot holes. At this point, MCU fans are used to a few unresolved storylines at the end of a film, but there’s at least one big unexplained issue at the end of the film, perhaps explained in a scene cut for time, that is frustrating in the extreme.
The Marvels (Disney)
Also, it doesn’t help that there’s a story element that’s played for serious drama, invoking a touch of climate anxiety for some topical relevance… except said story element will feel way too familiar to any fans of Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs. And honestly, Brooks’ version was a lot cleaner.
Faster: As director, Nia DaCosta leans hard into her cast’s strengths, and delivers a satisfying amount of female bonding that doesn’t feel forced. (Female friendship! A highly underrated superpower. At one point, the Marvels have a pajama party!)
As mentioned, Vellani beams with the rays of a thousand suns, and much of the supporting cast also shines: Parasite/K-drama star Park Seo-joon makes a swoon-worthy appearance as an alien prince, and it’s sweet to see Kamala’s family incorporated into the adventure at just the right tempo. Also, after having to carry some pretty serious drama in Secret Invasion, Samuel L. Jackson seems delighted to hang out on the sidelines, deliver most of the film’s best lines, and pet some very good cats.
However, it’s not all tens across the board, performance-wise: Carol’s arc is a pretty limited one, and it never feels like Brie Larson’s full range is being utilized here. And the most underserved character ends up being Monica, which might simply be an extension of the fact that she’s never been developed into a fully realized protagonist. Captain Marvel introduced her as a cute little girl who looked up to her aunt and loved her mother; when she was re-introduced in WandaVision, there was too much going on around her for a personality to come forward.
Here, with more of the spotlight on her than ever before, she remains largely defined by her aforementioned hurt over Carol’s abandonment, and her reluctance to adopt a “code name” befitting her own powers. (Which involve… being able to manipulate the electromagnetic spectrum? Sometimes, it feels like you need an advanced degree in physics to watch these movies.)
The Verdict: As successful as its biggest, wildest swings are, it’d really be nice if the plotting of The Marvels lived up to those elements. That said, those other elements are hard to oversell. It might not be the most coherent MCU entry of 2023. But it’s perhaps the most purely enjoyable.
Where to Watch: The Marvels slides into theaters on Friday, November 10th.
Trailer:
The Marvels Review: Story Problems Weigh Down an Effervescent Kitty-Filled Romp
Liz Shannon Miller
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