The Marvels
Release Date: November 10, 2023
Directed By: Nia DaCosta
Written By: Nia DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, and Elissa Karasik
Starring: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Samuel L. Jackson, and Zawe Ashton
Rating: PG-13 for action/violence and quick language
Runtime: 105 mins
The run-up to the launch of supervisor Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels appears to be proof of this dip in spirits. The advertising and marketing has actually turned to revealing cameos in trailers and blatantly hinting at spoilers, and the workshop has actually waited up until simply a couple of days before the launch day to evaluate it and begin constructing buzz. There’s a considerable comparison in the method which buzz has actually been developed contrasted to, as an instance, 2019’s Captain Marvel… which’s an embarassment, as the current MCU attribute is amongst the franchise business’s ideal motion pictures because Avengers: Endgame.
It’s not the MCU’s largest smash hit in regards to range and risks, and it doesn’t make back-breaking initiatives to dramatically have fun with and broaden the canon, yet what it does do is supply a creative and awesome experience that maximizes its effective set of captivating heroes. The story plays out comparable to a five-issue arc of a comics collection and isn’t one of the most complicated or remarkable we’ve seen from the connection, yet The Marvels has a superb structure in the viewpoints and individualities of its personalities, and it inevitably beams brilliant because of this.
There isn’t much to the story of The Marvels, yet the personalities offset it.
Anyone that has actually been enjoying superhero motion pictures for the last twenty years won’t exactly have their hair blown back by Dar-Benn’s scheme. As the leader of the Kree (the villains from Captain Marvel), she is making efforts to save her people’s dying planet, and she is doing so by stealing key resources from other worlds. Any Mel Brooks fans will immediately have the plot of Spaceballs come to mind. But while that idea is pretty basic material, The Marvels makes it work because it’s simply the background that lets the movie explore the complexities in the characters and their relationships.
For starters, there’s Dar-Benn. She’s not operating on the same level as Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger from Black Panther or Josh Brolin’s Thanos, and you do wish that she were provided a bit more fleshing out beyond a single flashback sequence, but she is outfitted with compelling motivations that make her perspective understandable. Similar to how Captain Marvel flipped the comic book reputation of the Skrulls, The Marvels has Dar-Benn introduce shades of grey to a previously black-and-white MCU outlook on the Kree, and it adds layers to the conflict.
On the protagonist side of things, there are wonderful shifting energies (no pun intended) between Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan. As one would expect from a relationship that involves a 30-year abandonment, Carol and Monica have an awkward connection bathed in palpable tension, and the movie provides satisfying confrontation that adds to the histories and emotional depths of both women. In parallel, Kamala is living her dream by going on an adventure in outer space with Captain Marvel – but doing so opens her eyes to Carol being a real person, and Monica clearly sees her 11-year-old self in her. They each bring their own baggage to the story that is well explored.
The performances are the best part of The Marvels, with Iman Vellani being the blockbuster’s charismatic standout.
With strong characters come strong performances, and that’s where we find The Marvels’ greatest asset. While still having the wryness and fortitude she demonstrated in her first MCU blockbuster, Brie Larson plays Carol this time around with an extra weight in her soul from her past experiences, and Teyonah Parris does a wonderful job balancing both Monica’s Carol-related drama and unrepentant science geekery. Samuel L. Jackson is fantastic in a supporting role, operating as the titular team’s point person and serving up a comical dose of his trademark attitude (a much-needed win after the aforementioned Secret Invasion) – but the true star of the show here is Iman Vellani, who is a bottomless well of delightfulness in every second she is on screen.
As a Captain Marvel superfan, Kamala Khan is ostensibly an on-screen surrogate for all of the world’s passionate MCU fans, and it’s impossible not to be struck by the earnestness and beautiful sincerity in Vellani’s turn. She represents the purest and best version of fanhood – left in silent, giddy shock when she merely learns that Carol Danvers was in her house – and it provides the film with buoyancy that never dissipates. And on top of her ever-flowing sweetness is also an excellent enthusiasm for heroism and being her badass self, and there is never a false moment.
The Marvels definitely will not blow you away with its set pieces, but it has surprises.
The Marvels is propelled by its characters and performances, but set pieces are a mixed bag. The heroes switching places provides Nia DaCosta the opportunity to orchestrate some wild fight sequences with perfectly chaotic choreography (the first act executing a fantastic battle in three disparate locations), and the best sequence in the movie involves an emergency evacuation that has the heroes literally herding cats – but unfortunately, not everything works that well.
The best example of this is a trip to the world Aladna, where the residents speak by singing, but the one and only musical sequence is completely forgettable, and while there is a unique visual aesthetic developed in the costumes and production design, the world isn’t outfitted with any scope. There also isn’t much to the final confrontation between the heroes and Dar-Benn, which is a fairly basic boss battle without any escalation in the action… though that shouldn’t be interpreted as the movie having a disappointing ending, as we get a satisfying emotional beat alongside some significant surprises.
The Marvels isn’t a Top 10 MCU blockbuster, sporting more than a couple glaring issues, but it also packs in plenty of the qualities that have made installments of this ever-expanding franchise special. It’s a lively, relatively simple character-driven ride through the cosmos that makes up for its story weak points with character.
