This is a major week for Marvel Studios. We have Loki’s finale premiering tonight, Dogpool announcement for Deadpool 3 which now has a summer release but the most important thing is the release of The Marvels.
This film has endured a bumpy trip leading all the way up to release. Captain Marvel performed well making over a billion dollars but it didn’t perform well with the critics or the wider audience.
Personally, I’m not a fan of the Captain Marvel film but love the character in the comics and love Brie Larson. This film improves on that in many ways and in some stays the same.
The Marvels Review
The Marvels follows Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau and Ms Marvel who team up after they begin to start swapping places when they use their powers at the same time. They must team up to bring a stop to Dar-Benn who is going after every place Carol calls home to get revenge.
The trailer did a good job of mostly encapsulating what this film was going to be like and that was fun. For the first time in the MCU, Brie Larson provides the best performance yet we’ve gotten from her as Captain Marvel and this performance is only further boosted by Iman Vellani and Teyonah Parris.
The dynamic that’s provided by those three alone, makes this film feel whole and real with the emotions that they portray in this film. Though Ms. Marvel comes from her Disney+ show and Monica comes from WandaVision, it isn’t a requirement to watch either show to understand what’s going on in this film. They perfectly recap the most important events from each show and the first Captain Marvel in such a great way that doesn’t disrupt the flow of the story.
Along with our main characters are the side characters of this film. We have Nick Fury and the Khan family who prominently appear throughout the film and fit into it perfectly like a jigsaw piece. Fury mainly brings some of the comedic aspects, breaking the ice whenever it is needed. The Khan family also provide some form of comedic aspect but also sees their relationship further grow with Kamala.
Kamala isn’t the only character with family drama in this film as we’re finally getting to see Carol and Monica reunite for the first time since Captain Marvel. Their story within this film is handled brilliantly and effortlessly and it doesn’t drag. We see Monica slip in a few “Aunt Carols” early on and it’s known that she’s not ready to reconcile with her. This is all noticeable from her body and facial expressions.
We even have some ups and downs between Carol and Kamala with the tone she’s using while talking to her. Carol quickly realises she needs to put her differences aside to be able to work as a team and take down the greater threat and it’s all done very beautifully, which is followed by an amazing montage which showcases their growth together.
The standout for this film was the action. It’s known thanks to interviews that Nia DaCosta referenced Final Fantasy: Advent Children when pitching the story and it’s clear on the screen when watching the action. It felt like comic book action and even video game action at the same time.
A lot of the switching places fight scenes just being some of the most creative work within the films. There were even some moments that reminded me of how Captain Marvel plays in the game Marvel Vs Capcom.
One of the major downfalls for The Marvels is the villain Dar Benn who is played by Zawe Ashton. The Marvels clearly portrays her motives and the flashbacks that are used to show them are some of the best scenes in the film.
Though she does her job in this film, she still somewhat feels underwhelming and that comes down to the bad performance that Zawe Ashton provides. Though I believe the runtime works for what we got in the film, to improve Dar Benn’s character, with maybe an extra twenty minutes, we could’ve gotten something worthwhile and memorable.
Another downfall that brings the film slightly down is the visuals. They’re not the worst we’ve seen in the MCU but they’re very inconsistent. There will be moments where it’s very good like during the final fight and moments where they can be noticeably bad and this is mostly during the flight scenes. This is not something that ruins the movie completely but with how inconstant it is and how noticeable it is, it starts to become an issue.
Final Thoughts
The Marvels is a step in the right direction for Marvel Studios. It improves on a character who was widely hated and provides a really thought-out and well-made story with action that’s unforgettable and emotional moments that can tear at the heart.
Unfortunately, it’s drawn back by a lacklustre villain and visuals that can become noticeably bad in certain scenes. The Marvels sets up for an insane future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with its ending and mind-blowing mid-credit scene and I can’t wait to see what the future has to offer.
Rating: 7 out of 10
