The Marvels

Starring: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Samuel L. Jackson, Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, Lashana Lynch, Tessa Thompson, Hailee Steinfeld (cameo), Kelsey Grammer (cameo)
Directed by: Nia DaCosta
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
2023

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) get their powers entangled, forcing them to work together to stop a world-destroying villain.

Review:

Tim: It's going to be really challenging to talk about The Marvels. It was definitely a lower-rated film critically, and it was sadly a box office bomb- it grossed a stunningly bad $84 million at the domestic box office. Marvel's steak of booming successes sadly suffered their worst defeat yet. Audiences stayed away. So much negativity surrounded Nia DaCosta's film. And yet, it's actually a really good movie. I think it's far better than most of the DCEU and while it's definitely a lesser film in the MCU, I actually enjoyed it a lot. So, it's hard to describe my thoughts here- one, I liked the movie and enjoyed it as much as any of the recent Marvel missteps. However, I'm also filled with a lot of frustration at Marvel. Maybe it was inevitable that the studio would slip post-Infinity Saga. But, how could they let a film bomb this badly? When did they lose their way? This movie brings us serious concerns for Marvel and despite the fact that it's a good film, it's commercial failure is upsetting.

Now, a big reason I liked this movie is that it follows the typical Marvel movie formula. It's the 33rd film in the MCU and we know what we're going to get- a few big action set pieces, a lot of humor, a few too many cameos. That formula works for reason and it allowed Marvel to deliver their 33rd really good film in a row. That's unprecedented. However, for them, this also represents their creative low point. This is the 7th "not great" film in a row- nothing truly great since 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home, which was a joint Sony effort. This is especially worrisome. However, yes- this movie was entertaining. It doesn't offer a ton new, but it has fun with the characters and situations and I thoroughly enjoyed it both times. It's definitely on the lower end of Marvel movies, but you can't tell me DC has put out much that's better than this.

The film is able to differentiate itself by focusing on three heroes at its core- Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan. This was a bit of an odd choice- rather than giving Carol her own true sequel, she shares the spotlight with two others. It's kind of cool- to have three leads in a film instead of the usual one. But, it does make you wonder if this was done because Marvel wasn't confident enough in Captain Marvel carrying the sequel on her own. Still, this is the biggest appeal of the film- to see these three women interacting together. Their characters are all so different and it was great fun seeing them forced to work together. I do think it's wonderful that Marvel put three women center stage for this film- we desperately need more women-centric superhero films. Unfortunately, this film's huge failure will push bigots and morons to continue to make their dumb criticisms.

From a cast perspective, it was nice seeing Brie Larson reprise her Captain Marvel role. I do like Larson as an actress, although I've never thought she was great as Carol. She seems uncomfortable on screen. I felt like that in her solo film and I still feel it here. She struggles with the more lighthearted scenes. Teyonah Parris was solid as Monica, although she might not be a strong enough character to truly own the spotlight she gets here. She feels like the third wheel a bit. She's good in her delivery, but never great. Iman Vellani thankfully comes to the rescue. She gives the best performance of the film by far- the energy and youthful enthusiasm she brings to Ms. Marvel is truly perfect. I really loved her work during her television series and it was excellent to see her make the leap to the big screen. This was the first time this has really happened (Monica, too, I know) and it showed what the power of the MCU could be. Now, many complained that without being forced to watch Ms. Marvel first, audiences would be somewhat alienated. Maybe. Vellani is truly entertaining and a blast to watch and people should watch whatever she does. She made me laugh continually throughout this movie- her inclusion was brilliant. I desperately hope we get to see much more of her on the big screen.

This movie does feature of the worst Marvel villains. I honestly don't know her name and I've never known it during the two times I watched this movie. Zawe Ashton is a bit too bland in her portrayal. I never cared about this villain in the slightest. It felt like she was a stand-in baddie. Her story was lackluster and it's never fully explained how she manages to consistently hold her own against three superpowered women. The writing was quite shaky through much of this film. Definitely a low point. I liked seeing Samuel L. Jackson, but he's given very little to do. As he's gotten older, Nick Fury has become such a minor part of this franchise. I get it, but Fury's failure in the awful Secret Invasion and his cat-and-family herder here is absolutely not the comics Nick Fury. That's disappointing. I liked getting to see Lashana Lynch and Tessa Thompson return for brief scenes- it's a good reminder of the overall incredible actresses this sprawling movie series was able to attract.

The story here is fine- a bad guy is trying to ruin worlds for her own nefarious plot. Our heroes must work together to stop her. The movie gives us some memorable moments- the switching-places entanglement fight scenes are definitely standout sequences. That was so fun, funny, and felt unique within the massive MCU. That was a great example of how this franchise needs to find innovative ways to tell its stories. Everything else felt pretty good, but expected, honestly. It was never bad, it was engaging, but we've seen most of this before. I still had so much fun watching this film, but it does very little to move the MCU as a whole forward.

One last big comment- as always, we wait eagerly for the end-credits scenes. One is funny and one was shocking, but in a confusing way. Marvel has really screwed up the whole Multiverse Saga. I still have no concept of how the whole thing is supposed to work and so many films that were supposed to reveal things ended up giving us throwaway, pointless cameos that did nothing for the broader story. I'd love it if the end of this film didn't follow that same path, but I have so little faith moving forward. That's probably the biggest complaint I have. The Marvels is a really good movie- I'd watch this again anytime. However, it feels like yet another entry where Marvel is making it up as they go along. What is the plan? It's been 4 years since the Infinity Saga ended and this next Saga has been a total mess. That's so frustrating and disappointing for me. That's how you can deliver a really entertaining film that still manages to be a huge disappointment.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Captain Marvel, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Wandavision, Ms. Marvel