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The Marvels Movie Review: I remember a post I read a couple of years back that said how we once used to have goosebumps when we saw the Marvel logo coming to formation on the big screen, and how that magic has now evaporated. Imagine, the person had made this post much before Marvel fans had to endure the likes of Thor: Love and Thunder and She-Hulk, and say what, I agreed with that person then and now. So when Marvel Cinematic Universe unloaded what is its 33rd film on me with the ironically titled The Marvels and the logo unfurled before me evoking no emotions, I hoped that by the end of The Marvels, the love for the franchise would return in me and I would get back those goosebumps when Deadpool 3 arrives in Summer 2024 with its Marvel logo. The Marvels: Goose in Las Vegas Sphere Steals the Show at Film's LA World Premiere.
Did The Marvels do the trick? To put it kindly for the film, it isn't as terrible as Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (the first and only MCU film where I dozed off at a couple of places). There are some fun moments here and there. Iman Vellani's infectious, fan-girlish charm and energy easily get to you even if you haven't bothered to watch Ms Marvel the series. And the film sets up a universe-, or should I say, a multiverse-changing dynamics towards the end. (Some SPOILERS ahead)
In fact, I can say I would have been kinder to The Marvels had it come in the initial stages of MCU. But hey, we are down 33 movies, and multiple (forgettable) shows now. 'Mid' can never be a standard anymore.
Anyway, now that I have already established that The Marvels didn't made me leap in joy, let's talk about the plot. A new Kree villain rises in form of Dar Benn (Zawe Ashton), who seeks out a magical bangle that creates breaches in space or something. The bangle's other pair is the one worn by Kamala (Iman Vellani), that helps her harness her powers. Dar Benn's activities prod the space-voyaging Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) to ask Captain Marvel aka Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) to investigate what happened. The space rift created somehow entangles the light-based powers of Carol, Kamala and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), making them switch places wherever they are, be it on Earth or in space or even in a Kree ship.
Watch the Trailer of The Marvels:
Okay, that switching-places idea looked really cool until it doesn't. The first major fight of the film, where the three protagonists keep switching places, while traversing from Kamala's home to Fury's spaceship to Dar Benn's den - it was a very enjoyable sequence with some nice choreography, decent CGI and editing, with some fun quips mostly from Kamala and her family. Even the sequence where the girls bond with each other while switching powers in coordination aboard Carol's ship felt a nice moment, more so because it allowed Carol to let go of her rigidity (why does this franchise hate Captain Marvel so much to not make her interesting at all?). However, at times, I felt this switcheroo comes and goes as per the convenience of the scene. I mean, there were moments where the protagonists use their powers, but nothing happens then.
As the film progressed, the questions began to pile up more as the writing begins to show off its glaring weak spots. Yes, there were some charming moments, but you can't just call a film good just because there is a scene of a spaceship filled with adorable kittens swallowing up people. The movie needs to back it up with a story that we need to care, characters who have consistent, well-developed arcs, and stakes that should really matter. And in a superhero film like this, a strong, formidable antagonist is a major requirement. In all those boxes, The Marvels fails to tick them right.
There are subplots that are jumped right into, but doesn't get followed up properly. Like for example, Kamala is devastated when she couldn't rescue many members of a Skrull population from destruction, since she is stopped by Carol from saving them all. It felt a major coming-of-age moment for her, and her hurt expression when she watches Carol in the next scene reveals this isn't Captain Marvel she adored. But that was a momentary illusion, and after a cameo, that was spoilt in the final trailer, all is well with Kamala and Carol. Ant-Man and The Wasp – Quantumania Movie Review: Paul Rudd's Marvel Film is a Bland Adventure That Exists Only to Set up MCU’s Next Phase.
Another scene involves the trio visiting a planet where people communicate through singing, featuring the much-hyped appearance of Korean star Park Seo-joon. While the scene was fun and comical at first, when the stakes became serious, the joke loses its relevance. Even less sensible is the lack of information about this planet or the fate of its people post a major attack by Dar Benn.
Speaking of her, Dar Benn is a weakly written and utterly forgettable antagonist. Her anger towards Carol feels justifiable, especially when we learn why she and her people call Captain Marvel the 'Annihilator.' However, beyond that, she fails to leave much of an impression and is written off the film in an inexplicably bizarre yet derivative manner.
The tension between Carol and Monica, who has abandonment issues, is a major plot point, but the film's rushed treatment drains away any emotional investment. While the short runtime at 104 minutes is commendable, some relationships require more room and time to develop for the viewer to care. Excusing it by implying to the viewers to watch other shows and understand what's going on is not acceptable.
Since I have watched all the shows and movies in the MCU, I can't determine if The Marvels can be understood without watching the shows. Despite the movie's attempt to give context (Carol's intro scene comes with a 'Previously On' montage), watching Disney+ shows is still necessary. For example, understanding how Monica got her powers and why her mom's passing was a significant emotional event for her require prior knowledge from WandaVision. Kamala's entire origin story and her family dynamics are also crucial to be learnt from Ms Marvel, and while the presence of Zenobia Shroff and Saagar Shaikh in the movie is delightful, the continual inclusion of #MeToo accused Mohan Kapur is a dampener. The Marvels: Fans Disappointed With #MeToo Accused Mohan Kapur's Presence in Trailer, Want Marvel to Recast Him or Reshoot His Scenes - Here's Why.
Anyway, returning to whether the shows need to be watched for continuity purposes, strangely, The Marvels isn't even consistent about that. I assume this film happens after the events of Secret Invasion - the drollest series Marvel ever made - but the Nick Fury we see here is far from the world-weary spy we saw in that series. Here, he is just a man who comes up with quips at every moment and remains nothing of that sly, opportunistic mastermind we once knew. Where is that Skrull wife of his? Or for the matter, the Skrulls he had been working with on that ship?
Which reminds me, why would Carol send a bunch of Skrulls back to Earth when, post Secret Invasion, people there are baying for their blood? Also, why does Monica refer to Wanda simply as a 'witch', whereas, as a member of SABER (or whatever that is), she should know Carol would be acquainted with Wanda after having fought alongside her? Or the bigger question that has never been answered since Spider-Man: Far From Home, what the heck is Fury doing up there in space?
Going more SPOILER-y ahead, The Marvels has a mid-credit scene that would make you jump in your seat with a surprise cameo. However, for me, once that initial euphoria of seeing that character passed away, I realised that the character is fully CGI-ed, whereas the previous iterations weren't.
This is the problem with Marvel. In going cheap with its visuals and scripts, Marvel has lost what once worked for it. And then it expects us to be loyal to the franchise just because it has loaded a couple of tantalising tail-enders. I am excited for Secret Wars, but I should also be invested in what comes before, and Marvel is sadly failing there!
Final Thoughts
The Marvels isn't bad as I had feared it would be, true that, mostly because the bar is set so low now. The first act is good, and there are some fun moments in ahead too, mostly courtesy Kamala and her family, and the chemistry between the three leads sparkles when they need to. Yet, The Marvels suffers from a rushed pace, inconsistent writing and lack of real stakes in the story that makes it worth rooting or even worth remembering for. And that, my friends, is not very Marvel-lous of this franchise that is dangerously running out of steam!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 10, 2023 09:38 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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