The Marvel Cinematic Universe is bringing together new characters with pre-established characters, further interconnecting the Disney+ series with their cinematic blockbusters. That does sadly mean there is some homework to do before watching this film, but don’t worry it is recommended but not necessary. The Marvels brings together Brie Larson as Carol Danvers aka. Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau and Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan aka. Ms Marvel as the three main leads. All of which are equally strong and versatile as each other, with all three possessing light based powers which in turn brings them all together, and I mean that quite literally.
The Marvels begins in space and the first thing you notice is the visual effects are very reminiscent to the Guardians of the Galaxy films, which is a big compliment as those films boasted some terrific space sequences. The Marvels spends a lot of its time in space as the group battle an intergalactic warrior known as Dar-Benn, played by Zawe Ashton. Sadly Ashton doesn’t have the same pedigree as Larson, Parris and newcomer Khan and she doesn’t really hold her own and feels very much a “villain of the week” as opposed to a superior threat. There are items which certain characters possess which help move the story and plot forward, which also help to tie this film into the ongoing Multiverse Saga. From Earth, to musical planets and space stations led by Nick Fury, with Samuel L. Jackson returning, the film is brisk and it does the film a lot of service but it also feels like a lot is going on as well.
Marvel fans will certainly enjoy the film. The characters are really engaging and humorously written. The chemistry between the super trinity is both hilarious and provides a lot of heart. The highlight of the film is Kamala Khan who steals most of the laughs and her innocence and naivety allows her character to grow more into a supposed leader based role in the future. There are surprise appearances and ties into future instalments too, as this is Marvel after all, but it does attempt to make the film feel standalone despite the nature of Marvel’s overarching schemes. Filmmaker Nia DaCosta does play with the story and cast in fun and inventive ways with a few silly sequences making the film feel light-hearted, but DaCosta also reminds us these superheroes have flaws too and she does attempt to dig into that side of them.
Overall The Marvels feels like another chapter in the ongoing Marvel Cinematic Universe, and shares a lot of its tone and atmosphere with recent entries Thor: Love and Thunder, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and even Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, as the film explores the cosmic side of the universe, while delving more into alien cultures and exposing the worst parts of the galaxy by showing Captain Marvel’s consequences of her actions from the end of her origin film. The Marvels is less a sequel and more of a team-up film. It’s not on par with the Guardians trilogy or Avengers films, but it is a gentle reminder that this universe is swiftly and rapidly expanding and it has no plans on stopping anytime soon.
★★★☆☆
3/5
Final Verdict:
The Marvels is a fun edition in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. The leads of the film, Carol, Monica and Kamala, played by Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani, all play their characters effortlessly. Captain Marvel is seen as a proper threat to her enemies, Monica is growing into her powers even more and Kamala is introduced to the idea of a superhero team up. Unfortunately there are a lot of moving pieces and the story whisks from planet to planet, and there is a lot of setting up for future films too. Saying that the visual efforts work well, the script is funny but I do feel that the film could have been done with a better villain.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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