Before I say anything, if you are seeking The Marvels to hold the same high stakes and ultimately hit on the same level as an epic final chapter movie like Avengers: Endgame, then you are setting yourselves up for failure. That is simply not what The Marvels aims to do. Led with a strong vision by director Nia DaCosta, The Marvels is a much lighter, more human moviegoing experience about acknowledging one’s mistakes, doing right by others, and the importance of family – the one you are born into and the one you make.
Brie Larson is back in action as Carol Danvers, better known as Captain Marvel, as she continues on a solo trip across space alongside her far from ordinary feline friend, Goose. As always, Larson continues to exude star power qualities quite effortlessly in her leading character’s modest ways.
Fresh off of her celebrated performance as Captain Monica Rambeau in the fantastic Disney+ series WandaVision, the actress Teyonah Parris pivots from the small screen to the big screen in The Marvels, where we catch up with her working alongside Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson since 2008’s Iron Man). In The Marvels, Rambeau also finally gets the chance to reunite with Danvers, whom she grew up very close with as a little girl (made possible with “The Blip” event brought on by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and resolved in Endgame).
Iman Vellani also suits back up as Ms. Marvel in The Marvels, following her own Disney+ series. When she is not fighting crime and saving the people of Jersey City, New Jersey around her Pakistani-American family, she is pretty ordinary teenager Kamala Khan, a creative comic sketch artist and best friends with her superhero idol Captain Marvel – at least in her own imagination.
Sure, we have had Marvel movie stars transition their continuing storylines to the small screen with Disney+ series like in Loki, Secret Invasion and She-Hulk, but The Marvels really is the first time that the stories and characters that were introduced on a Marvel series are now getting their big screen Marvel debut. Plus, not only is this latest Marvel project directed by a woman, it stars three women and its story was written by three women – DaCosta, Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik, making this truly a “girl power” Marvel movie on all fronts.
With Danvers, Rambeau and Khan all having the ability to manipulate cosmic energy in different ways, the trio is initially forced to work together when they realize that their powers appear to be linked to one another. Together, their greatest threat in The Marvels comes with the character known as Dar-Benn. As this leader of the Kree Empire must watch her people struggle to survive, Dar-Benn is set on conquering any worlds set in her path, while also seeking revenge on a questionable decision made years before by Captain Marvel. Played well by Zawe Ashton (who fun fact – is engaged to Loki actor Tom Hiddleston), Dar-Benn is a quality villain, as she leads in her decision-making with her people in mind, but also embodies an unhealthy obsession for power.
On the surface, The Marvels might seem to just be a story of three unlikely superheroes teaming up to fight evil, but this story goes much deeper, addressing loss, regret and redemption in compelling ways. During their journey together across new lands, we also get to see what Captain Marvel has been up to during her time in space, bringing some enjoyable humor and showcasing a slightly more playful side to the often reluctant Danvers.
Even though Parris was a standout, new addition to the Marvel Universe in WandaVision, it quickly became aware to many of us that she is in fact movie star material. Her performance as Rambeau in The Marvels allows her to become less of an ongoing supporting character and take more of a spot at center stage as a superhero coming into her own, as she embraces her evolving superpowers with a mature mindset.
Vellani and her on-screen family bring such great comic relief to The Marvels, really grounding these larger-than-life situations and often giving the audience a pleasant break from all of the tension and chaos happening around them. Yes, you will appreciate these stories and characters even more, if you have watched Ms. Marvel and WandaVision on Disney+ – however, the movie does a good job of subtly addressing the key parts of origin stories surrounding Khan and Rambeau.
Now, let’s talk about the fight scenes in The Marvels. For being a less gritty storyline than usual within the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Marvels still has some of the most visually stimulating action scenes in recent memory. The colors are vivid, the fight choreography is top notch and the visual effects are wildly enthralling. If this movie walks away with one defining element, above anything else, it is definitely its smart and carefully executed fight scenes.
Another quick but worthy mention in The Marvels is Danvers’ cat sidekick, Goose. Its alien-like abilities are a silly yet welcomed addition to the many action scenes in the movie. Arguably, one of the best parts of The Marvels revolves around Goose towards the end of movie, an outrageous and hilarious cinematic moment that you will just have to see to believe.
Overall, will The Marvels become one of the most memorable Marvel movies in recent history? Probably not – but that doesn’t stop it from being a great moviegoing experience. Plus, with everything going on in the world right now, I remember thinking to myself in the theater that this is a refreshing change of pace, to just get to sit back and enjoy ourselves for a sweet and action-packed story that is effectively told in less than two hours. Now that alone is a Marvel miracle.
Following a year of Barbie and Taylor Swift winning over moviegoers, The Marvels rounds out this “girl power” era higher, further, faster!
Last but not least, be sure to stick around for the credits scene. People screamed in my theater when a certain character returned up on the big screen. Like many of us, I cannot wait to see where this goes next.
Read the full article here