This review contains spoilers.
Nia DaCosta’s latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), “The Marvels,” debuted on Nov. 10 and frankly, I would rate this movie a four and a half out of five stars. The film does not intend to be the next big MCU project; rather, it is simply an enjoyable, satisfying movie.
As a huge fan of Captain Marvel, I was ecstatic to finally see this movie after many COVID-19-related delays. I was even more excited to see newcomer Ms. Marvel — aka Kamala Khan — played by Iman Vellani, joining Captain Marvel on the silver screen.
Female team-ups in cinema are often criticized for being forced upon and driven by a “feminist” agenda, but this particular pairing felt anything but forced. DaCosta successfully told a story about three women who are tied together by forces much larger than them, such as the villain, Dar-Benn, played by Zawe Ashton.
The movie was all-around fun and entertaining. While the plot twist of using the Flerken kitties to save the thousands of agents aboard Nick Fury’s spacecraft by temporarily eating them was undeniably imaginative, its predictability somewhat diminished the element of surprise. However, the scene was still delivered humorously as agents screamed and ran in fear from the tiniest, cutest Flerken kitties. And it was just as adorable when the kitties were in a ship and started floating around because of zero gravity.
Kamala’s family was a welcome addition to the storyline. The integration of Pakistani and Islamic culture added depth and elevated the humor, particularly when Kamala’s brother began reciting Islamic prayers as their escape pod was crash landing.
This character-driven film truly shines, and Carol Danvers (played by Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (played by Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan do not disappoint. The film follows the patterns of other Marvel hero trilogies by showing Carol as an imperfect, flawed hero who has made mistakes in her pursuit to free Hala.
Through this perspective, the movie also addresses Carol and Monica’s strained relationship, shaped by Carol’s prolonged absence in Monica’s life. I enjoyed watching the growth of these characters, both individually and with each other.
Kamala was my favorite character, as Vellani’s performance stood out the most. She is charming and a pleasure on screen, particularly during moments of admiration with Carol. While Carol and Monica are the heart of the film, there is no denying that Kamala is the soul of it. She delivers emotion as she navigates her hero’s journey and acts as the glue that holds the Marvels together.
The computer-generated imagery (CGI) captured the cosmic vibes associated with these characters. From Hala’s sun to Earth’s sun, the different planets the characters visit and the depiction of the Marvels’ powers, the CGI was impressive. In terms of editing, the movie flowed smoothly for the most part, but there were a couple of moments where the transitions came across suddenly, such as the transition from Carol in space to Fury’s spacecraft and the arrival of the Marvels on Dar-Benn’s ship —making the action scenes more fun to watch.
However, I would have liked the film to explore Carol’s character development more, as this is her franchise. Some storylines introduced in previous installments were overlooked in this film, such as her incomplete memory recovery despite the second movie taking place thirty years after the first and her marriage.
While there were no unnecessary storylines, the relatively short runtime ultimately comes at a cost. Making the film longer could have allowed writers to address Carol’s character development in more detail, especially since she destroyed the Kree Supreme Intelligence. This was where we left off with Carol in the previous film.
While Dar-Benn’s character follows cliché villain tropes that aren’t explored too much in the movie, Ashton perfectly encapsulates Dar-Benn’s thirst for revenge.
The scene in which Kamala recruits Kate Bishop parallels the way that Nick recruited Tony Stark into the Avengers in “Iron Man” (2008). This seems to be setting up the stage for future MCU storylines.
The storyline hints at the formation of a team of young superheroes, with the potential for the daughter of Scott Lang (Ant Man) — Cassie, aka Stature — to be recruited. Kate’s acceptance seems to be the start of the Young Avengers.
I am also excited about what will come from the post-credit scene where Monica wakes up in a facility with a variant of her mother and the X-Men Beast.
I am curious to see what’s next for the three Marvels and the rest of the Multiverse Saga. There is so much to anticipate, especially with rumors of the X-Men potentially joining Marvel as soon as “Deadpool 3” or “Avengers: Kang Dynasty.” These films can potentially reintroduce old characters while bringing in new ones.
“The Marvels” is a necessary superhero movie, as it follows the comic source material and delivers a fulfilling storyline that shapes the MCU’s future.
