Movie Review: The Marvels

Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels, the 33^rd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, comes on the heels of a scathing Variety article talking about how the MCU is in trouble. Their recent films and shows have been receiving poorer than usual reviews, their box office numbers are not booming to the level they are accustomed to, there are troubles off-screen, and they can’t seem to find their footing in a post-Endgame world. None of this is good for the historic film universe, but I wouldn’t necessarily say the MCU is in trouble, not yet at least, especially with how much I enjoyed watching The Marvels.

I’m not going to sit here and tell you The Marvels has saved the MCU and everything will be okay. But what I will say is that it is a huge step in the right direction and gives me hope for the future. The film is a blast. A fast-paced, lean, funny, and entertaining film that reminded me of MCU sequels of the past.

The Marvels is a movie about Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), who are forced to team up when their powers become entangled due to the energy from a wormhole in space created by renegade Kree warrior Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton). Dar-Benn looks to power her planet of Hala with water, sun, and other resources by using wormholes to steal these resources from other planets, which could cause a permanent hole in space.  It is then up to the trio to work together and save the galaxy before Dar-Benn permanently destroys it.

Watching The Marvels reminded me of watching MCU sequels of the past like Iron Man 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Are these the best movies in the MCU? I wouldn’t rank them that way, but they aren’t the worst either. Those movies put their heroes front and center and were about their journeys as characters. They didn’t focus on expanding the MCU as a whole and they weren’t steppingstone movies that felt like they were only made to get to the next one (something the first Captain Marvel film was guilty of).

The Marvels is a movie that focuses solely on the trio of Marvels and their character growth. Danvers is dealing with the trauma her past missions have brought her and wondering whether everything she is doing is for the betterment of the galaxy. Rambeau must learn to be a leader while also learning to forgive Danvers for not coming back to take care of her following the death of her mother. And Khan is still learning how to use her superpowers and be a hero while also learning about the stakes of having such gifts. Larson, Parris, and Vellani have wonderful chemistry together, filled with witty banter, plenty of humor, and sweet moments that show their bond and growth. Save for the final scene and the mid-credit teaser (both of which are excellent), The Marvels puts its titular heroes first and the entire Marvel universe second.

DaCosta keeps The Marvels lean and exciting. With a runtime of 105 minutes, it is the shortest film in the MCU to date, which isn’t necessarily bad. The movie zips by with nonstop action and humor and the plot keeps moving. The action sequences are bright, electric, and nicely shot, particularly the first big battle when the Marvels learn that their bodies switch when they use their powers, which is as enjoyable as any MCU action scene in recent years. There are also a few sillier moments too, like the planet of Aladna, where they only communicate in song and dance, or anything having to do with the alien cats known as Flerkins. These moments gave The Marvels a real space adventure vibe that the film needed.

The Marvels isn’t a top-tier MCU movie. Dar-Benn is underdeveloped as a villain (an issue the MCU often has), and while the runtime is short and sweet, I wouldn’t have hated an extra few minutes of Danvers, Rambeu, and Khan working together and developing more. But it’s the most fun I’ve had in an MCU movie in quite some time. While it isn’t going to save the MCU and their current state, it is a step in the right direction, and I hope the MCU can build off this and continue to make character-driven films that are this ridiculously entertaining.

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