The Marvels marks the first time people who don't keep up with the deluge of Marvel TV shows will feel properly out of the loop. More worrying it feels more like one of the shows than a tent pole movie.
The plot follows Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, Miss Marvel/Kamala Kahn and Monica Rambo as they try to stop new leader of the Kree Empire, Dar-Benn from destroying various planets to fix her own. The McGuffin trinket that allows the villain to do this also leads to the three heroes switching location whenever they use their powers, forcing them to stay together and work as a team.
The dynamics of the group are fun with Ms Marvel actress Iman Vellani easily the best thing about the film. Hopefully she stays on the big screen going forward and isn't wasted in more Disney + mediocrity. Brie Larson does her best as Captain Marvel but the "I tried to help but it didn't work out" colonial guilt storyline doesn't really work on a character you are trying to portray as an out and out hero. Teyonah Parris' has the least to do as Monica Rambo and often feels as if she is just there to make up the numbers.
The Marvel, like much of the MCU, works best in its light hearted moments. Sam Jackson once again decides Nick Fury is going to be a completely different character and is consistently funny. Anytime him or Kamala Kahn's non plussed family are on screen is a good time. There is also a fun section on a planet where the inhabitants only understand words when they are sung although it all gets a lot more generic once the fighting starts.
That really is the story of The Marvels, any creativity is buried under a tonne of MCUness. Director Nia DaCosta has said its more a Kevin Feige movie than hers and it really shows. From the focus on TV characters to the limited story it feels like a movie made to fill a hole in the schedule. Antagonist Dar-Benn is a prime contender for most forgettable Marvel villain and let's be honest, there is some stiff competition for that role. Again actress Zawe Ashton does her best but a wannabe Khaleese who speaks like she has too many teeth and reuses a weapon an already pretty boring villain previously wielded isn't enough to create a compelling threat. It was always going to be hard to create a decent bad guy with three leads and a side plot vying for screen time in a 90 odd minute movie. I'm sure it's just a coincidence that it took a female ensemble outing for Marvel to suddenly remember you can edit a movie to under two hours.
There is also an inherent problem with having these three characters team up. It works great from a character point of view but requires the audience to turn a blind eye to story consistency in order for the three to be considered somewhat equals. Captain Marvel flew across the galaxy in minutes and overpowered Thanos but hereshe struggles in scraps with a couple of goons. She is also seems no more effective at fighting the main villain than the other two leads who really aren't in her weight class. It's mentioned at one point that she has the power to restart a sun so why is she struggling to dispatch this B-Tech Ronin the Accuser?
The brief running time and humorous moments mean The Marvels isn't an avoid at all costs proposition but it adds to the sense the MCU in general is becoming a bit of a pointless time sink. Less Marvellous and more less Marvel please.
5 planets that haven't had their atmosphere sucked out of them out of 10.
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