Marvel delivers another flashy film led by powerful women with a delightful cast that works well together that is visually stunning.
The latest Marvel film , “The Marvels,” directed by Nia DaCosta, features an ensemble cast of characters from previous MCU movies and shows. The film stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau. Samuel L. Jackson also returns to reprise his role as Nick Fury from previous MCU films.
One of the major problems I had with the film though was that the plot seemed jumbled. It felt like the writers were trying to cram too much backstory into one movie.
However, I feel like the film’s perfect blend of kitschy humor, action sequences and good acting came together to help elevate the film past its perceived shortcomings.
Kamala was definitely a huge selling point in this film.
Kamala was first introduced in her Disney+ series, “Ms. Marvel,” and the film acts as a sort of sequel to both that show and 2019’s “Captain Marvel.” Some of my favorite visual elements come straight from the show as they continue into the film.
In the show, a mix of graphic novel effects pop out when Kamala would explain things. This hybrid technique of live-action and animation was used very effectively in “Ms. Marvel” and is considered a fan favorite approach that makes Kamala such an enjoyable character.
I also liked how Kamala’s family reacted to the series of crazy events that happened in the film. One of the more memorable scenes featured Kamala’s parents, played by Zenobia Shroff and Mohan Kapur, when they start beating on some bad guys that were accidentally teleported into their home.
This occurred due to the quantum entanglement of the film’s three main leads: Captain Marvel, Kamala and Monica Rambeau. The three superheroes switching places while using their powers definitely led to some amusing hijinks.
It also led to some of my favorite dialogue from Nick Fury.
“Okay new rule no more touching s-, especially glowing mysterious s-,” Fury said.
The scene was in reference to how the characters became entangled because they touched glowing portals of energy. I laughed so hard at the moment, which seemed to poke fun at the way heroes get powers and start trouble.
I especially liked the introduction to Prince Yan, played by Park Seo-joon, who lives in a beautiful and flashy world where the people communicate through song and dance.
I also really enjoyed the look of the main three characters’ new costumes, which I found colorful and dynamic and very fitting for their respective personalities. I liked the scarf for Kamala and the sleek white look for Monica felt very appropriate for her light based powers.
While I enjoyed the film, I still think there’s a couple of other issues that stuck out to me m
One such instance was when Prince Yan was introduced, it feels like there’s some elaborate and funny story that we’re missing. It’s very disheartening.
The main villain Dar-Benn, played by Zawe Ashton, felt like a stock character, with trivial motivations such as: “oh no, the good guy did me wrong, and now I have to wreak havoc on the universe.” Her character doesn’t really feel flushed out, and I found her kind of boring.
Despite some minor shortcomings, I found the film to be quite entertaining and interesting. The cat aliens, called Flerkens, are so adorable when they gobble people in their tentacle mouths.
I felt that the movie’s greatest attributes were its characters and family dynamics. I really enjoyed the shared memories we got to see of Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau. Those scenes were a nice touch and made their characters more relatable.
Seeing Kamala’s family was very engaging and fun. I think that anytime they’re together just makes me smile because of how authentic their family relationships feel. How Kamala talks with her mother just seems so real.
With the end-credit scene hinting at both the Young Avengers and X-men, the future of the MCU looks bright.
