‘The Marvels’ Fights So Hard to Be the Next Disney Plus Show, but It Settled on the MCU’s Shortest Movie Ever

Simply put, Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, and above all, director Nia DaCosta’s strong ear for comedy are perfect chemistry in The Marvelsthe latest team-up film from the MCU, which deserves the highest praise.

While you can mostly skate by refreshing MCU lore, The Marvels is a sequence to Captain Marvel. After harming the Supreme Intelligence, Carol Danvers (the “Annihilator”) unwittingly throws herself into the Kree/Skrull civil war, carrying guilt and responsibility for a fight she never intended. In connection with specific Kree events from Captain Marvelsuperhero Kamala Khan and SABHAR astronaut Monica Rambeau become embroiled in an electromagnetic adventure as Captain Marvel pursues the dangerous Kree revolutionaries.

Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, in a great position of The Marvels, which elicits the best laugh reactions in the film. Vellani perfectly encapsulates what I imagine Swiftie’s reaction might be when he meets the legendary pop star; her hardcore stanning is just so contagious. Considering Vellani’s true obsession with the MCU, you have to appreciate the actor’s – and the character’s – real knack for being swept into the world of superheroes. They say “don’t meet your heroes,” but tell that to Kamala Khan, and she’ll swipe through one bangle and out the other.

That’s not to say the other two guides don’t have theirs. For all the unfair online toxicity Brie Larson’s way has fueled, she still portrays Carol Danvers with undeniable awe, with a true talent for turning comedy on and off faster than the speed of light. Teyonah Parris also takes more layers WandaVision‘s Monica Rambeau by further exploring the psychological ramifications of The Blip – while adding to the character’s importance for future entries, fans will be extremely proud of where the MCU is headed.

It’s amazing how much MCU lore past and present has been stuffed into Marvel’s shortest entry. The Marvels wasting zero time kicking, with the unstable teleportation seen in the trailers, for the funny reactions of the Khan family. As a result, we get a hell of a joyride, and The Marvels It is the kind of blockbuster that you can easily catch yourself casually watching on TV precisely because of the brisk pace.

On the other hand, there is a glaring feeling that The Marvels was caught in the midst of an executive tug of war. Marvel’s continued splurge of content across film and television has presented a pressing dilemma you wouldn’t think the brand would struggle with: Identifying what’s worth being a movie, versus what’s worth a longer TV series — a problem raised as far back as with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. well, The Marvels Another example of indecisiveness, or perhaps more accurately, an incorrect corporate vision.

The literal heart of the film takes place in a blink-and-you-miss-it flashback scene that sets up the entire conflict, which should have felt more natural as the film’s cold opening. It’s very confusing if you haven’t done your MCU homework due diligence. Overall, it’s confusing why this a flashback was not chosen to establish the context of the film to include the viewer in the film from the beginning.

The question does not end there. The character arcs of Danvers, Rambeau and Khan fight for screen time in an already thin film. Consider Carol Danvers and her massive influence within the Kree/Skrull war; Monica Rambeau’s struggle to identify herself as her own hero; and Kamala Khan’s balance between teenage and family life as she is introduced to a world far more significant than her own. All this is there in The Marvelsbut unfortunately it is present more like a list of bullet points rather than plot development, and you can tell that someone (or multiple someones) was fighting for a larger canvas.

Which is the biggest shame when The Marvels screeches to a halt before getting up again. Halfway through, there’s a particular love-it-or-hate-it sequence — you’ll know the one — with no business in the film. Granted, it’s a harmless moment for laughs, but still a gag that unfortunately relies on Larson having mixed feelings about the whole gig, we understand. It’s a scene that would be right at home in an alternate D+ version, but here? How about a sharp lesson in what to get out of an already crisp runtime.

yes, The Marvels It’s another example of inconsistent, and sometimes questionable, special effects execution on another huge budget. What deserves exceptional praise, however, is the specter of sci-fi B-movie cinematography that DaCosta tackles through the cracks of time, until the film abandons itself in favor of transferable MCU action schlock . This moment takes place in space during one of the first fights between Captain Marvel and the Kree. The actors, decorated in alien makeup, fool anyone about the fact that they are working from a clear sound stage, and they enter the scene in info as if they are in a video game. And I wish The Marvels dive deeper into the classic Doctor Who aesthetic, because the Kree designs are some amazing camp, Grade-A.

The Marvels The current MCU series continues with sloppy storytelling – not to mention a cynical (but still fun) slapstick mid-credits scene designed solely to sell more tickets – and we’re still stuck in that tug-of-war era of uncertainty with these Marvel projects . And yet, it still thrives primarily as an independent project – and who could forget Goose! Despite all, DaCosta and his three stars promise pure fun above all, and The Marvels It’s a fun ride full of riotous moments that viewers will be reciting as they walk back to their vehicles.