“The Marvels” is a fun outing at the movies. There’s a female director with three female superheroes and a female villain. That alone makes it worth supporting. Fortunately, it’s also a fast-paced, funny film. Filmmaker Nia DaCosta (“Candyman”) brings some much-needed female bonding to the superhero genre. It’s a shame that it’s release was so long after the 2019 film and that’s there little in the way of an overview to catch you up on the story.
Brie Larson, star of “Captain Marvel” returns as Carol Danvers, the Avenger who’s been holed up in outer space. When she becomes mysteriously linked to two other women, she’s forced out of isolation. She’s trading places with her best friend’s resentful daughter, Monica, played with regal charm by Teyonah Parris (televisions “Wanda Vision”, “They Cloned Tyrone”) and a teen Marvel fan who’s been fighting crime on her own. Iman Vellani is the true marvel here. She’s the star of the tv series, “Ms. Marvel” and the film opens with her creating a fan fiction comic. She’s enthralled with Captain Marvel.
Your enjoyment of this new Marvel addition will largely depend on your knowledge of this universe. Have you watched the 2019 film? I’d recommend you see that before this; there’s only tiny flashbacks to catch you up on some key plot points. Even better if you’ve a fan of the tv series “Ms. Marvel” as most of the stars tv family is also featured…and they’re in some of the best scenes. I’ve read that the character Nick Fury–played with panache by Samuel L Jackson–is quite different in this film than how Jackson presents the same character in the tv series, “Secret Invasion”.
I found that the special effects were a real mixed bag. The fighting scenes are creative but too often, it looked like characters were cutouts positioned on a green screen background. It was disconcerting how often Captain Marvel was bruised and battered in a scene and in the next moment, she’s all cleaned up and pretty. In one crucial battle scene, her suit is torn, her star is tarnished as if it’s been charred, and her hair is wild. But when the camera captures a reaction shot to Monica glowing with power, both she and Vellani are in full make-up and hair.
Vellani is the reason to see this film. Her infectious energy and humor as Ms. Marvel, elevate every scene. A boisterous character who isn’t afraid to be awkward and emotional, she wears her heart on her sleeve. It’s refreshing to have a superhero who displays her own hero worship and love of her family. Parris is too often left having to supply the narrative. Her dialogue is leaden with faux-science jargon and her character arc is given little time to develop.
If you find the Flerken, the cat that isn’t a cat, amusing. Be prepared to be VERY amused. What’s funny once or twice, becomes a repetitive bit that seems to have been used to enliven an overly complicated story. There are many scenes that don’t bear intelligent consideration. You’ll have to suspend belief that all these portals into other worlds are going to appear like well-timed honeycomb patterns when needed.
The villain is played by the British actress, Zawe Ashton (“Mr. Malcolm’s List”). Her character, Dar-Been, the leader of the Kree people, has a beef with Captain Marvel. The Kree call Captain Marvel, The Annihilator. As the plot progresses, we learn why. That understanding leads to a more nuanced reason for Carol Danvers to have been holed up amongst the stars. Sadly, Ashton is given little to do but grit her teeth and toss insults and jabs with her powerful hammer staff.
It’s interesting to watch a film that’s set mainly on other worlds or in space. There are times that “The Marvels” returns to Earth and those scenes are a relief from the more complicated plot points. The action moves at a quick clip and the shorter runtime is also a relief from the more bloated films that have been released of late. There’s a clear aim for this movie to be entertaining. It’s not Oscar-worthy fare and it knows it. The charm is in the interactions between our central characters. It’s a winning combination when they’re allowed to play and have fun themselves in a few scenes.
It’s a lot to expect for audiences to know so much backstory to enjoy a film. Not everyone will have watched either of the television series that feature some of the characters or care about how they fit into the Marvel timeline and Universe. For fans of end credit scenes, know that there is one, but only one. No need to sit through the whole credit sequence unless that’s your bag.
Drinks With Films rating: 2 ice cream shakes for the infectious childlike energy needed to navigate the adult world of superheroes (out of 5)
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