“The Marvels”

There hasn’t been a movie in a long, long while that feels like one that people will love to hate, but “The Marvels” is the type of superhero film that absolutely is going to divide audiences. It will delight some, infuriate others, and will continue to exist no matter the extent of the name calling, insults, or fanboy anger. Clocking in at a breezy one hour and 45 minute runtime, director Nia DaCosta tells her story with a welcome brevity, which serves the material well.

Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), is shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe after her clash with the Kree. The tyrannical people aren’t quite out of her life just yet, as she finds herself inside a wormhole that’s linked to revolutionary Kree warrior Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), who refers to Captain Marvel as “the Annihilator.” Determined to return the favor of destruction, Dar-Benn has plans to attack every planet to which our heroine has ties. It’s up to Captain Marvel to save the ones she can, but that’s not going to be an easy task — especially because the wormhole causes her powers to become entangled with those of estranged niece Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Jersey City superfan Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani). The three women team up and work together to save the universe, calling themselves The Marvels.

There is a lot to like about this film, including the portrayal of strong female characters in a way that’s organic and doesn’t feel forced in the slightest. It’s well cast, and Vellani is absolutely charming as excited fangirl Kamala. I can see where her hyper-active enthusiasm may be a huge turnoff to some, but I didn’t find her annoying in the slightest. I found her delightful. She’s a much-needed burst of energy in the sluggish Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), adding a warmth to the cool aloofness of Larson and Parris. I do think Larson has grown more comfortable in her role as Captain Marvel, and she is far less standoffish than she has been in previous films.

The rapid pacing of the film is a result of the storytelling and plot, as the characters are constantly jumping around from place to place. There isn’t a dull moment here, but there definitely are some major “oof” ones. The things that don’t work fail spectacularly, including a cringe worthy, grossly ill-advised musical number where people speak in “the language of song” that’s memorable for all the wrong reasons. The villain isn’t strong nor compelling enough, and there’s a paper thin Fury in space subplot that does little to propel the story forward (but it’s always enjoyable to see Samuel L. Jackson).

The first hour of the movie is the most enjoyable, with a final third that makes it appear that the creative team ran out of their VFX budget. The CGI action scenes that bookmark the end of the film are bare bones to the point that they’re distracting. It’s also exhausting how desperate the studio is to tie everything in the MCU together, hoping to create crossover stories that will yield big bucks at the box office.

While the film doesn’t feel forced by including a nearly all-female cast (and plenty of women working behind the camera, too), DaCosta fully and unapologetically embraces the girliness of her movie. There’s a musical number, a dreamboat prince, and oodles of cuddly kittens, all of which add a little tongue-in-cheek nod to the overall femininity that’s present here. This is the type of superhero movie that young women are going to gravitate towards, and that’s a good thing. I will warn you that watching this film is probably not unlike being in a car with a backseat full of preteen girls headed to a Taylor Swift concert, but that’s mostly due from the hyper personality of Kamala. If that sounds utterly awful to you, then this may be one to skip. If you enjoyed going with your girlfriends to see “Barbie,” then this could be another fun night out at the movies.

That being said, it would be a shame to dismiss “The Marvels” as a superhero movie for girls, which is something I fear males in particular are going to have a tendency to do. This is a movie that’s fun, corny, and enjoyable, lending a refreshing dose of estrogen to the MCU.

Note: While there is a mid-credits stinger, there is no end credits scene. No need to stick around.

By: Louisa Moore