Directed by Nia DaCosta, The Marvels follows Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) who has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences as a result of her actions see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). Together, this unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in sync to save the universe as “The Marvels.”
The first Captain Marvel film for me was an alright film that was definitely not the atrocity certain critics and toxic fans would make people believe, but there was no denying that there was a lot in it that could have been significantly better, and it also felt very held back in terms of creativity. So I hoped that the sequel would break out of the restrictions of its predecessor with new blood in the directing chair and the inclusion of two newly introduced yet already beloved characters from other projects.
Was that opportunity taken or wasted? I can happily say it wasn’t wasted because The Marvels was an absolute blast for me from start to finish. While not without some faults it’s a fun, thrilling, and creative intergalactic character journey that is focused on further developing Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan individually and as a team. It truly does soar higher than its predecessor thanks largely to the passionate direction of Nia DaCosta who didn’t hold back on going all out with various ideas that are utilized extremely well and packing this film with punch as well as heart.
Let’s start with the driving force of this film which is the characters. In the first Captain Marvel film I feel Carol Danvers was not as compelling of a character as she could have been, nor was Brie Larson able to use her full talents as an actress. She felt like she was working at half force in the first film but here she uses full force as she’s allowed so much free range to give Carol so much more humanity and depth compared to her previous appearances.
Brie was an absolute delight on screen thanks to better writing and direction along with the fantastic chemistry she shares with everyone around her. I also love how she was able to give one of the most powerful heroes in the MCU so much vulnerability that is very emotionally compelling, resulting in a significant upgrade for a character that I originally did not feel as attached to.
Then there is Monica Rambeua, reprised by Teyonah Parris, who is once again fantastic, but like Carol gets a significant upgrade in terms of development of her story and powers. She has become a lot more powerful and skilled since we last saw her in Wandavision, yet she carries a lot of unresolved emotional baggage that she kept largely under wraps in Wandavision but comes straight to the surface in this film with her long-awaited reunion with Carol. The loss of her mother and the absence of Carol are something that really affects Monica but she has to face those feelings and set them aside to deal with the threat at hand, leading to some great emotional moments, all of which felt earned thanks largely to Teyonah’s performance. Her growth in this film is excellent and it’s clear by the end that her story is going to continue in a very unexpected way that I’m excited for.
However, as much as I loved Carol and Monica in this film they were both overshadowed by the true star of this film: Kamala Khan, reprised by Iman Vellani. She OWNED this film! OWNED it! I absolutely loved her in her own series and I absolutely loved her in this as Iman Vellani oozes with infectious energy on screen, providing most of the fun, heart, and laughs and showing that she was born to be this character. She has significant growth as a hero, going from the streets of Jersey City to jumping through galaxies and fighting alien baddies in a similar manner to Spider-Man in Infinity War, but here it is done in her own way that is fitting for her character.
She was a powerhouse of joy that truly stole every scene she was in and it’s largely because of Iman’s phenomenal performance and delivery. I also have to say how immensely happy I am to finally see a Muslim superhero on the big screen for the first time, which has been long overdue.
The trio are all amazing together, making for one of my new favorite superhero teams in the MCU next to Guardians of the Galaxy.
The supporting cast is fun in this film, starting with Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury being great, although admittedly a large change in tone compared to his previous outing in Secret Invasion. Admittedly it is a bit jarring but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the scenes that Jackson delivers brilliantly as he always does.
But overshadowing him in a surprising twist is the Khan family, back once again being absolutely fucking lovable. As I stated in my review of Ms Marvel last year, the supporting cast of Ms Marvel was my favorite of all MCU installments and that statement remains firm, as proven by their role in this as part of the film’s heart. I was not expecting the Khans to have such a significant role in this film as they did but I welcomed it hugely with open arms. They were played beautifully by their respective cast members and like Kamala stole the spotlight.
Now when it comes to the film’s villain Dar-Benn, played by Zawe Ashton, I unfortunately found her to be a major letdown. After what seemed like a pretty strong streak of Marvel villains this year Dar-Benn sadly does not make the cut, despite initial promise. Zawe Ashton delivers a fine performance with moments where she looked like she was having a blast but sadly she ended up being largely forgettable by the end. I found the motives of her character to be far more compelling than the character herself as we are given a different perspective from her and her people regarding how they view Captain Marvel.
It’s very interesting that in the view of the Kree, Carol Danvers is a villain and an annihilator who has committed grand atrocities against them that have forced them to seek out reality-bending powers to repair the damage done by Carol. It’s a great concept and one that does actually impact the journey of Carol and gives some pretty good stakes, but it would have been better if the figure representing that concept was more fleshed out and given a lot more to do. Dar-Benn reminded me a lot of Ronan from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1 whom I had similar thoughts about, and I feel there was just so much more that could have been done with her especially given what is driving her.
The film is pretty straightforward in terms of its plot but that doesn’t stop it from being chaotically fun, with a pacing that hits the ground running from the start and doesn’t pump the brakes. I can see some people not being too on board with this choice but I honestly found it a bit refreshing as I felt the film didn’t drag at all nor did it lose me at all in its chaos. It was entertaining every step of the way, delivering creative fun, epic action, and humor that I couldn’t stop smiling the whole time. Nia DaCosta clearly wanted to deliver a bonkers intergalactic adventure and she succeeded massively, making this film the one that I wished the first Captain Marvel could have been.
But even with the quicker pacing the film does take time to develop characters, recap certain events of previous installments, and have earned emotional moments that all worked within everything going on. Also, the unique choices DaCosta makes in this film make it stand out from previous installments, especially for just how creative and unhinged some of them are. For instance, the main gimmick of the trio swapping places at the use of their powers is done phenomenally well, offering both thrilling, hilarious, and awesome moments throughout the film, giving so much variety to the action, and looking good at the same time.
Then there are also two extremely bizarre yet absolutely fucking funny sequences that I did not expect to love so much. One of them involves a planet where the inhabitants speak through song and dance, which is so goofy yet also creative at the same time that I couldn’t help but adore it, especially with how it’s executed. The other sequence involved the anticipated Flerken kittens shown in the trailers and my god were they simultaneously adorable and funny. I think what made this sequence so hilarious besides the context of it was the song they decided to play over it, which nearly had me dying of laughter knowing exactly what they were referencing. Anyone who is familiar with the song and where it’s from is going to lose it over this scene.
The film plays out largely as I expected, even though it was enjoyable, but what completely took me off guard was how the film ended with a rather surprising turn that I didn’t expect but really liked. But then following that turn were two massive bombshells in the film’s final scene and the mid-credit scene that blew my fucking mind. Both scenes clearly set major implications for the future of the MCU, with one of them confirming a suspected theory that had been going on for years and the other a surprise that sets the stage for a major game changer in the ongoing multiverse story. People are going to be talking a lot about this and I am very very excited about where things are going.
As mentioned before this film features awesome action on cosmic levels, utilizing creative choreography and all the light-based powers of our heroes in very fun fashion that is shot incredibly well thanks to excellent cinematography and is set on some honestly great practical sets.
There are of course more intense action sequences involving explosive powers and CGI as expected with these characters and their abilities but it was surprising to see some well-crafted and close-quarter practical scenes involved that were done extremely well and clearly filmed with passion. There was also some very stylish editing put in this film that has nearly the same amount of energy and similar format as the energy and format of Ms. Marvel, which I greatly appreciate as it makes this film stand out from a stylistic perspective.
When it comes to the effects the practical work and costumes are phenomenal but as for the CGI I found it to be mostly good but not perfect. This film has a lot of visual beauty oozing in a lot of frames, especially when watching it in IMAX, but then there were certain scenes where I felt the CGI looked unrefined to me. Perhaps a little more time on those scenes could have made this a visual masterclass across the board, but one thing I can say for sure is that is visually better than the first film easily.
Laura Karpman’s score absolutely slaps in this film, enhancing the fun and delivering the same amount of great energy she gave to the Ms Marvel series. I can honestly say that this score is more memorable and epic in comparison to the first film in probably every way.
Overall I had a really enjoyable time with The Marvels despite some of its missteps, and all the hate it has been receiving both before its release and after I feel is absolute bullshit. Don’t listen to the negativity just go see this film, make your own views, and just have a great time like I did. I’m going to give The Marvels an A = 96.
You can find more of my writing on instagram, and check out my channel on YouTube!