The Marvels Review – Higher Further?
Here’s my review for The Marvels which stars Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Samuel L. Jackson and Iman Vellani and directed by Nia DaCosta.
Check out the final trailer below:
Totally not being a shill here or a sucker for Marvel movies but I was really entertained with the film and I totally agree that this was a “chick flick in space” with a Marvel twist and flavor.
While The Marvels has some small but glaring issues, it was nice to see a movie that brings together some of the new characters from Marvel’s Phase 4 and a veteran of the Infinity Saga in the form of Brie Larson who returns as Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel.
The Good
- The movie benefitted from a shorter run time. Giving a sense of urgency for whatever the trio were doing in the film.
- Props to the whole Bollywood inspired segment of the film which I kinda dig but I’m pretty sure people would just rag on. It’s a deeper cut into comic book lore where there are places and worlds that communicate like what was shown in the movie. Plus the costumes here are pretty neat, giving us this Thor: Ragnarok vibe even for just a few minutes.
- Adding in Ms Marvel / Kamala Khan’s family in the mix really made the film thrice as good. They provide not just comedy relief but also great positive moments for our lil Kamala.
- Speaking of Iman Vellani. I have to give credit to her as she truly is the star of the show. We’re given moments of pure wholeosome-ness from this lady and she’s a natural playing this version of Kamala Khan. You can also see in some scenes that she’s really giddy and happy just being there in that moment and that’s what makes you happy and smile.
- Samuel L. Jackson cracking more jokes and quips than usual is something new and I enjoyed it. It’s a good palate cleanser after all that Secret invasion fiasco.
- K-drama star Park Seo-Jun as Prince Van was a nice touch. He’s not much in it for the film but he was a welcome addition to the cast plus his appearance was meant to serve as a humanizing factor to the otherwise bland Carol.
- The action was pretty good although I found it lacking. There’s a good balance though of superheroics but less of “world saving” moments.
- The flerkens can be divisive. Some people love them, others thought they were out of place in the film. For me though, I thought that it was a good addition. Bigger question though is how Goose survives the vacuum of space while Carol is flying around.
The Bad
- Still with the whole killing villains. Marvel Studios still haven’t found a way to make their villains around which is a crying shame because they cast such great actors for roles. Zawe Ashton was a great actor in projects like The Handmaid’s Tale but for this, it was obvious everybody was phoning it in. Could have done better, could have been scripted better and all that but alas, this is Marvel’s bad side.
- 2 dimensional characters or not fully fleshed out baddies syndrome is still here for both the good guys and the bad guys.
- Samuel L. Jackson being quippy. Not really a drawback but it sounds and looks weird. Maybe needs some getting used to. This weird characterization could put off a lot of people and doesn’t help with the character’s career suicide from Secret Invasion. If anything, they could harp on this version of Fury even more.
- I found the reasons behind Carol’s aloof character a bit too convenient. Like super convenient.
- Didn’t like how they wrote Monica’s arc throughout the movie although that ending elevated her but I am scared to think that what will happen next to her will treat her more of a plot element rather than an actual character. Glad that she did get her spotlight in WandaVision at the very least.
- Still a victim of shoddy CGI from time to time but its still better than what we ever got for other Hollywood movies. Way better if you think about past Disney+ Marvel projects.
- I’m “bitin” when it came to the final fight for the picture. Like I went “that was it?”
Overall
I though The Marvels was fun. Not as great as the movies from Marvel’s heyday but good enough as a popcorn flick. Having Brie Larson working together on a quasi-team up movie was a surprise move and one that had payoffs however it did feel like an extended episode or special episode of either WandaVision or Ms Marvel. Whether that is a good thing or bad thing is completely up to you. For me, it was fun and moves the Marvel overarching saga a wee bit. But please it’s not bad.
VERDICT: 8/10
Special thanks to SM Cinema and Walt Disney Studios for the invites!
@thefanboyseo #themarvels #captainmarvel2 #fyp #tiktokph #tiktokph #tiktokphilippines #marvel #marvelstudios #caroldanvers #monicarambeau #kamalakhan #marveltok #movietok #geektok #geektokph #geektalkph #geektalk @smcinemaofficial @marvelstudios ♬ Intergalactic – Beastie Boys
@thefanboyseo #fyp #tiktokph #geektalkph #geektalk #geektokph #geektok #movietok #marveltok #kamalakhan #kamalakhan #marvel #marvelstudios #captainmarvel2 @Marvel Studios @SM Cinema ♬ original sound – FanboySEO
