The Marvels Movie Cast And Review
Unlike most Marvel movies, Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels doesn’t assume you have an encyclopedic knowledge of the MCU. That’s both a blessing and a curse.
Kamala Khan (Brie Larson) and Monica Rambeau (Iman Vellani) join forces to battle their old adversary, an alien named Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton). It’s a goofy space drama fueled by training montage moments and the occasional one-liner from Shield’s Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson).
Story
The story is simple, the characters are interesting, and the action is exciting. The Marvels Movie is a solid addition to the MCU. However, the movie doesn’t do enough to make it unique from its predecessors.
The movie focuses on three female superheroes: Carol Danvers, Kamala Khan, and Monica Rambeau. It tries to juggle these stories while also spinning the overall MCU saga forward. While the film does a good job of introducing these characters, it doesn’t do much to make them stand out from each other or develop their relationships.
It’s clear that this is a film made with teenage girls in mind, which is fine. But that doesn’t mean that it should be boring or stupid. Despite its target audience, the movie is fun and entertaining, but it doesn’t have the depth of the original MCU films.
The film’s biggest weakness is its lack of a compelling villain or plot. It spends too much time on character moments and not enough on plot development. This is mainly due to the fact that it is trying to cram in too many things at once. There are also a few too many ex machina moments, which makes the movie feel a bit overstuffed and chaotic. However, director Nia DaCosta is a strong filmmaker and she does a good job of making this a fun movie to watch.
Cast
Brie Larson delivers another rousing performance as Carol Danvers. Though the 123movies films suffers from a few too many training montage sequences and too much multiverse mumbo jumbo, she still manages to shine in the role of the powerful alien warrior. Iman Vellani and Teyonah Parris are able to back up her performance with a great deal of chemistry.
The film also features a charming cameo from Samuel L. Jackson, who proves he isn’t tired of this character yet. The film’s visual effects are also impressive, including the realistic animation of Goose, Carol Danvers’s lovable cat. Despite the complaints about its messiness and goofiness, The Marvels Movie is a pleasant MCU outing with a message that should appeal to fans of all ages.
Performances
The Marvels Movie Review is a light, fun, and engaging entry in the MCU. It combines the kinetic thrills of space-faring action with a charming cast and cool straightforward sci-fi story. Nia DaCosta, who helmed the 2017 remake of Candyman, has a knack for making the action feel kinetic and exciting. She also captures the sense of wonder that is integral to the Marvel Universe.
Brie Larson, who acquits herself well in her first MCU outing as Captain Marvel, is even better here. She is a formidable actress who brings the confidence and poise of Katharine Hepburn to her character, as well as a sense of humor. She’s a joy to watch. Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani, whose characters have been a part of the Disney+ MCU series, also do fine work in their roles.
What really sinks The Marvels, though, is the muddled plot and the way it rehashes elements from two other movies in the MCU. The story isn’t a disaster, but it isn’t a strong enough entry to earn the attention of casual viewers or fans who aren’t invested in this world.
This is the weakest and least buzzed-about Marvel film in a while, and it’s a shame. It has a lot to offer fans who are already invested in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it doesn’t deliver on the promise of a fresh take on familiar tropes.
Overall
If you are a fan of the MCU and have invested in watching the previous movies and TV shows, you will probably enjoy this movie. However, the film is not perfect as some of its scenes feel rushed and its script lacks weight. But, overall, it is a fun adventure movie.
One of the biggest problems with The Marvels is that it spends too much time focusing on backstory and flashbacks to familiarize viewers with characters like Teyonah Paris’ Monica Rambeau and Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan. While this may be necessary for newcomers to the franchise, it detracts from the main storyline and feels unnecessary.
Similarly, DaCosta’s villain, Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), is given some startling real-world resonance that’s buried beneath an overly simplified motivation. This is a major problem, considering the fact that this is an action movie and the stakes should be high.
Despite some missteps, The Marvels is still a good addition to the MCU canon and the lead performances from Larson, Parris and Vellani are excellent. Moreover, it’s a refreshing change to see female leads in a comic-book movie and it’s great to see a more diverse cast on screen. And, if the leads are anything to go by, fans should be excited for what’s next in the MCU. Hopefully, the studio will learn from this and focus more on its women-led films.