Don’t let the box office numbers fool you; this movie’s worth the watch.
The Marvels, produced, directed, and co-written by Nia DaCosta, is an example of how Marvel continues to bring their comics to life. Starring Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, and Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, the film is eye-catching and filled with heart and humor to make for a fun time. There aren’t many movies out there containing a group of insanely powerful women supporting one another that are easily accessible or widely known about. The Marvels helps to fill that void.
Spoiler warning ahead for those who haven’t had the chance to see the film yet!
Set over 20 years after the events of 2019’s Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel destroys the planet of Hala and starts an intergalactic war after attempting to free the Skrull population from the villainous Kree. Carol gains the nickname ‘The Annihilator’ through her grueling efforts and is widely hated among the Kree and Skrulls alike. Much of the film surrounds Carol’s guilt and grief, and whether or not she believes she is worthy of her otherworldly abilities.
After a galactic event results in Carol, Monica, and Kamala’s superpowers becoming intertwined, the three spontaneously switch places every time they try to use them. This plot device sets the scene of the arc of the film and makes for a fun dynamic between Carol and Carol-superfan, Kamala, while also forcing Carol and Monica to face their family issues.
Vellani’s character, Kamala Khan, brings humor to this film, using a more current, Gen-Z, socially relevant and pointed version of Marvel’s classic slapstick style that will attract the attention of younger audiences. Parris’s character, Monica, keeps the film grounded, despite the entirety of the film taking place in outer space. She gives the film heart, as her aunt-niece relationship with Carol, and their mutual deep connection to her deceased mother, Maria, is one of the major plot points.
This film is a great example of dealing with failure and grief in both professional and personal aspects of one’s life. Carol ignored visiting Monica out of shame for twenty years and is responsible for the deaths of thousands due to her inability to stop Zawe Ashton’s Dar-Benn on multiple planets. Carol’s failures led her to want to stray away from those who love her, causing Monica to deeply resent her and want to keep her at arm’s length. Understanding the many complications of family is a core theme of The Marvels, with both the Khan family and Carol and Monica at the forefront of the film. Despite the large scope, The Marvels is a character movie. The chemistry between The Marvels creates touching scenes showing why you’re rooting for them.
The fight choreography in this film is amazing. Each of The Marvels has to perform every move simultaneously, as they constantly switch positions. Hand-to-hand combat is done creatively regarding the use of space, with an entire sequence taking place in the Khan family’s living room. Effort went into these fight scenes, and it shows.
Despite some shoddy CGI and minor continuity errors, the film is done well. This film’s visual effects exceeded this year’s Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, which was criticized for its visual effects because of the VFX artists’ time restraints and studio pressure.
The Marvels, though not high art or cinema, can guarantee a fun time at the movies, especially for young girls. The theater-wide reactions were great and loud, especially at a crazy reveal of a post-credit scene. At the screening, the theater reactions were reminiscent of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, though not of the same caliber. A film that shows strong women being empowered and loving and supporting one another because they can. The Marvels is the first Marvel movie that I have felt is genuinely for the girls.