By now, you might have heard that The Marvels is underperforming at the box office and wondering if it’s just not worth seeing. Well, that low performance is a huge shame, because The Marvels is one of the best movies this side of Endgame. It’s fun, it’s filled with great action, and it gives all its characters a chance to shine and develop—but I’m getting ahead of myself.
And before I get even further ahead: here there be spoilers.
The Marvels, directed by Nia DaCosta, stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau (no codename yet, but Kamala’s working on it). While it is ostensibly a sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel, it isn’t just a Captain Marvel movie guest-starring Monica and Kamala—it is very much a team movie in every way.
Of course, this does mean that the Disney+ series WandaVision and Ms. Marvel are pretty much required viewing as well, but that’s no surprise; the movies and Disney+ series have been pretty intertwined for a while now. (Not required viewing: Secret Invasion, which has no impact on the story and doesn’t even get mentioned, for the betterment of the movie.)
The plot also makes sure to connect to each of the characters both in story and their own personal arcs, so let’s get into that.
The new ruler of the Kree, Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), is attempting to rebuild Hala (the Kree homeworld), at the expense of other planets. To do this, she’s creating Jump Points (the warp gates we’ve seen in previous cosmic Marvel movies) that remain open, but she also needs the powers of the Quantum Bands to complete her plan. One of those bands, as it turns out, is Kamala’s bangle (as many had theorized while watching Ms. Marvel).
This ends up entangling Carol, Monica, and Kamala so that they constantly switch places with each other whenever two of them use their powers at once. And so, the three must work together to stop Dar-Benn, learning to fight as a team while constantly switching places and facing their personal issues and challenges.
That’s the briefest rundown of the plot, and as far as Marvel movies go, it’s pretty standard fare. What makes it matter more is the personal stakes and drives for each of the characters.
Every protagonist has an arc they have to go through. Carol has to deal with the fallout of her battle against the Kree Supreme Intelligence, as well as her attempts to regain all of her lost memories. Monica is coping with everything she’d lost while she was blipped and feelings of abandonment from when Carol left Earth for decades. Kamala, meanwhile, has to learn to accept the tough choices that come with being a hero and the responsibilities that come with them. All of these character arcs build on each other and the progression of the story naturally, while giving everyone plenty of time to grow.
That time is used very well, as each character brings plenty of personality and heart to their roles. Brie Larson has the opportunity to bring more humor and character to Carol, now that she’s regained her identity and can do more than hop in as a heavy hitter near the end of a fight, and it really pays off. Similarly, Teyonah Parris makes Monica a compelling and entertaining figure, with a well-rounded personality and plenty of depth to the character that comes through in every scene.
But perhaps the biggest delight was Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan, and the entire Khan family. Iman brings the same energy from her Disney+ show to the big screen, bringing a clear and joyful sense of enthusiasm from both the character and actress. Likewise, the rest of the Khan family has a wonderful dynamic that comes through in every scene, whether they’re giving Kamala the “What did you do?” look after a super-powered fight damages their house, or talking to S.A.B.E.R. agents about planning for retirement. They absolutely steal the show every time they’re on camera.
Of course, that’s not to say the rest of the cast doesn’t bring plenty to the table as well. Samuel L. Jackson is having fun as Nick Fury as always, while Zawe Ashton’s Dar-Benn makes a powerful antagonist with clear motivations delivered masterfully.
Continued belowThe Marvels doesn’t skimp on the action either, with some excellent fight scenes and battles throughout the movie. The fight choreography is fantastic, making full use of the characters’ powers, the constant teleporting, and the scenery to make the fights fast-paced and exciting. The cinematography keeps the battles exciting, and plays off the constant swapping of characters to keep the audience just as surprised as the characters themselves. These scenes also make full use of the swapping, treating it as both a hindrance and a tool to be mastered, while the plot also uses it as a way to help the characters learn to work together.
Speaking of the fights, though, there’s the usual matter of Captain Marvel’s power level (for lack of a better term). We’ve seen her destroy spaceships just by crashing into them, how could anyone or anything pose a threat to her? Obviously, Carol does still get to be a powerhouse, but the Quantum Band also allows Dar-Benn to absorb Carol’s blasts to power herself up, allowing her to fight them on even ground. And besides that, Carol can’t exactly throw around ship-destroying powers in crowded battles or tight corridors, due to the collateral damage, so while she is still incredibly powerful, the film at least puts her in situations where she doesn’t outmatch everyone and everything.
And most of all, the movie is just fun. It allows itself (and its characters) to be a little bit goofy, adding some levity between the harder-hitting moments. Kamala and her family, as mentioned, bring a lot of that energy, but we get plenty of fun from scenes like a planet where everyone communicates through musical numbers, not to mention Goose the Flerken and everything that comes with that adorable space cat.
Now, it’s not a perfect movie, as there are still parts that didn’t work quite as well as hoped. For instance, the first part of Dar-Benn’s plan had me going “Wait a second, this is literally the plot of Spaceballs!” The ending itself felt a bit rushed as well, resolving everything so quickly it felt like an anticlimax. So there are some issues holding it back, but not enough to ruin the movie. That is to say: it doesn’t quite meet the level of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but it’s still miles ahead of Quantumania and Secret Invasion.
Overall, The Marvels was a joy to watch, and a lot of fun. It’s a team movie with a lot of heart, and helps develop all its protagonists alongside the latest developments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While there are some missteps, it’s still one of the better Marvel movies to come out lately.
