The Marvels (2023)
The Marvels is a throwaway piece of cotton candy fluff, that’s fun while it lasts and not a minute longer.
Is this the movie the struggling Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) needs right now? I sincerely doubt it. But against my better judgement I kinda sorta enjoyed it.
It wants to be a movie in the quirky lighthearted vein of (the first two) Guardians of the Galaxy or even Thor: Ragnarok. It’s not as good, but I give it points for trying, cause that’s how I Iike my MCU.
The Marvels is the 33rd movie in the MCU. This follow-up to the billion dollar grossing Captain Marvel is directed by Nia DaCosta (Candyman), working from a screenplay by Megan McDonnell, Elissa Karasik and DaCosta herself.
The official synopsis goes like this: Carol Danvers AKA Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to 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).
For my money, I would describe it as a shape-shifting, time-twisting action-comedy that at various times needs to be reminded that it’s also supposed to be one of those semi-serious superhero movies about saving the universe, and stuff like that.
I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had just been a sitcom about three charming heroines (Captain Marvel, Captain Monica Rambeau and Ms. Marvel) trying to figure out whether they want to be in a team together (to save the universe) or just continue on as independent women.
The Marvels looks better than a lot of other superhero movies. It’s fast paced and snappily edited, but it can’t hide the fact that it’s the kind of movie where the irrelevancies are much more fun than the relevancies.
The problems start when you ask yourself: don’t these three charming heroines, their Charlie’s Angels-like handler Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and their warring foe Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) deserve a better movie?
Because, sure they do.
Still, I give it bonus points for giving an extended role to Goose the (space cat) Flerken, who at one point has kittens, culminating in the immortal line ‘stop running and let the Flerken eat you.’
Cause that’s the kind of goofy movie this really is.
The Marvels is released worldwide this week.