Say hello to the 33rd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The Marvels is the 10th episode in the overarching segemnt called The Multiverse Saga, which began with Black Widow in 2021. This latest entry is a sequel to the film Captain Marvel from 2019 and concerns that character. However, Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel must share the stage with two new individuals who join forces to become a crime-fighting trio. The team includes Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan, who adopts the catchier name Ms. Marvel.
The Multiverse Saga grows ever larger, including multiple TV shows and two one-off specials on Disney+. These new characters will be familiar if you’ve seen both TV miniseries WandaVision and Ms. Marvel. If not, you will be at a disadvantage. Precious little background is given to explain who these new people are or why they have these unique superpowers that aren’t clearly defined. You’ll be OK if you can suspend disbelief and perhaps drink a couple of pints before watching this.
The Marvels is a messy chronicle that swings between extremes: serious and silly. Director Nia DaCosta (2021’s Candyman) co-wrote the screenplay with Megan McDonnell (WandaVision) and Elissa Karasik (Loki). The crucial part of the narrative unites ongoing MCU storylines while maintaining continuity with other movies and teasing future content. There’s this progressing conflict between two warring factions: the Skrulls and the Kree. Another Disney+ TV series called Secret Invasion provides additional history into that clash. A Kree warrior named Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton ) emerges as a generic antagonist. The script desperately struggles to tie up all these miscellaneous story threads. It’s needlessly convoluted. My advice: Forget all that background nonsense and simply enjoy what’s presented here.
There are some amusing bits. There’s a planet where people can only communicate by singing. This allows for a random extended musical sequence, which nevertheless feels forcibly inserted for a cheap laugh. It’s hilarious and embarrassing in equal measure. There’s also a scene where alien creatures called Flerkens, which resemble cats, use tentacles that extend from their mouths. They save numerous people. Barbra Streisand’s cover of “Memory” from the Broadway musical Cats underscores the spectacle.
None of it makes a lick of sense, but if you like your movies silly and haphazard, you might be entertained. I was confused by most of the developments. However, the chemistry of the central trio of actresses Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and especially Iman Vellani is palpable. More importantly, the movie is a mere 1 hour 45 minutes. The brief runtime was my favorite part.
11-09-23
2 Responses
I was entertained enough. I too was confused, but loved that run time. 3 ⭐️
Me too. I had hopped it would start a trend although judging from the box office, probably not.