Director Nia Costa (Candyman) delivers the long-awaited follow-up to 2019’s massive Marvel hit Captain Marvel, this time around, Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel, is joined by two other female heroes for a team-up film that feels less like a sequel and more like a movie that is missing large chunks since the ending of the original one. Of course, we have seen Captain Marvel in fleeting appearances in the Avengers Infinity War and Endgame films, but these were nothing more than a glorified cameo, leaving the heavy lifting to be done in this latest instalment. While the Marvels is a lot of fun, the story leaves a lot to be desired. It feels overstuffed but heavily edited (particularly in the first act). Fortunately, with the incredible performances from the cast and the cinematic return of Samuel L Jackson’s Nick Fury, who looks to be having fun again, The Marvels is a fun and entertaining film, that proves that comic book movies can be silly and fun, while still having something to say.
Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) is flying around the universe with her Flerken cat Goose, still attempting to find the Skrulls and protect them from the Kree (yes, that storyline is STILL going). New baddie Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), who looks a little too much like a reject villain from the Guardians of the Galaxy, finds a mystical band that allows her to rip holes in the space-time continuum. At the same time, Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) is working with Nick Fury on Project Sabre, Carol and Monica both come into contact with one of Dar-Benn’s rifts and find themselves linked to each other while also roping in Kamala Kahn (Iman Vellani) aka Ms. Marvel who all manage to switch places when they try and use their powers. Together, they must learn to act as a team to defeat Dar-Benn to stop the trail of destruction she is causing through space.
This movie really hits the right notes when it focuses on the switching. There are many action sequences as they are figuring out how this mechanic works, and finding the other’s location is part of what makes the opening of this film so enjoyable. It’s a shame that the story comes to a grinding halt when things kick into gear, and the holes start to appear. The film’s first half-hour feels like it was an hour and underwent a heavy edit that left it feeling incredibly disjointed. Fortunately, the stellar performance from Iman Vellani as Kamala Kahn, a superfan of Captain Marvel, the saviour of New Jersey who sits at home writing fan fiction around her favourite hero while listening to MIA, is the perfect fit for this universe. The rest of the Kahn family end up coming along for the ride thanks to Nick Fury, and they form the heart of this film that it so desperately needs.
It’s a shame the same can’t be said for the relationship between Carol and Monica. There’s an attempt to rehash their past and what caused the distance between them, but unless you are an MCU aficionado, it doesn’t really land. It is only when the three leading ladies are all on screen together that things really start to take off. Larson feels incredibly underutilised as Danvers; it seems she may just be waiting for the right writer/director who understands her and the character to deliver a truly great Captain Marvel movie.
The film sits at a comfortable 1 hour and 45 minute run time, a far cry from the majority of the previous films before it; while this definitely didn’t need more time, it could have explained more in the early scenes for those who didn’t watch the Disney Plus Ms Marvel series (if you missed it, I cannot recommend it enough!)
The MCU has been under fire for some truly horrific VFX, particularly since the lacklustre Ant-Man & The Wasp Quantumania. fortunately, here, like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 earlier this year, the cosmic films feel like they are given more of a budget for detailed effects to bring this intergalactic universe to life. Apart from a couple of awkward-looking green screen moments, the VFX are solid and really allows for Ms. Marvel’s powers to look spectacular on the big screen.
The Marvels serves as a reminder that these movies in the MCU are based on comic books, and like them, is allowed to be funny, silly and a little piece of escapism to make the world feel better again. Nia Costa has delivered one of the most fun movies in the MCU so far and has clearly placed Ms. Marvel at the front and centre of the future of the franchise. While not everything presented here lands (the singing planet, I’m looking at you!), it feels like a breath of fresh air to have a girl-power team-up comedy serving as a perfect popcorn film that looks spectacular on the big screen.
The Marvels is playing in cinemas now.
