The powers of Carol Danvers, Kamala Kahn and Monica Rambeau are entangled, forcing the three to work together to save the universe in “The Marvels.” As a mega fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe who’s been on a bit of a disappointed streak as of late, I was so happy to be back watching a Marvel movie that was both fun and decent. And while “The Marvels” certainly doesn’t land at the top of the heap, it’s the first film in a while that I can see myself rewatching multiple times.
The whole cast was great and there was a bit more depth to Brie Larson’s character in this film than there was in her previous appearances. But the obvious standout among the cast was Iman Vellani. The excitement of both the actress and the character she plays to exist in this world of superheroes is incredibly infectious and is a huge reason for the fun had in this film. Plus, she easily had some of the best action choreography in the film.
Now, I suspect there might be a minor barrier to entry for anyone who hasn’t watched both the “WandaVision” and “Ms. Marvel” series on DisneyPlus. “The Marvels” does a decent enough job of explaining a bit of the background on each character and providing adequate development throughout. However, while it’s not a detriment to your experience, there might still be a bit of character depth you miss out on if this flick is your introduction to Kamala and Monica.
And overall, I was excited to go into this movie knowing that it had a far shorter runtime than some of the other inflated, bladder infection-causing films this year. Though there were a few scenes that seemed rushed or cut short and I suspect there to be a lot of footage on the cutting room floor that could’ve benefited the story by being left in.
That said, with a slightly weaker batting average as of late, the MCU could definitely use a few more films like “The Marvels” to gain back their once unstoppable momentum.
