Story: In a galaxy far far away from Kamala Khan, Kree leader Dar-Benn finds the second Quantum Band, and decides to use it to save her home planet of Hala. Y’know, by stealing every bit of certain resources from other planets. Meanwhile Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau and Kamala are living their lives, until shiny purple glows cause their lives to tangle…in more ways than one. And Goose? Goose exists. And she is magnificent.
Genre I’d put it in: Successful MCU Films
Release Date: 2023
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original:
Gotta say: I’m a simple girl, with simple needs. Just give me shiny things, lotsa action, and kittens. I’ll be happy as a cat in a litterbox. And y’all? Marvels hit the spot in that regard. In fact, Marvels is one of the best MCU films to come around this year, second only to the glorious Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. At less than two hours – a remarkable feat of restraint for the MCU – this film delivers fun, feels, and fantasy. A movie-win trifecta, y’all. Is it kinda fluffy, with an emphasis on action and kittens? Sure. But it’s also a welcome break from too many self-serious MCU offerings that treat comedy as a weapon of subjugation. And I for one welcome our trio of lady-bosses. Well, quartet, if we’re counting Goose. And y’all, we always count Goose.
Yeah, I realize that “best thing since” bit isn’t exactly a high bar to clear, but this film sails over it gracefully. That’s in large part to the whipsmart direction of Nia DaCosta, who breathed new life into an old franchise with 2021’s Candyman sequel/soft reboot. DaCosta knows how to use the time allotted to craft an story that gets you invested, separating the wheat from the chaff, and bringing in sleek stories that are worth your popcorn money. She does that her, to glorious effect. Yes, the plot is basically “action, action, character drama, action, cat, action, family, action action, kittens, action”, but there’s a freshness to the proceedings that had me gobsmacked. I’d been used to tentpole MCU films turning into hollow slogs I felt like I had to get through in order to really enjoy the next one. Marvels stops things and says “wait – why not enjoy this one right here?” And I say yes. Yes I will.
Speaking of watching one to understand the other? No teacher, I did not do my homework. Because that’s what all those Disney+ shows are starting to feel like nowadays. So I didn’t watch Ms. Marvel. I mean, yet. But still; I walked into Marvels with only the knowledge I’d gleaned through YouTube osmosis. But you don’t need any deep backstory to enjoy this film, as the character development and bonds forged during the story at hand are more than enough to get you invested. That’s due to DaCosta’s direction, a simple but fun script, and a cast that’s all in. They got the memo, and they planned accordingly.
It’s lovely to see Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers start to loosen up; in her stand-alone film, she was a character trying to re-connect with her humanity, and her hard shell was off-putting to many. (Not me – I dig a gal who digs Nine Inch Nails.) But this time, Carol is re-united with her niece, meets a die-hard fangirl who happens to be a superhero, and sees how her prior actions didn’t have the consequences she’d intended. This story is largely to serve the character growth of Carol, Maria, and Kamala, with the Big Bad and all that action as background for these three to truly find themselves. Brie Larson is a warmer, more human version of Carol, and I can only guess that things will open up for the Captain as time goes on.
And I adored Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani as Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan on Disney+, and it’s nice to see them really get to flex on the big screen. But it’s Korea’s Park Seo-joon’s Prince Yan who get this review’s special shout-out; he’s not on screen for long, but it’s really nice to se Asian rep…and how the MCU gives a certified korean superstar his moment in the worldwide sun. Plus, he manages to embody power and sincerity, even during a musical number. Yeah, you heard me. Marvels has a musical number. It’s fun without overstaying its welcome, and also is an important part of fleshing out Carol’s backstory. Win win, y’all!
Okay, kittens. Yeah, we all saw this one coming, thanks to the teaser trailers. But they’re absolutely adorable, even if for training purposes they’re not true kittens, but juvenile cats. MOOK AT DEEM – JUST MOOOOOOOKING AT DEEM. They’re too adorable, and even though they could have been nothing more than a hark back to the comics, they have an important role to play in a key scene. Though I do want to see SNL bring back Kate McKinnon for a “Whiskers R We” flerken special…
So yeah, if you’ve gotten this far – heck, if you’ve clicked on this review – you’re the target audience for this popcorn flick that brings fun back into the MCU. Marvels is comedic without going overboard, an actioner that remembers to let you feel stuff, and gives us a taste of what might come next while being more than a Phase Whatever plot delivery device. It’s just a good time. Don’t we deserve a good time every now and then? Yeah, we do.
#Protip: Yep. So many kittens, so many attitudes. And most of the time those attitudes coalesced into “we do what we want”. Hey, your fault for creating a sand planet…
