Review: Nia DaCosta’s ‘The Marvels’ is a Solid Mid-Tier MCU Movie
by Manuel São Bento
November 9, 2023
As someone who enjoyed 2019’s Captain Marvel more upon rewatch than during the initial premiere, I approached The Marvels with a mixture of tempered anticipation and curiosity. As everyone is aware, the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) has expanded to include not only films but also television shows, some of which are crucial to fully getting behind the main characters. WandaVision remains my personal favorite for its extraordinary storytelling, and Ms. Marvel was a delightful watch due to its blend of cultural richness with a unique visual style. Consequently, I was intrigued to see how filmmaker Nia DaCosta (Candyman) would seamlessly merge three different characters: Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau / Photon (Teyonah Parris), & Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), into a single movie.
Since the monumental success of Avengers: Endgame, the MCU has found itself in a special position where both intense hype and harsh criticism have become the norm. Hardcore Marvel fans, eager for the next big thing, often expect each release to surpass its predecessors, which is an unattainable standard. On the flip side, some individuals have grown exceptionally weary of the MCU’s dominance and are quick to scrutinize every installment, citing formulaic storytelling or superhero fatigue. The sheer popularity of the MCU has made it a prime target for said scrutiny, with even minor flaws or deviations from expectations receiving disproportionate attention. In reality, the MCU’s varied offerings actually do have something for everyone, and the key lies in appreciating the diversity within the monumental franchise. While not every film or show may appeal to every viewer, both the exaggerated hype and hate should be taken with a grain of salt.
With that said, The Marvels’ premise revolves around the three superheroes mentioned before. Danvers is a familiar face, while Rambeau and Khan come from the TV realm. WandaVision originally introduced the former, a S.W.O.R.D. agent investigating the mysterious events in Westview. Rambeau is further developed as she grapples with her own personal loss and grows into her superpowered identity. Khan is introduced in her own series Ms. Marvel as a young, relatable fan of superheroes who discovers her body-morphing abilities and begins her journey to becoming a hero in her own way.
The first standout aspect of The Marvels is precisely the chemistry among the cast. The trio of actresses share a delightful on-screen dynamic throughout. Vellani shines as a character who remains true to her fun, light-hearted self during the movie – Vellani herself looks like she’s having the best time of her life filming. Parris and Larson, on the other hand, bring a more emotional, complex dimension to their characters, even though the short runtime (105 minutes) limits the exploration of their intricate relationship, which was left hanging after Larson’s prolonged absence from Earth.
Another of the film’s strengths lies in its inventive, eclectic action set pieces. The Marvels is able to blend real stunts and impeccable choreography with the teleportation skills that the trio forcibly shares, providing some creative variety to the battles, which are also shot beautifully by the film’s cinematographer Sean Bobbitt, some even utilizing extended takes. The way the superheroes switch places with one another every time they simultaneously use their powers adds an unpredictable element to the fights, making them visually engaging and thrilling to watch.
On a rather surprising note, The Marvels also boasts some of the finest visual effects work seen in the MCU in a long, long time. The quality & especially consistency of the VFX throughout are quite impressive, adding a layer of grandeur to the superhero spectacle, namely during a stunning set piece in a fictional city near the ocean. This is what happens when the studio gives enough time for the artists to work and deliver their absolute best. The movie’s gorgeous costumes and smaller constructed sets contribute to its visual appeal, creating vibrant, captivating worlds for the characters to inhabit.
Yet another commendable, efficient aspect of The Marvels can be found in its humor. The film successfully integrates jokes, banter, and amusing moments without falling into the common Marvel trap of overusing this overall lightness, thereby maintaining thematic depth. Much of the humor is provided by Vellani’s character, who, and I can’t state this enough, is the star of the whole show. Most of the comedic scenes are well-timed and fit seamlessly into the narrative, without really damaging the emotional weight of the story… which would be harder to avoid if there actually was a palpable emotional layer throughout.
The Marvels is far from perfect, as it grapples with some screenplay and editing issues. DaCosta, who also co-wrote with Megan McDonnell (WandaVision) & Elissa Karasik (Loki), attempts to balance too many different storylines, at times making the movie feel bloated and lacking the necessary depth for each of the main narratives. It often feels like multiple films condensed into one, resulting in a rushed, occasionally disjointed narrative that definitely needed more time to tackle all of the complex themes it tries to portray.
The editing by Catrin Hedström & Evan Schiff is a mixed bag. It’s outstanding during the action set pieces, accompanying the movements and choreography smoothly and comprehensibly. However, outside of these scenes, inconsistency overtakes the movie, as it struggles with transitions between different locations and scenes. From easy-to-miss nitpicks right after cuts, such as characters not being in the same spot, having different facial expressions, or changes in costumes and makeup, to more impactful narrative shifts, the film’s overall cohesion is certainly impacted. A couple more passes could have elevated The Marvels to a higher standard within the MCU.
Finally, after so many other compelling villains in the past few years in the MCU, The Marvels disappoints in this regard. British actress Zawe Ashton does the best she can as Dar-Benn, a Kree warrior who seeks revenge on Carol Danvers and her allies, but ultimately she feels like another forgettable Phase One “bad guy”. While the motivations are present, the character remains one-dimensional and formulaic, making it difficult for viewers to really care about her goals. Despite a pretty good third-act battle, the emotions of the conflict are largely absent due to a lack of screen time given to the villain and her connection with Danvers.
In the end, it is tough to truly understand what went wrong with The Marvels. It’s still a good time at the theater, but the production issues clearly impacted the final version of the movie, so one can only imagine its true potential. I feel bad for Larson, who I find to be an incredible actress targeted incessantly by a vocal minority that does not know how to interpret statements within specific contexts. Larson is wonderful as Danvers, and I would love to see her again as one of the strongest heroes in the current MCU roster.
There’s one *very* exciting mid-credits scene. It will leave the most hardcore fans absolutely gobsmacked…
Final Thoughts
The Marvels showcases some of the well-known strengths and also the weaknesses of the MCU. It struggles with script & editing issues that hinder its narrative cohesion and character depth, besides an unnecessarily short runtime that doesn’t help its villain. Fortunately, it excels with its ensemble cast and their chemistry, creative action set pieces, some impressive visual effects, stunning costumes, and well-timed humor, which all together push the movie into safe harbor. Nia DaCosta offers a light, entertaining superhero blockbuster that may fall short of greatness, but leaves room for improvement in future installments of the franchise.
Manuel’s Rating: B
Follow Manuel on Twitter – @msbreviews / Or Letterboxd – @msbreviews
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