The Marvels combusts into a confusing and clumsy mash-up
Although Wonder Woman has always been my favourite superhero, Brie Larson’s turn as Captain Marvel had me rearranging my top five. When I watched the final scene in Endgame, which hinted at Captain Marvel as the next leader of the Avengers, I was excited for the future. Sadly, The Marvels (which is both a sequel and Disney+ tie in) serves as a franchise destroyer.
2019’s Captain Marvel was a wonderful introduction to MCU’s most powerful Avenger. With a mixture of 90’s nostalgia, a banger soundtrack and an Academy Award winner playing the heroine, I loved this movie. I anticipated the sequel would continue Carol Danvers’ plot line but was surprised to see The Marvels begin in Kamala Khan’s bedroom. If you are confused already let me simplify this. There are three leads in The Marvels: Captain Marvel (Larsen,) Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris.) The latter two were introduced in Disney+ limited series which has me wondering why is Captain Marvel being upstaged already? A typical comic book sequel has the superhero on a solo adventure as we continue to get to know them. It isn’t until that the third movie that multiple villains appear and team-ups develop. This leads me to question Disney’s confidence in Captain Marvel.
The Marvels should have been a vehicle for Larsen to showcase her aptitude for the genre. Instead, her time on screen was minimized and overshadowed. Ms. Marvel and Wandavision were both enjoyable tv series. Nevertheless, like all Disney+ shows (except The Mandalorian,) each started out strong only to flame out in the final two episodes. Although Ms. Marvel was fresh and fun it always felt like I was watching a B List superhero. Consequently, I was surprised to see the considerable focus on her family in The Marvels which felt like a bonus episode. Although the Khan family is endearing, The Marvels relies heavily on them as comic relief which proves tiring. Meanwhile, Captain Marvel’s ridiculous transformation was annoying. I loved how gutsy and strong Larson’s Captain Marvel was in the first film (think back to her on the motorcycle in her NIN t-shirt.) Unfortunately, in the sequel she becomes a princess, sings, dances and corrals a group of kittens. I was left in disbelief as I witnessed so much potential implode monumentally on screen.
In writing this review there is little to analyze or be excited about. The story was weak, the villain inconsequential, the battles forgettable, and Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson) uncool. The MCU is oversaturated and the quality of theses movies has gone down considerably but I didn’t expect The Marvels to be Quantumania bad. It’s time for a complete MCU overhaul with great writing and storytelling that matters for the viewer.