Review: 'The Marvels' has marvellous women being funny & badass but lacks an effort with the storytelling

The Marvels

Let's just be done with the consistent complaint of 'superhero fatigue', shall we? Yes. It is real, but clearly, a good amount of people are still flocking up to see the big ones, so it is going to be consistent. Nevertheless, it is another day, and another Marvel film has arrived, and this one is perhaps just the perfect answer to the debate of the aforementioned fatigue. In essence, The Marvels is just another sci-fi-esque instalment with a powerful villain who obviously has a backstory. But it is so much more than that, especially due to the inclusion of Ms. Marvel. This crossover between Marvel Cinematic Universe's TV shows and films might just have been the novelty we have been looking for. So, having had the chance to see The Marvels starring Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani against Zawe Ashton beforehand, here is what I thought about it-

The Fun, Games & Setting Up A New Chapter

I can say without a second thought that watching The Marvels is the most fun I have had in recent times in a Marvel film, except Guardians of the Galaxy (GOTG) Vol. 3. And to no surprise, much of it is at the expense of Imaan Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. Whenever she is the one in the frame, things light up, and even if the said scene is mellow and emotional, Vellani brings so much heart to it. What The Marvels does really well, too, is keeping the tone lighter, campier and almost deliberately sugary. 

The sequence when the Marvels trio are set to enter Aldana is such a funny one where this superhero film enters the zone of being a musical for a brief period. Then you have a super-short but impactful cameo of Park Seo-Joon, the Korean heartthrob. The bubblegum nature overall and characters not taking themselves too seriously in spite of the subject matter actually work in the context earlier in the film where the chemistry between the three leads is just building up. 

As Captain Marvel, Brie Larson continues to have this intentioned stiffness, which always puzzles me. But to her credit, she looks ripped and does have her moments in the more emotional bits. Teyonah Parris is delightful as Captain Rambeau and her chemistry with Larson is a huge hanging point for the film. Amid the battle with Supremor Dar-Benn, there is a smooth transition that the film leads to towards the end, even though the climax is a mess. But the closing moments of the film and the one post-credit scene set things up so fascinatingly for the future of the MCU. 

For the ones for whom it isn't spoilt already, the MCU is taking an entirely new direction in terms of their future. One that was awaited by many and one that changed this universe entirely. Personally, it is just what the MCU needed, and this new direction might just be the way to move on with things.

The Freshness But With a Lack of Effort

Instilling freshness into this world has become a prerequisite now, The state in which Marvel films are in right now, being 'okay' or 'passable', won't be enough and won't lead to huge flocks coming in. The success of Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3 rejuvenated proceedings, but it cannot be forgotten that GOTG: Vol 3 needed to be supremely fantastic to reach the heights that it managed to. In that aspect, The Marvels does manage to exhibit the freshness that you have been craving. 

Watching a multi-million dollar project led by four females and directed by a female director (Nia Dacosta) - is just how awesome things can get. The sequences where we see these amazing women doing mind-boggling action with kickass music are the hook you need to be in this world.

However, it cannot be ignored just how minimal effort the writers and creators seem to have taken with the intelligence of the viewers when it comes to the plot. The screenplay is a mishmash where the developments are predictable, the twists are puzzling, and the overall graph is just plain vanilla and unimpactful. 

Owing to this, you find yourself resorting to the almost consistent use of humor to be your reason to be enjoying it, which it is too. Apart from Vellani's Kamala Khan, as you would expect, her family consisting of father, mother and brother (Played by Mohan Kapur, Zenobia Shroff and Sagar Shaikh) bring in the same kind of endearment, love, warmth and extremely funny situations to the table.

The Verdict

The Marvels does manage to exhibit the marvellousness it promises, especially due to the scintillating women in-frame showing badassery and making you laugh, but takes the audience for granted with mediocre screenplay, cliched plotline and just missed opportunities.

Rating - *** (3/5)