by ECI Released : 2023-11-10
The Marvels is the 33rd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe directed by Nia Dacosta and serves as a direct sequel to 2019s Captain Marvel and the Disney+ original Ms. Marvel. The Marvels focuses on three central characters, the titular character of the first film Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Danvers late best friends daughter Monica Rambeu (Teyonah Parris), and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) is a Captain Marvel superfan who awakened mutant powers from an ancient family heirloom.
The film is one of the weaker entries in the MCU this in large part due to tonal inconsistencies, bad visual effects, and a poorly written villain. For a $275 million budget the special effects are atrocious films like The Creator with a third of the budget look ten times better and after 33 films that's just a costly mistake for the studio who will likely lose money on this film.
Overall the Marvels offers fine chemistry between their three leads with a standout performance from Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. But the film had moments that could have allowed for real development for her character and the realization that being a hero is not just glory and fun but about making tough life or death decisions. One scene in particular briefly touched upon these themes before switching to gags of the three goofing off on Danvers ship, without truly hammering home the gravity of the situation. It was these missed opportunities that make Ms Marvel a disappointing entry in the franchise, hopefully 2024’s Deadpool 3 will provide more satisfying results.
