The Marvels

Originally published Dec 5, 2023

Let’s be honest: superhero fatigue is real. I understand that many have grown tired of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as most of their content since Avengers: Endgame has been hit or miss. With that in mind, I don’t think it’s fair to cast judgement on the newer content if people aren’t even willing to give it a chance. Case in point: The Marvels. 

I’m more than privy to the fact that Captain Marvel isn’t the MCU’s most renowned heroine. While I typically enjoy Brie Larson’s work, Captain Marvel (2019) did leave a lot to be desired, so I understand why some would be willing to pass up her latest adventure. With that said, I think she’s handled much better in this movie, as she’s given something of a character arc as well as a fun-to-watch dynamic with Monica (Teyonah Parris) and Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani). While we’re on the subject, Khamala is easily the best part of this movie; she steals every scene and her dynamics with both her teammates and her family continue to cement her as one of my favorite new additions to the MCU. See it for her if nothing else. The other big highlight of this film is the fight choreography, which is consistently sharp and fast-paced. I feel as though these elements alone justify at least one in-theater viewing of The Marvels, though that doesn’t mean it doesn’t also have some faults. The villain and her dialogue are very generic and bland, and the short runtime of the movie comes at the cost of rushing through some of the emotional beats that I would’ve liked to have seen fleshed out more.

In short, The Marvels is a harmless, albeit imperfect, flick that I’d recommend. Give it a go.

Rating: 7/10