Many viewers have been complaining about superhero fatigue recently and that’s understandable. After more than 30 movies and a bunch of TV shows, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is starting to strain under its own weight with an emphasis on quantity over quality these days. Fortunately, The Marvels proves that doesn’t have to be the case, as this is probably one of the most fun and enjoyable movies in the last two phases of the MCU so far, next to Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 from earlier this year.

Higher, Further, Faster

Contrary to popular belief, the MCU hasn’t really gotten “worse” recently. It’s just that the movies and TV series haven’t been bringing the same level of excitement and hype as those from 2019’s Avengers Endgame and its predecessors. However, The Marvels does bring back that feeling, as it unites the three Marvels, Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers AKA Ms. Marvel, Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau AKA Photon/Spectrum, and Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan AKA Ms. Marvel. Even if you’ve never watched the MCU Disney+ shows WandaVision and Ms. Marvel, director Nia DaCosta has made sure that there are enough tidbits in The Marvels that you’ll understand enough to enjoy the movie. That said, those who’ve watched both shows will be able to appreciate more of The Marvels, as it continues to develop these characters, following up what’s been established from those series.

The dynamics and chemistry of the relationship and interactions between all three Marvels are the best thing about The Marvels. Since the movie is only 1 hour and 45 minutes long, the pacing is brisk and it doesn’t take long before these three Marvels actually meet up and go on their cosmic adventure. Is the 105-minute runtime too short? I beg to differ, as the movie moves along at a fast pace that doesn’t feel messy or confusing. Each of the three Marvels receives their due screentime and development in the movie, but it’s also clear that the movie puts the most focus on Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, and for good reason. Kamala Khan is easily one of Marvel’s best new legacy characters, and Iman Vellani’s performance here is enthralling and attention-pulling. She gets the best jokes and the best lines in the movie. Essentially, she’s the highlight and MVP of The Marvels. Not only her but her family (the other supporting characters in The Marvels) also steal the scene in almost every, well, scene they’re in. Iman Vellani is definitely one to look out for and has a bright future ahead of her in the MCU. Meanwhile, both Brie Larson and Teyonah Parris add some emotional weight to the movie, as their relationship is a complicated one, and that gets explored in The Marvels.

In addition, another highlight of The Marvels is its dynamic action scenes. There are plenty of fight scenes in the movie that feel thrilling not only because the three Marvels keep swapping places with each other (that’s one of the main issues the three Marvels face in the movie), but director Nia DaCosta also makes sure that the choreography is more stylish than just your usual conventional and bland superhero brawl. My favourite scene is probably the fight scene set in the house of the Khan family (snippets of which can be seen in trailers of The Marvels). However, by far the most memorable and funniest scene in the movie is a musical sequence. It feels like 2023 is the year of adding musicals into other non-musical forms of media like TV series and games that have also featured musicals (including Doom Patrol and Alan Wake 2). We can now add The Marvels to that list.

As for the flaws, The Marvels continues the tradition of weak and underwhelming villains in the MCU. While the three Marvels get the lion’s share of the movie’s focus, someone just has to get the short stick and that’s the movie’s antagonist. Zawe Ashton does her best as Dar-Benn, but the character never becomes more compelling than simply moving the plot forward. She’s just another forgettable MCU villain that most people will forget about in the future, just like Thor The Dark World’s Malekith The Accursed or Ant-Man And The Wasp’s Ghost. Besides that, the CGI in The Marvels are fine for the most part (and some scenes, especially the ones in space, do look great), but there are a few scenes where the VFX just look janky and isn’t really up to par with big-budget movie standards. Last but not least, the plot of the movie is predictable and doesn’t really offer anything new or groundbreaking in terms of breaking superhero molds.

Marvellous

Ultimately, The Marvels is a fun and entertaining movie that made me feel excited to be a Marvel fan again. After watching this movie, it re-ignited my enthusiasm and hype for future MCU movies and TV series. To say more than that would be to spoil the movie, so to those who say that the MCU is dead or dying, I will say what Thor always says in the comics:

I say thee nay!

PSA: There is only one post-credits scene, but it’s a good one!

FINAL SCORE: 80/100

We attended an early screener of The Marvels courtesy of The Walt Disney Company Malaysia. The Marvels is slated to premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 9 November 2023.