The Marvels

However tempted I am to give The Marvels 10/10 just to piss off the women-hating troglodytes who have, for months, been piling hate on the film for committing the unforgiveable sin of being led by not one, not two, but three female superheroes, that would rather be stretching the point. What I would say, though, is that they're wrong, wrong, wrong: not just morally, but because for all its faults, The Marvels, which is directed by Nia DaCosta and written by DaCosta, along with Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik, is really rather good. 

And perhaps more importantly, considering that the real world is such a horrifying shit show right now - especially for those of us who have the audacity to be both Jewish and Zionist - it's just such a relief to sit back for 100-odd minutes with something that is this joyful, this funny, and this centred on three women - well two women and a teenage girl - of different races, religions and backgrounds, literally tied together to a single fate, who don't merely work together for a common good, but form a deep, family-like bond. It's an above average Marvel film on its own, but it could not have hit at a better time.

Still, there are flaws. And we might as well get them out the of the way now. First, in fine Marvel tradition, the villain is really weak. Zawe Ashten plays Dar-Ben, the new ruler of the Kree, and though she does come equipped with a particularly impressive shit-eating evil smirk that feels ripped right out of a comic book, there's a massive disconnect between her camp, moustache-twirling villainy and her somewhat more nuanced motivations. I'm not familiar with the actress, but somewhere between her performance, the way she's written and the way she's directed just does not connect. Which is a pity because her connection to Carol Danvers/ Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) is, in theory, pretty interesting. 

Second, while I welcome the snappy runtime, the film does feel a bit rushed. This is mainly because, if you break it down, it's a film without a proper first act. It has a short prologue, a second act, a third act, an epilogue and, of course, a couple of short, tantalising teases for what's coming next (note, though: these come in a scene before the final credits and mid-credits - there's nothing at the very end), but that first act primarily comes in the form of MCU projects that came before. 

It's effectively a sequel to Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, and Wandavision (with a tip of the hate to Thor: Love and Thunder) and though you don't need to have seen all or any of these to enjoy or understand The Marvels, what you get out of the film will be greatly enhanced by seeing at least Captain Marvel and an episode or two of Ms. Marvel. But hey, Captain Marvel is one of the most underrated Marvel films and though the plot of Ms Marvel is a bit of a mess (and it has even more lame villains), the characters absolutely rule, so neither are exactly huge chores. 

Though, honestly, if you didn't want to see Ms Marvel before watching The Marvels, you certainly will afterwards. The film's main story and character arc belongs to Larson's Carol Danvers (and ignore the trolls, Larson is wonderful here) but our point-of-view character is clearly Kamala Khan aka. Ms Marvel, played to delightful perfection by Iman Vellani. 

While I can, I suppose, understand some viewers finding her annoying, I am entirely charmed by the wide-eyed, fangirlish glee she brings to the role - that is all the more authentic as Vellani was a genuine fan of the Ms Marvel comics and would actually cosplay as Kamala Khan long before she was cast in the role. She literally got to play her favourite superhero on screen and has even written a few of her comics, and every inch of her own fan-dream-comes-true experience comes through in Kamala's own devotion to her own favourite superhero: Captain Marvel. She's an absolute delight and so too are her on-screen family, who are featured prominently here as they spend much of the film hanging out, for various plot and humour-based reasons, with Sam Jackson's Nick Fury (who looks like he's having a lot more fun here than in the dour and - great performances aside - fairly rubbish Secret Invasion).    

And this isn't to overlook Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau (that they can never decide on a codename for her is an amusing tribute to the fact that in the comics she has been known by many different superhero names, including Photon, Spectrum and, oh yes, Captain Marvel) who is no less winning in her role, and is the catalyst for some of the more emotional beats in the film. The film is a genuine three-hander and she may not have a codename but the film makes clear that Monica Rambeau is just as much a Marvel as her sisters-in-arms. 

The Marvels simply gets tons right. It has some wonderfully mad sci-fi shenanigans, entertaining and inventive action scenes (occasional bit of ropey CGI aside), a nicely compact plot after years of multiversal madness, solid character development, and tons of on-point humour, but the reason it works comes down, as it should, to our three main characters. Our heroes are just incredibly easy to root for and they're backed up by a supporting cast that is no less sympathetic and likable - lame villain aside, of course - which is why I'm doubly surprised by some of the particularly harsh reviews that the film has received. Yes, yes, Disney assembly line product and blah blah blah, but this is such a sweet-natured, solidly crafted and joyous little film (and yes, despite taking place across solar systems, it feels like a "little" film) that those one-star reviews look particularly churlish. 

Never mind the doomsayers (and Secret Invasion), the MCU, as it turns out, ain't dead yet... 

8/10 (7/10 more objectively, but an extra point for arriving at just the right time).