The Marvels (2023)

 

The Marvels is a team-up between three women superheroes to save the universe from Dar-Benn.

Written and directed by Nia DaCosta, this isn't the first time Marvel Studios has given a little-known director a chance at a major motion picture. Sure, she directed Candyman (2021), but it was pretty bad and quite progressive and not in a good way. There are some eye-rolling scenes: a jump rope montage, a singing and dancing alien planet, and a bunch of cats. She writes Dar-Benn as a villain who is supposed to be someone you can understand why she does the things she does but it comes off like a teenager who holds a grudge.

Brie Larson reprises her role as Captain Marvel. She seems like she's really just ready for the role to be over with each scene she's in. She lacks emotions and doesn't interact well with her supposed friend who she hasn't seen in decades. Her character is inconsistent, she could single-handedly take down Thanos but now she struggles against a Kree General.  After Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, I never thought I'd hear Brie sing again. It wasn't what I expected.

Teyonah Parris plays Monica Rambeau who probably is the best actor among the three, and also the best looking but that's beside the point. She moves the plot forward while Ms. Marvel tries to add comic relief and I don't know what Captain Marvel's motivation is. Perhaps she intends to inspire leadership but the writing doesn't give her that dialogue.

Iman Vellani plays Ms. Marvel. She tries her best to be relatable and a comic relief but audiences didn't like Captain Marvel from the first film so I imagine audiences will have a hard time relating to someone fangirling over Brie Larson in every scene. She's insufferable and I was surprised I liked her less than Captain Marvel. Also at one point, Ms. Marvel uses her powers without her power source. It seems like the writer didn't watch the Ms. Marvel show.

The worst acting goes to Zawe Ashton who overacts in every scene. She plays the big bad. Her actions, though written as inspiring for the Kree, I found it unconvincing. Her character is nothing like that of the comics and has not only been gender-swapped but also race-swapped. 

The writing is really bad. There is a moment when something new shows up that has never really been seen before and the characters instantly know what to do to fix it. No studying or research is needed. It's bad, not too bad, and it passed the time. Result: C-