Skip to main content

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-


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One  has a long name, long runtime, and long action sequences. Christopher McQuarrie  has directed Tom Cruise  in 4 out of his 5 directorial movies, the first being Jack Reacher . He has much more impressive writing credentials. But to talk about the direction of the movie, he knows how to direct action and chase scenes but when it comes to dialogue there were some issues I had with camera angles. I totally forgot that McQuarrie  had written The Usual Suspects,  which can explain some of the dialogue choices in this film. He knows how to write so that the audience remembers the characters' names, unlike Tony Gilroy . There's no connection there I just think that's one of my major criticisms of Gilroy. Tom Cruise looks like he's forty years old, but is actually sixty at the time of release. He has some great two-liners which seem to be more of his go-to, not only for adding emotions but for the trailer purpose. There are ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Crime 101 (2026)

Crime 101 (2026) is a crime thriller that checks the basic boxes of what should work, but the writing never tightens enough to make it compelling. It hits familiar beats, runs longer than it should, and never quite earns its tension. It feels like a good movie outline stretched into a full runtime. Bart Layton , known for American Animals and The Imposter , directs, and his uneven filmography shows here. The structure is serviceable, but the pacing drags and the scenes lack urgency. The direction is competent without being memorable, and the film never finds a sharp identity. Chris Hemsworth , known for Thor and Extraction , plays the reclusive criminal at the center of the story. He tries to lean into a quieter, more internal performance, but he does not fully sell the damaged foster child mentality the script is aiming for. The performance feels like an attempt rather than a transformation. Mark Ruffalo , recognized for Spotlight and The Avengers , feels like he is on autopilo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Psycho Killer (2026)

Psycho Killer (2026) is a religious-tinged detective thriller that leans far more into procedural tension than outright horror. Directed by Gavin Polone , who is better known as a producer than a filmmaker, the movie benefits heavily from its screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker , the writer behind Se7en . His fingerprints are all over this. The writing is sharp, layered with foreshadowing that only fully clicks at the end, and structured in a way that constantly feels like it is building toward something inevitable. The gorgeous  Georgina Campbell plays the detective tracking down the titular killer, and she carries the film with confidence. You'll remember her from Barbarian and recently Cold Storage.  The script gives her plenty of emotional range to explore, from controlled professionalism to visible cracks under pressure. She handles the lore-heavy exposition well and grounds what could have been overwhelming backstory. It is another strong showing for her and proof she c...
Post a Comment
Read more