RECENT WATCHES: The Marvels (2023)

As 2023 comes to a close, it is apparent that the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and superhero movies in general, are no longer resonating with the general public the way they used to. Rampant speculation has already run wild about why this might be. Was it simply overexposure, when obscure characters like Black Adam and Shang-Chi were becoming the focus of multi-million dollar tent pole releases? Did "Avengers: Endgame, and subsequently the pandemic, put such a sense of finality on the phenomenon that it led to many people checking out? Maybe folks are just craving something new. All of these things are factors but I think the MCU's recent downturn at the box office can be most contributed to the same element that makes regular superhero comics hard to get into: Continuity lock-out. Take, for example, "The Marvels." This two hundred million dollar film is a sequel to the billion-dollar grossing "Captain Marvel," yes. It's also a follow-up to two separate streaming series. Not to mention you should probably watch the "Avengers" movies and "Secret Wars" for added context. That's a lot to ask of a general audience, especially when they have so many streaming services to choose from, each with inflating subscription rates amid an economically harsh time. While I'm sure "The Marvels'" box office failure, and what it means for our modern pop culture landscape, will be written about for years to come, this overlooks an important question: What about the movie itself? Was it any good? 

Following the events of "Endgame," Carol Danvers — the hyper-powerful superheroine Captain Marvel — has been flying around the galaxy, trying to untangle the Skrull/Kree War and just making a bigger mess of it. Kree leader Dar-Benn uncovers one half of a legendary relic called the Quantum Bands. She uses this to steal natural resources from other worlds and send them to the devastated Kree home world. The resulting cosmic anomaly entangled Carol's light powers with two other superheroines: Monica Rambeau, S.W.O.R.D. agent who gained light manipulating powers during the events of "WandaVision," and Kamala Khan, the New Jersey based Ms. Marvel, who wears the second Quantum Band. Now, the three women trade places whenever they use their powers. This tosses them together on an adventure to stop Dar-Been. 

It's gotten to the point where the people who dislike Marvel movies tend to do so on principle. And, honestly, I can sympathize with that. It's hard to be a lover of cinema and not see the effect Disney's cultural juggernaut has had on the industry as a net-negative. Yet, I'm still a life-long comic book nerd. I still derive enjoyment from seeing these characters and spending some time in this universe. From this perspective, "The Marvels" is frequently entertaining. The movie lives and dies on whether its central trio of actresses are interacting on-screen. Brie Larson continues to show an easy-going charm as Carol, balancing the weight the character feels with a quick wit. Iman Vellani's clear enthusiasm for the character of Kamala, and Marvel comics in general, is impossible not to get caught up in. The scenes where the young girl is giddy with fan-girl joy at getting to interact with her heroes are adorable. Teyonah Parris is a capable straight woman, bouncing off her partner in frequently charming ways. The scenes devoted to the three Marvels mastering their powers together, playing with a jump rope, or just bantering the obvious high points of the film. 

This has always been the best thing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Watching likable actors play charming characters and seeing them play off each other. Some of the better films in the franchise have also had luck indulging in quirkier science fiction elements. This is also true of "The Marvels." The scene where the film most comes alive, when you can most feel director Nia DeCosta's touch, is when the heroes visit a world where everyone communicates through song and dance. I'm always a fan of inserting musical numbers into non-musical movies and this scene, no doubt, enlivens the middle act of the film. The last third also features a wonderfully goofy scenario, amplifying the surprise of Goose the Cat being a ravenous alien known as a "Flerkin" from the first movie to delightfully ridiculous heights. The cherry on that particular sundae is a perfectly on-the-nose choice of soundtrack. 

As much fun as "The Marvels" can be, it can't help but come off as mid-tier Marvel sometimes. The sequel reminds me a lot of "Thor: The Dark World" — a movie I don't dislike nearly as much as most people do — in that it's parts are greater than its whole. "The Marvels" is a sad return to the days of forgettable, perfunctory villains. Dar-Benn is a thinly defined zealot willing to do anything to return her planet to its former glory. While some attempt is made to give her depth, namely that her jihad against Captain Marvel isn't unjustified, it doesn't stick. Zawe Ashton plays her as an undefined, generic evil-doer whose name I couldn't even remember after leaving the theater. Similarly, the likable heroes are flung into a plot that rarely justifies its own existence. The script jumps around the universe, throwing some convoluted cosmic lore and super powered technobabble at us, all in pursuit of a MacGuffin that can do whatever the plot requires of it. It's hard to care too much about any of the stakes here. 

"The Marvels'" more traditionally superheroic moments vary in quality as well. Some of the action sequences are a lot of fun, as they play off the characters' different abilities and the centric gimmick of trading places. A tumble on a S.W.O.R.D. ship, which involves Kamala doing some sweet drop kicks, is a notable example. Other times, "The Marvels" feels like so much CGI slop. Knowing what we know now about the special effects sweatshops Disney rubs for these movies, it's gotten increasingly harder to get any enjoyment out of watching Captain Marvel fly around and explode space ships or heroes blasting though portals. Not just because they look mediocre but because we know the unreasonable grinds that resulted in these weightless, oddly cropped combat sequences. 

It seems to me there's been a conscious effort — directed by whom, I can't say though I have my guesses — to blame "The Marvels'" box office performance on director Nia DeCosta. This idea that she abandoned the movie in post-production has been floated. Lots of directors work on one film while another is in post, so I think that's bogus. Honestly, DeCosta's attitude towards the project, that it belongs more to the producers than her, is almost refreshing. Ultimately, "The Marvels" is a mixed bag. A likable cast does what they can to elevate a routine, messy script and sometimes they succeed. These kind of things happen when a studio churns 'em out the way Marvel does. Does the public deserve better? Well, probably. But does "The Marvels" deserve to be called the movie that finally killed the Marvel Cinematic Universe? I wouldn't agree with that either. The truth is, a film like this probably would've been a huge hit just a few years ago. Over-saturation, driven by corporate greed, is the real culprit here, not a sequel that has its fair share of negative and positive qualities. [6/10]