The Marvels movie review & film summary (2023) – Roger Ebert

It brings me completely no pleasure to report that “The Marvels” is horrible, and the worst movie but within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“Thor: The Darkish World” was merely a forgettable drag. “Eternals” was an overlong slog however at all times beautiful to observe. “Thor: Love & Thunder” was disjointed tonally however featured a terrifying Christian Bale efficiency.

Inside a popular culture empire that’s develop into more and more inconsistent in high quality, exactly due to its efforts to stay constantly in entrance of our eyeballs, “The Marvels” had the potential to supply a much-needed breath of recent air. Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan have all been massively fulfilling characters of their respective films and TV sequence, so the potential for a shared journey for them held promise. As an alternative, it’s a story and visible jumble, and the clearest proof but that perhaps we don’t want some kind of Marvel product in theaters or on streaming always.

What’s particularly irritating is that the actresses enjoying these comedian guide roles have every introduced one thing particular and compelling: Brie Larson along with her spiky cool all through the MCU however significantly in “Captain Marvel”; Teyonah Parris along with her heat and knowledge on “WandaVision”; Iman Vellani along with her infectious teenage enthusiasm on “Ms. Marvel.” Having “Candyman” director Nia DaCosta on the helm felt like an impressed selection, and urged the sort of perspective we don’t often see inside this male-centric film universe.

However the script from DaCosta and co-writers Megan McDonnell (“WandaVision”) and Elissa Karasik (“Loki”) is a large number because it tries to cram in all three characters’ tales, plus join again to different MCU properties whereas additionally spinning this behemoth saga ahead. You positively must be accustomed to Carol, Monica and Kamala’s earlier films and/or sequence, in addition to “Secret Invasion” on Disney+ and another content material I gained’t point out for concern of spoilers. In attempting to juggle all of those components, it by no means actually finds a groove. The story veers between folks standing round explaining issues to one another and inscrutable motion sequences during which characters go flying throughout the room in dizzying trend. It’s quick—solely about an hour and 45 minutes—so the emotional connections and stakes really feel compelled and rushed. It’s as if huge sections are lacking that will have made this make extra sense. As an alternative, Carol, Monica and Kamala are actually thrown collectively to defeat Zawe Ashton’s wild-eyed, vengeful Kree villain, Dar-Benn.

From the very begin, Ashton’s character is on the middle of the movie’s spectacularly hideous visible results. A gap sequence during which Dar-Benn discovers the highly effective bangle she’s lengthy sought—a match to the one that offers Kamala her powers—has the chintzy look of an unadorned soundstage. Big boulders seem like chunks of Styrofoam spray-painted grey, and the entire scene is smothered in shiny, flat lighting. For probably the most half, you’d by no means know that Steve McQueen’s frequent cinematographer, Sean Bobbitt (“12 Years a Slave,” “Disgrace,” “Widows”) shot this.