THE next instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is The Marvels, directed by Nia DaCosta. Film buffs Stefan Bradley and Tom Parry went to check it out.

Tom Parry: We’ve thrown around the phrase “superhero fatigue” a lot this year, and I thought this film would be the straw to break the camel’s back; but I’m pleased to say I’m still on board with Marvel after watching The Marvels. What about you, Stefan?

Stefan Bradley: Overall I liked it, even though it’s messy at times. I’d rather watch this over the original Captain Marvel (2019), which may have been more cohesive, but was a fairly forgettable film.

TP: The story of The Marvels sees the powerful Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), her estranged niece Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and New Jersey teenager Kamala Khan/Ms Marvel (Iman Vellani) team up after all of a sudden they start switching places with each other every time they use their superhero abilities.

SB: I’ve liked Brie Larson in pretty much everything I’ve seen her in, such as Scott Pilgrim vs the World, Kong: Skull Island, 21 Jump Street and even The United States of Tara. However, I’ve never connected with her as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel. Was she miscast, a victim of middling writing or was that character always boring in the comics? I don’t know the answer to that.

TP: One of the things we need to consider is in Captain Marvel, Danvers is on the path of trying to reclaim her identity, because she’s been kidnapped, brainwashed and made to repress everything that made her human – attachment, empathy, and so on. So the reason why, in my view, she’s struggling to emote is because she’s trying to convey the uncertainties or insecurities or character, whereas in The Marvels, she’s allowed to break loose and just have fun.

SB: I disagree, I don’t think she changed much in this movie. But let’s move on to Monica Rambeau. She’s basically the reasonable one of the three leads. Her relationship with Danvers wasn’t fully explored, so I don’t think she reached her full potential.

TP: I actually liked Teyonah Parris as Monica, as I did Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan; but the problem is, they’re given next to no backstory or character development, so unless you’ve seen the Disney+ series they originate in – or the original Captain Marvel – you’re going to be lost.

SB: I don’t believe you need to watch all of those to enjoy this movie, but it does benefit those who did. There’s exposition for all three characters to catch you up. Vellani’s Kamala Khan is obviously the stand out here. I think when we look back at the history of the MCU, her casting will stand out among the very best. The actress is a comic book nerd herself, so you’re watching her geek out to her heroes together with the audience. She’s optimistic, naïve, funny and a scene stealer without it going overboard.

TP: The character of Nick Fury is criminally underutilised here – Samuel L Jackson clearly enjoys this role, but he isn’t given the room to have fun, as was the case in Captain Marvel. The conflict between our three leads is pretty lightweight – it’s more uncomfortable than it is acrimonious.

SB: What if Danvers did something that totally went against Khan’s values? Danvers is her idol, so it turns into a ‘never meet your heroes’ situation. It would be clichéd to high heaven, but better than nothing. As for the ‘switching places’ gimmick, I thought the action scenes made fine use of them.

TP: The fight scenes are reasonably creative and decently choreographed – certainly some of the best in the MCU in recent years. I want to highlight that funny scene with the cats – the choice of song to pair with it was just genius.

SB: Definitely the funniest part of the movie. I thought the plot was fairly weak, but the worst thing about this movie is the antagonist, Dar-Benn. Her motivation is so banal: our hero does hero things, but Dar-Benn is damaged in the collateral, so now she wants revenge.

TP: Definitely one of the least interesting villains ever to appear in the MCU. As for other issues, I think the editing is a bit haphazard, particularly in the first act. And the pace is a bit too fast – it needs to slow down just a little bit. I know Stefan that you’ve complained about movies being two hours-plus this year; but I think this is one of the rare opportunities where a movie could’ve stretched its runtime just a little bit more, because an hour and 45 minutes feels too short.

SB: I actually agree with you, a bit of extra depth would have gone a long way. There’s some interesting reveals at the end which MCU fans are going to love.

TP: One of those surprises made me very excited. I did enjoy The Marvels despite its many, many flaws. I don’t enjoy it as much as Captain Marvel, but it’s certainly colourful, zany, kinda fun, and I’d be more than happy to watch it again.

SB: If you’re sick of the MCU, skip. If you want to be entertained, it’s a good time that I think I’ll enjoy more on my second viewing.

The Marvels is rated M for science fiction themes and action violence, and is now showing at Sale Cinemas.

The Marvels are Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Kamala Khan/Ms Marvel (Iman Vellani). Image: Marvel Studios