Annlyel James 
Overall, The Marvels is a fun movie that deserves to be seen on the big screen. When it arrives on Disney+, I hope more people will appreciate it as the joyous ride that it is.
Before I delve into this review, I want to let you know one very important thing: The Marvels is better than Captain Marvel. Four years ago, when Brie Larson glowed on the big screen for the first time, becoming the first woman to have her own movie in the MCU, I was excited. Unfortunately, the film didn’t live up to the expectations I was hoping for. The story was agonizingly boring, leading me to leave the theater less than thrilled.
Jump forward four years later and having seen The Marvels twice in theaters, I am so relieved to report that I left the theater quite excited.
A MARVEL-LOUS ADVENTURE
The Marvels isn’t perfect, that is for certain. The movie almost feels like just the right length. But the second half of the movie can begin to feel a bit rushed in some areas. There are pauses in the roller coaster ride that allow the characters to breathe, and talk, and make us care about them. Not only as a trio but as individuals. The second half of the movie tries to do that again. But it’s a jarring contrast to a previous action scene whose pacing is so lovably frenetic that it feels a bit like whiplash tonally.
The second half of the movie also feels like it’s barreling toward a conclusion. A hilarious scene featuring a bunch of Flerkens ends up being longer than the final confrontation between Dar-Benn and the heroic trio. There’s nothing particularly wrong with that. But it just goes to show that the ending happens quickly.
JOY INCARNATE
That being said, The Marvels is joy incarnate. The leading trio is a marvel, pun intended, to see on the big screen. Their chemistry is heartwarming, and their powers are fascinating to see come to life in this fantastic space adventure. Ms. Marvel’s powers were a brilliant change for the MCU. If they had kept her embiggened powers, who knows how that could have looked. It may have also confused casual audiences into thinking her powers are like Mr. Fantastic. Giving her hard light instead has made her such a fascinating character visually, especially in her action scenes.
All of the ladies got to show off their powers in exciting ways. I found myself constantly beaming and in awe during the powerful action scenes that managed to utilize their powers in ways that I hadn’t seen before.
DAR-BENN
I’d also like to point out that Dar-Benn isn’t a terrible villain. She’s a bit under-written, but ultimately, you understand her goals and I liked her fierceness. Whenever she was onscreen, she excelled at being a compelling villain. I appreciate Zawe Ashton’s commitment to making her, thankfully, cooler than someone like Ronin.
And we can’t forget that incredible mid-credits scene that has undoubtedly laid the groundwork for some fascinating developments during the remainder of Phase 5. The audience during my first viewing of the film on Friday collectively lost their minds during it. I haven’t heard cheers like that since No Way Home, which is always exciting.
VERDICT
Overall, The Marvels is a fun movie that deserves to be seen on the big screen. When it eventually becomes available on Disney+, I hope more people will appreciate it as the joyous ride that it is. Yes, it’s not perfect, rarely any superhero movie ever is. But it has it where it counts, and that’s why The Marvels is a movie I gladly watched twice in two days.
The Marvels is in cinemas worldwide now, courtesy of Marvel Entertainment.
Annlyel James is a Senior Correspondent of The Future of the Force. She is passionate about Star Wars and Marvel but loves a wide variety of movie genres. Aside from her role with Future of the Force she also writes for her blog: annlyelonline. Follow her on Twitter where she channels the Force frequently!
