The Marvels

When I first heard the title of this movie, I thought it was about a 1960s girls' singing group. And, frankly, that would have probably made for a better movie. Writer-director Nia DaCosta's third feature outing and the latest in the Marvel Universe paradigm is a wildly inconsistent superhero movie that tries too hard to do too much and doesn't have a script to support it. Too many of its plot elements aren't adequately explained until well into the story, while others aren't explained at all, leaving viewers who aren't comic book laureates wondering what's going on (particularly at film's end). Meanwhile, other narrative aspects frequently appear gimmicky and grow old quickly, such as the introduction of the primary superpower that its three protagonists share, one that almost becomes slapstickish after an all-too-brief while. On top of that, the CGI effects vacillate from one end of the quality spectrum to the other, creating a mix of images that are either startling to look at or stunningly cheesy at best. Add to that a villain that isn't particularly menacing, along with attempts at humor that either succeed brilliantly (cat lovers take note) or fall flat and look incredibly lame (as aficionados of musical theater will undoubtedly attest), all of which further add to the picture's pervasive inconsistency. The inclusion of ample clues for advancing the overarching Marvel Universe storyline continues here, too, furthering a trend that's growing tiresome in the studio's releases, a development akin to the "Paul is dead" legacy come to life with every passing picture. Then there's the trio of heroes themselves, who often appear more like they've been plucked from a giddy slumber party flick or a Cyndi Lauper video than taking center stage as seriously empowered champions in an action-adventure offering. All of these failings combine to make this production more of a forgettable placeholder in the Marvel mythology than a standalone feature (not to mention a pale substitute for a sequel to the far-superior film that launched the Captain Marvel franchise in 2019). In short, "The Marvels" is as much of a mess as it is a movie, and that's troubling for several reasons. It lends credence to the growing criticism that films like this aren't to be taken seriously. It reinforces the notion that they're cookie-cutter in nature, easily interchangeable with one another. And it raises questions about the career choices of lead actress Brie Larson, who, though quite capable of playing roles like these, is running the risk of becoming type-cast, a troubling prospect for an Academy Award-winning actress who possesses a depth of talent and is handily adept at taking on better and more serious material than this. In the wake of this release, Marvel Studios should take a step back and seriously assess where its future is headed, especially if movies like this are any indication. As pictures like "Wakanda Forever" (2022) show, the studio is capable of better work - and it's time to show viewers that.

I just want to know who is responsible for MCUs phase 4 and how he or she can still be employed

There are 0(zero) good movies and only 1 or 2 tv shows that are watchable over a total of 20 productions and this is one of the bottom ranked ones. Marvel did a fantastic job over the decade, earned trust of fans besides billions of dollars and they are wasting it like there is no tomorrow.

I don't know how a franchise can change so drastically from hero to zero.

I have watched every marvel movie out there and this is equally as bad as she-hulk.

Story is definitely boring, protagonists are boring, antagonist is boring, action is boring, battles are boring, some scenes are absurd and ridiculous.

I have absolutely nothing good to say about this movie. Don't waste your money or your time.

Looks like the movie is only made to make money in India.

Carol Danvers is attempting to save the universe, but her incredible powers become entangled with those of Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau, they must unite to save the world.

Ouch, what can you say, this is surely one of Marvel's lowest points, I honestly don't know who the target audience is, or who this is going to appeal to, young teens only maybe? Anyhow, this was an absolute mess.

The writing was clearly problematic, it doesn't gel, it is genuinely all over the place. I do very much wonder if huge sections of this film cut? It can be the only answer, it just doesn't flow at all, and that short run time...

Special effects, some were pretty good, some were poor, I just wish there was a greater focus on plot, it just seemed like 100 minutes of CGI, noise and random events.

Brie Larson, I'm not sure about you, but to me she looked totally disinterested and bored by the whole thing, what I didn't see, was someone committed to the role. I thought Samuel Jackson was rather good, but again poorly served by the script.

It didn't look great from the trailers, and in reality, it's another clunker from Marvel Studios.

4/10.

By far the worst Marvel movie so far, I am extremely disappointed. After the mess that Thor 4 was, I was hoping that Marvel learned its lesson, but it seems not. I am honestly happy this movie did bad at the box office, that's what you get for ruining such a great character (I loved Cpt. Marvel from the comics).

What makes it bad:

• Action moves way too fast from one scene to another
• No character improvement or growth by the end of the movie
• Things just happen with no storytelling
• Not serious enough, too childish for my taste
• Too many goofy moments (singing, really? We've come this low, Marvel?)
• End scenes that try to set the context for next movies seem forced and unnecessary

I also found two good things eventually:

• I liked the villain and her story, sympathized with her a bit
• At least the movie was not long.

These writers should never be hired again.

Anyone who heard the news about this project knows that the production was a nightmare, and it shows in the final product here. It's like they couldn't figure out what direction to go, so they made 4 versions, and blended them together. Which would explain the high budget, the 5 delays, and the reshoots. Kamala's character was probably the best part of the movie. I promise you, the script did her no favors, but she stood out. Her acting was in line with her character. This was probably an exciting opportunity for her, and she wasn't going to let a bad script, and production problems stop her from giving a great effort. However, the story, the dialogue, the musical gimmick, the weak villain. It just didn't work. I don't think the blame lies solely with the actors, or even the director, who did lack the experience for helming a movie with a budget this size. I think Disney interfered heavily with the production, which almost always yields bad results. I think it was doomed to fail. They put so much pressure on this being successful, they forgot to make it coherent, unique, or interesting.