REVIEW: The Marvels is a fun distraction with tons of homework

Now 33 films long, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a titan of film history. It revolutionized superhero and blockbuster cinema, leading to some of the biggest box office returns and fanbases out there. But a question that’s growing on many people’s minds, especially as some of these films deliver dwindling box office returns, is are we facing superhero fatigue? Do general audiences care to keep up with the immense amount of knowledge this franchise demands of them?

The Marvels is the latest film in this franchise, and to fully understand everything going into it you’ll need to see Captain Marvel, the last two Avengers films (and all the films leading up to those) as well as three of the shows Marvel has created for Disney+ (WandaVision, Ms. Marvel, and Secret Invasion for those who are curious and/or masochistic). This film features three leads, Captain Marvel (played by Brie Larson from Room), Monica Rambeau (played by Teyonah Parris from Dear White People) and Kamala Khan (played by Iman Vellani from Ms. Marvel).

All three of them are doing their own thing, but a chance encounter with a space portal finds the three of them entangled in a quantum matter. They all have light-based abilities, and anytime they use their abilities they instantly teleport and switch places with one another. The three then team up to discover the source of this quantum entanglement, and in the meantime save the multiverse from a villain from Captain Marvel’s past (played by Zawe Ashton from Velvet Buzzsaw).

What is most unique about this film is that is has the shortest runtime of any of the 33 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At one hour and 45 minutes, it’s a brisk watch which was a blessing to this critic. Compared to the other two Marvel films that came out this year (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was a few minutes longer than 2 hours, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was 2.5 hours), it’s impressive to know that a Marvel film can be less than two hours. More should be made like this, and it raises an important question (why numerous others couldn’t be that short).

But with three leads, this short runtime does make for a tricky watch especially for those who haven’t done the homework this franchise requires. The first and third act of this film both feel incredibly hectic, constantly jumping around like the main characters and their predicament. During the second act is where the film feels the most enjoyable, as the three characters have come together and have a chance to interact with each other. Although throughout the entire film, Vellani is a joy to watch. A stand-in for the typical Marvel fan, her energy is infectious and brings the majority of the film’s funniest moments. As for Larson and Parris, they were there.

It’s also during this second act that the film focuses on more colourful settings and trying to have fun. A lot of these films (especially Paul Rudd’s most recent entry) can feel incredibly serious and dour, so it’s incredibly refreshing to have a laugh-filled break. This, as well as the thankfully brief runtime, can be attributed to director Nia DaCosta (who previously directed the 2021 Candyman). The film feels a great deal more light-hearted than some of the serious, multiverse focused entries in this franchise. Even though this franchise seems to be leaning in the direction of a multiverse, many of its films feel mass-produced to be incredibly similar. There isn’t a diversity of sentiment or genre, so any films trying something different feel monumental.

This film has the usual universe (or should I say multiverse) elements fans have come to love, including a supporting role from Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson from the Hitman’s Bodyguard) and some other surprises. But all in all, this film feels like a brief sojourn from the usual building-block nature of this franchise. Just once, it’d be interesting to see a film set in this universe that doesn’t feature any superheroes but instead focuses on someone who survived one of the usual superhero fights going to therapy and discussing their feelings. Just a little variety would be nice.

It’s entertaining, and if you’re a fan of the MCU there’s a good chance you’ve already purchased your ticket. But if you’re looking for a starting point into this franchise or for a fun, low commitment night out at the movies, you’d do best to watch something else. This film gets a 2.5/5, you can watch it in cinemas now.