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The Marvels (2023)
Not Great but Still an Over-Hated Movie
I just watched this film on Disney+, having only seen negative comments. The only spoiler I saw was the *crazy* post-credits scene, so went in with basically no info outside the first trailer. However, I honestly didn't think it was as bad as people say.
We'll start with the bad stuff. Plot is very questionable, filled with with weird decisions (singing planet), pretty forgettable villain and plot-holes. The movie feels incredibly rushed and the editing is very bizarre at times. Some of the CGI is a bit off, but that's only really on the cat(s).
You can look at the above and notice some of the issues there are BIG BIG issues, but as I said, I went in with very bleak expectations and an attitude of just trying to have fun. And I can't lie, I did!
The good stuff. Iman Vellani is full of such infectious joy and brings this movie up so much in watchability - Ms Marvel is a clear fan favourite for this reason. Sam Jackson is hilarious in this film, but not to the point of making the character goofy (Zemo in FATWS). Parris and Larson are both good in their roles, although it is worth noting that the chemistry between the two could've done with a few more scenes to really hit the mark. There's lots of fun scenes with Goose and the Khan family. There is one scene which had me in tears centered around cats - I will say nothing more. The action scenes are actually really damn good, certainly with the place-swapping aspects. It's easy to follow, smart and just cool af. CGI is also great! Sound design also great, music is decent but nothing really popped out on first watch.
A lot of the hate to this film purely comes from the negative reception to Brie Larson, which I see as unwarranted, especially here. As touched upon, she isn't given a lot to work with, but I disagree with the comments suggesting she isn't trying here.
It is worth noting that the post credits scene (there is only one) and the ending scene both set-up big things the MCU has coming. The latter has a suprise character appearance, but there is another big character appearance I had no prior knowledge about which did a good job of keeping the MCU well threaded - something potentially lost in some recent MCU projects (Eternals lul).
Overall, I wouldn't say this movie is great, but I wouldn't say it is bad - it also isn't bland. There's enough for me to lean to the positive side of things, and if you just want something to watch to pass a bit of time then this movie will do no harm! Especially when considering it has a short runtime.
6/10.