Rating: ***
Review Date: 11/12/23
Cast: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton,
Samuel L. Jackson, cameos by Tessa Thompson, Hailee Steinfeld, Kelsey Grammer
"How many ideas is this giving you for Captain Marvel fan fiction?"
A vengeance-driven Kree revolutionary named Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) disrupts the fabric of space-time in order to revitalize her dying planet. Unfortunately, this involves destroying other planets and civilizations in the process. Somehow, one of these wormhole anomalies entangles the powers of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) so that they trade places whenever they use their powers - sometimes. This forces the three of them to work together and learn how to coordinate their newfound codependencies in order to end Dar-Benn's reign of terror.
The film is a huge improvement over the original "Captain Marvel" (2019) and it's thrilling to see Captain Marvel finally getting to kick some serious ass. We also get to see the terrible guilt and burden that she carries as the result of her incredible cosmic powers. Brie Larson looks fantastic and gives a stellar performance, which just further highlights how disappointing the first film was. Teyonah Parris provides some emotional weight as Carol's estranged niece, while Iman Vellani is the heart and soul that ties the film together. Her youthful fan-girl exuberance is gleefully contagious, but she also experiences a loss of innocence as a result of facing the horrors of war. Her performance could have easily ruined the film, but she does an excellent job of making Ms. Marvel a genuine, sincere, heartfelt, lovable, and totally relatable character.
It's as unabashedly silly and nonsensical as it is somber and horrific, and the tonal shifts can be disorienting and exhausting. The story also pulls in A LOT of Marvel continuity that I wasn't familiar with ("Thor", "Ms. Marvel", "WandaVision", "Hawkeye"), which can be a bit confusing and overwhelming. Much of the film doesn't make any sense at all, but it doesn't really matter because it's having so much fun with the characters and settings. The action is superb and the fight scenes are satisfying and intense. The four female leads do an excellent job of destroying stuff and beating each other up, which is delightful to watch. Unfortunately, the film's goofier moments are full of cringe and harder to stomach, which knocks a star off of my rating and keeps me from fully endorsing it.
It's definitely a polarizing film, but I enjoyed it a lot and I'm on the side that favors it. It's a shame that it performed so poorly at the box office, because I'd love to see more "Marvels" adventures. Sadly, I'm afraid they're going to be relegated to secondary characters after this film.