The Marvels: Better on the small screen
A funny thing happened about halfway through me watching The Marvels, I realised I was really enjoying the film. It did help that Goose was doing Goose things, but Kamala and company held together a tightly knit film that I feel genuinely works on the small screen. Yes, I have seen every small screen series on Disney+, and no, for once I did not see a Marvel film on the big screen. I went in with low expectations given the buzz surrounding the film on social media, and on this occasion I think the noise got it wrong. If you have followed Marvel’s post-Infinity Wars arc you will know how hit and miss the films have been, yet The Marvels managed to balance all the Infinity Wars elements and tie in the shows in a way that was both enjoyable and did not bog down the plot with useless exposition. Yes, for non-show fans the nuances would have been lost, but none of this really mattered as the film kept things zipping along.
I always go into any Marvel film expecting a spectacle for big fights and quips, and while The Marvels does have plenty of action, the real heart of the film is in the dynamics between Captain Marvel, Ms Marvel, and Monica Rambeau. There is a scene where they test out their powers together that turns the training montage into a wholesome skit, one where Goose invariably punctures the seriousness with flerken cuteness. If anything, it is this comedic timing that…
