It’s widely acknowledged that the MCU (The Marvel Cinematic Universe) has not consistently reached the creative heights of its earlier installments. Following Avengers: Endgame, many perceive a decline in film quality, with narratives becoming less compelling. While production budgets remain substantial, resources seem disproportionately allocated to visual effects, potentially at the expense of engaging storytelling. Post-Endgame, Spider-man: No Way Home and Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 stand out as notable exceptions, successfully eliciting emotional resonance with audiences.
Having previously reviewed The Marvels upon its theatrical release, this assessment will concentrate on the UHD edition now available. A second viewing of the film proved significantly less satisfying, and this review will explore the reasons behind this diminished impact.
While a comprehensive analysis is beyond the scope of this review, it will focus on the character of Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), the primary “villain.” As with several other MCU solo films, the narrative approach appears to circumvent established storytelling conventions. Similar to Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, The Marvels implies significant events occurring off-screen, leaving audiences to fill in crucial narrative gaps.
In The Marvels, Captain Marvel (Brie Larson)‘s role as a “galaxy-cop” inadvertently triggers a series of events leading to chaos on Dar-Benn’s home planet, motivating the latter’s animosity towards Captain Marvel. While a classic setup, the lack of exposition regarding the events on Dar-Benn’s planet is a significant weakness. The absence of character development hinders the audience’s ability to empathize with her motivations. Consequently, the stakes feel diminished, particularly given Captain Marvel’s established power levels. This contrasts sharply with films such as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, where the antagonist’s motivations are clearly established and resonate with the audience. In The Marvels, viewers are asked to accept the conflict at face value.
During the initial viewing, tempered expectations allowed for a degree of enjoyment derived from the pacing and action sequences. However, upon reflection, The Marvels reveals itself to be a surprisingly superficial and unengaging film.
Prior to watching The Marvels, the Miss Marvel series on Disney+ remained incomplete. However, for the purpose of this review, the concluding episode was viewed to assess its narrative connection to the film. Surprisingly, the character of Miss Marvel exhibits significantly greater power and experience in the series compared to her cinematic portrayal. Furthermore, the Secret Invasion series depicts a world-weary Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), while The Marvels presents a more lighthearted and seemingly oblivious version of the character, disregarding the preceding events.
Marvel and Disney’s assertion that the series belongs to the MCU proves problematic. The film relies on events established in the series, necessitating prior viewing for complete comprehension, yet simultaneously disregards the established character arcs and narrative developments.
The Marvels culminates in a rushed and anticlimactic final battle, serving as a fitting encapsulation of the film’s overall mediocrity.
In contrast, the UHD edition boasts exceptional image quality, presented in 2160p with HDR-10. Color reproduction is vibrant, and sharpness is noteworthy. The numerous scenes set in space showcase intricate details. The 7.1 Dolby Atmos sound design is also well-executed, featuring robust bass and immersive surround sound, particularly during the battle sequence on the planet where everyone sings. The sound design effectively creates an engaging auditory experience.
The inclusion of extensive bonus material, covering various aspects of the film’s production, is a significant advantage. The presence of commentary tracks is a particularly welcome addition.
A minor drawback is the occasional display of graphics indicating the remaining time in the film at chapter transitions on certain UHD players. This issue did not occur during testing on the Xbox Series X but was observed on a standalone UHD player. Although the player is updated, its age may contribute to this anomaly. This issue is potentially disruptive to the viewing experience.
In conclusion, a more critical assessment of The Marvels reveals several shortcomings. The film’s narrative feels rushed and disjointed, a perception reinforced by the deleted scenes, which introduce a character of apparent importance who subsequently vanishes from the storyline.
The strongest performance is delivered by Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau in the end-credits sequence. While the surprise character appearing in the same scene was initially well-received, a second viewing reveals noticeable CGI deficiencies. The film’s overall rating has been adjusted downwards; however, the quality of the UHD edition elevates the final score to a more neutral assessment.
SF-Studios provided review copies for this analysis. The provision of materials does not influence editorial independence; our reviews are conducted with a focus on readers and consumers.
