So thumbs down?
Discussion
It's barely a movie.
It has A beginning middle and end. But the whole time you're laughing at how none of it makes any senseš¤·š½
The mechanics they set up to make the whole movie work, only work when they want it to work and the rest of the time you're like... Wait she used her powers there and they didn't switch? And if the bad guy had found what she was looking for in the beginning the whole movie wouldn't ended in 5 mins because in the end when she gets it something bad happens. That would've happened no matter what.
Nick fury is a glorified house sitter. Both for people and cats.
Because Kamala is Pakistani they go to a Pakistan planet (not because she is. But like... They needed done heritage in the movie somewhere I guess) and they do a Bollywood dance number.
It just doesn't make senseš¤·š½
The bad guy is the least intimidating thing I've seen. And it's just because she's small and not like a huge move out of my way presence. It has nothing to do with the fact she has a early 2000s rap video grill or that she stole Ronan the accusers outfit. She just like like the type to say "excuse me... Let me through please" instead of " *punch* make way peasant".
4/10
I watched it to the end. And that's the best thing I can say about it.
If you want to get more spoilers
I do agree with a lot of what I heard about Kamala being the best part of the movie.
I am very confused and want to argue logic of how the switching worked particularly about her band.
But yeah. Only if you want to get spoilery.
I'm just going to write it anyway so I don't have to remember my points tomorrow or next week if you askš¤£š¤£š¤£
So
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So.
The whole reason for them switching is Dar Ben found one band and activated it. And because they all have powers having to do with like it quantum entangled them.
But like... To me IF you want that to make sense, then sure, but the only one it really 100% to me makes sense with is Kamala. She has the other band. 1 of 2. The sister band. So if anything Kamala and the bad guy should be switching. And that would be incredibly interesting. Like she activates out then boom kamala's on a spaceship like uhhhh... Hi? And Darben is in a teenage girls room surrounded by images of "the annihilator"
And if you want the other 2 switching then cool. Make all 4 switch that would be interesting. And they would have to try and figure out who switched with who and why and not try to hit reach other when fighting the bad guy.
Speaking of figuring out why, there's 1 montage scene where they practice switching on purpose, but it's like yeah let's just focus on our powers. There's no line bond between the characters or learning about each other. They have that for Captain marvel and Monica. Like they were like "this movie is too complicated already let's focus on 1 relationship" but like... What? There's more than just then in this situation. š¤·š½ They kind of just teleport most places in the movie instead of it taking time to get there. And they could've utilized this time too learn about each other.
I think one of the biggest internet nerds gripes about Kamala is that she's obsessed with Captain marvel almost in a lesbian way and people just don't like brie Larson's version of marvel. So they're like ugh why do you like her so much why aren't you your own character with your own motives.
And like Captain marvel is kind of the villain in this movie she basically almost genocided a planet. So it would be interesting and develop her and Kamala characters if like there was a falling out like "you did that? I dunno if I can admire you in the same way anymore" and there's a moment that starts to do that, where marvel is like we can't save everyone! Get to the ship! And Kamala is disappointed. But then like the next second they're buddy buddy. Like nothing happened.
They just focus on the Monica and marvel thing about you left and never came back. But there's a whole dynamic with Ms marvel and the cptn that doesn't go anywhere and then like Monica and Ms marvel feel like they don't even try to get to know each other.
Then there's the fact that if Darben has found both bracelets at once she would've exploded herself at the beginning of the movie. Which her assistant told her would happen btw. So the whole movie couldn't just not happenedš¤·š½
Articles have come out saying the director abandoned the project and this was her second movie directed maybe she wasn't ready. Nah. 1st of all she's done more than just Candyman she did a few fillings and a few short films. Besides if you take a director who can paint by numbers you can still achieve an okay movie. I think this is the writing. The writing just wasn't thought out. This is like a first draft that needed to be looked at by a few people and brainstormed on.
Tl;Dr
If they had flushed out more drama amongst the 3 mains we would have better character arcs and if they had made the bad guy switch to since she had a bangle this would be a much more interesting film with probably more at stake. š¤·š½
Interesting. It sounds as though The Marvels was intended to be a counterpoint to Captain Marvel. In the first movie, Carol was held back by men (and whatever the Supreme Intelligence was) undermining her self confidence. In the end she realized sheās a powerful woman, and saved Earth. Now, sheās learned that her power comes with a responsibility to use it thoughtfully, and even to hold back sometimes. Maybe her view of the universe needed to move beyond a simple feminist oppressed/oppressor dichotomy. What if the script had focused on Carol and ditched Monica and Kamala?
Honestly I think each of them should've had their own film first. So you have a point here. Obvi that would make the story completely different but yeah.
If they was the case it could've been a movie like you're saying that is the aftermath of her perspective changing. Now she knows she's powerful, and now she knows that she needs to use her powers with wisdom. But how do you gain that wisdom? You make mistakes.
In the first film people complained that she was overpowered and pretty much a dick to everyone that came in her path. (Motorcycle guy amirite) so maybe she deals with the aftermath of nearly genociding a planet and realizes that where in the first film she was being limited by outside pursuasions, now she must limit herself and determine the level of force necessary for each job. Maybe she learns that she needs to stop and strategies rather than fly in punching.
And that leaves me thinking a part of why the marvels feels so messy might be that it was separately 3 films and that they smacked em together because the ideas they had were to small for each one? Because after reasoning this out, I really feel like the part of the movie that worked and almost made sense to me was kamala's bit.
If it has been her movie and she was swapping with the bad guy because the bracelet, that endangers her parents. She learns of Darben and the fact she absolutely hates Captain marvel (gets transported to get room. See all the posters and fan fiction. Terrorizes the house and her family meanwhile ms marvel is on the spaceship like wtf? Then they switch back and get home is destroyed and her family hurt and S.A.B.E.R. is showing up because of satellite surveillance and yadda yadda) she would have seen another side of captain marvel and would try to defend her only to little by little have all her thoughts challenged in the film. She becomes more herself and distracted herself from loving Captain marvel so much, until she herself has to make a hard decision too and boom. Now she understands that some people are just going to see you as the bar guy. You can't save everyone. You need help sometimes. Teamwork. Young avengers can still happen and she regains her original respect for Captain marvel.
Then I dunno what to do with Monica for her own movie. But with this logic I think that leaves all the space stuff that was in this film too supposed to bring her movie? Jump points and science and alternate dimensions.
Or maybe the Captain Marvel sequel could have started immediately after the first movie, and climaxed with her nearly committing genocide. Not the kind of story most people are looking for in a superhero movie, though.
People have complained that Marvelās universe and continuity-building compromises the quality of their movies, and I think thatās probably true. For example, Scott Derrickson was going to return to direct a sequel to Doctor Strange, but Marvel insisted on making it about the multiverse, which was part of their long-term plan, so he quit. I canāt help thinking his movie would have been better.
Iām all for a Ms. Marvel movie with a realistic budget.
Hard agree
I think it's hard to play in a world when sitting how it affects everything else. Or at least how it connects to everything else
Someone's you have to move forward and break things then step back work backwards to try and look at how that can potentially interconnect and making things stronger elsewhere.
Almost like the multiverse part should be an after thought. Like write it. Make a good script and idea. Then last thing before you start shooting have people with the full picture on their heads go "what about this this and this detail changing so we can say such and such exists but you just don't see them" or whatever the fuck