14 Nov the Marvels Movie Geeky Review | The Most Positive Review You’ll See Online

We went to see the Marvels Thursday night and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. Our local dinner-and-a-movie theater is just small enough to be able to grab our favorite seats and feel comfortable watching a movie. We haven’t been able to find a theater with our fellow geeks, so there is no fanfare here – just people coming to see a movie and grab dinner. While I do miss mingling with other geeks and fans and feeling like a community when we laugh and cheer together during epic parts of our movies, it’s still a nice evening out for hubs and me. 

I love to wear casual cosplay when going to see a movie that gives a nod to a favorite character. This movie was no exception. I had options, but chose to dress like my new favorite, Monica Rambeau:

Despite all the negative reviews I kept seeing online months before the movie even aired, I went in with the expectation of a fan – to enjoy a movie with some cool characters and a good story. With that expectation, there was no other mental block or coercion to spoil my ability to judge the movie for myself. I liked it, plain and simple. So here is the most positive review of the Marvels you’re likely to see online. And it’s spoiler-free.

A brief word about my reviews

We all love and dislike different fandoms and characters, and most of us have strong opinions as to why. But on this blog, if I truly hate a movie, television show, or character I probably just won’t review it here. 

The first reason is that I don’t want to be a toxic fan. We all know those kinds of fans, and I’d rather spend my blogging time spreading positive inspiration to my amazing readers than spreading toxicity and negativity. It’s a choice. 

The second reason is that I really don’t want to dissuade someone who may not yet know or be on the fence about a certain character, show, movie, or fandom from experiencing it themselves and making their own decision. I’m human so my opinions are often one-sided, sometimes biased, and most likely only based on my limited experiences. That doesn’t seem like enough to speak with any kind of authority on something as subjective as fandom.

But if I loved something and think someone reading this blog may love it too, then I will absolutely share it and hope that you experience the same fanatical joy about it that I did. That’s what fans do – we geek out over the things we love and allow others to do the same. 

I also will never spoil a movie, television show, or comic for you. My reviews will always be spoiler-free because I want you to experience that same sense of excitement and awe at something seeing it for the first time as I did. I have nothing to prove by having seen or read something before any of you. So there’s no need to plaster spoilers everywhere for the likes and follows.

It just seems like common consideration to me.

So with that being said, let’s get into this review, shall we?

Who are the Marvels?

If you’ve read my ‘What To Wear to Your Next Geeky Movie Date Night’ post, then you will recognize my brief description of who the Marvels are.

The Marvels is an all-female superhero team consisting of Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers), Photon or Spectrum (Monica Rambeau), and Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan). While each one of these superheroes have their own stories and their own villains in their own right, they team up for the upcoming movie in Phase 5 of the ongoing multiverse storyline in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Ms. Marvel are played by Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani, respectively.

I’ve been super excited about this movie since the teaser trailer came out and I have to admit that the initial reviews by critics were disheartening. My experience with reviews like that is that they are always skewed, at best. Critics have favorites coming in, themes and topics that are either trending or not, and personal biases or inexperience with the movie topic at hand. So I never trust a critic to tell me what to watch and what not to watch. After all, superhero movies seem to be on a decline after the recent uptick in their popularity. So it seems like any Marvel movie right now will get not-so-great reviews.

On top of that, you have those who watch movies for messages and “wokeness”.  I talk a bit about why we should be careful about geeky movies and “wokeness” and what “being woke” really means in this post. As for this review, we’re not here for politics or to give out a film award. This is just a fun review from a fan of Marvel and superheroes in general.

Should you watch the television series before seeing this movie?

Perhaps. And I think that if I’d written a ‘what to watch’ post before the movie was already out, then you would have had time. But since the movie is already out, just go see it. There are enough snippets and flashbacks in this movie to keep you aware of what’s going on so not seeing the shows beforehand won’t give you any less of an experience.

On the other hand, if you’d rather wait to see the movie and check out the relevant shows, then this is what you should watch: 

I think that it’s vital for you to have at least seen the first Captain Marvel film (2019). After that, you could watch Avengers Endgame, but it isn’t vital. Then watch WandaVision, Shang-Chi (not vital), and the Ms. Marvel television series. This article from the Washington Post breaks down what you need to know and watch before going to see the movie. And here is the official Marvel page telling you more about the movie as well as the movie teaser trailer.

I think that without a bit of background, you may occasionally be confused about what’s going on. But of course, this whole multiversal-time-dimension-travel-thing that Marvel is doing has me confused every time I watch something even though I’ve been watching from the beginning. So if you just want to watch this movie and then go back to catch up, you can do that, too.

Also, when I need a superhero or super-event explained to me from a fellow fan and absolutely precious host, I watch Geek Culture Explained and Comics Explained on YouTube. I just love the way Rob breaks down every (EVERY) thing you need to know about a certain topic. And his excitement for all of it is infectious.

Now let’s get into this review!

Geeky Review | The Marvels Movie Review

The Marvel movie picks up right about where the first Captain Marvel movie, WandaVision, and the Ms. Marvel television series end. You have Captain Marvel still in space and working with Fury. Monica Rambeau is also in space, also working with Nick Fury, albeit separately from Carol Danvers. And Ms. Marvel is in her room, Miles Morales style, working at her desk listening to music taken straight from her series. Then as Danvers and Rambeau find an anomaly in space, the powers of all three become entangled. 

That’s pretty much what you saw in the trailers. Now they have to work together to find and stop a villain as the newest team-up, the Marvels. But not without your general issues and hijinks as they get used to working together while understanding their powers. I mean, what could go wrong?

And, of course, you have Samuel L. Jackson as Fury just over there being Fury. He has no chill. Over the Marvel-years, he has become such a crotchety old man-character-type. And I love every minute of his dry sarcastic ‘fuck around and find out’ attitude. He is a whole mood. Add in the adorable cat, Goose, and he is simply just precious. I mean think about it – the tough, often rude Fury melting at the sight of a cat. You have to admit that it’s also endearing. Fury is a strong figure in his own right, but he steps aside and allows the female superheroes in this film to shine while still supporting them.

There’s a lesson in that for anyone reading this with partners, friends, and family who need support.

Add in the other characters (you have to watch to see), and you really do have a mix of fun personalities.

What I loved about the Marvels movie

An All-Female Super Team Up

The first thing I loved about the movie is that we had three female superheroes all in one action-filled movie. I don’t care what anyone else says – for me, it was amazing to see those three together. It was amazing to see all the diversity throughout. And when I say diversity, I don’t only mean cultural diversity. I also loved how well the diverse personalities melded so well together. Seeing diverse powers working so well together was also great. We witnessed how they made their powers work together, even while still trying to just figure out what each one could do, individually. And we also got to see more of the universe outside of earth, which is even better.

Diversity in our fandoms is a good thing. Let’s use this formula more, please. Because if we make this the norm, then less people will complain anytime someone other than a Skywalker holds a lightsaber or wields the force.

A whole different fandom, but I said what I said.

The Marvels movie had Marvel-ous Chemistry

Another thing I loved about the movie is that the chemistry was simply perfect. And didn’t just stop with the protagonists. There was amazing chemistry all around which made the hijinks and jokes even funnier. This really could have turned into a cringy film if there was no chemistry so I’m glad they nailed it. 

I was worried about Brie Larson. If I’m being honest, while I enjoyed the first Captain Marvel movie okay, I wasn’t as fond of it as I wanted to be. Thank goodness that we had Fury and Goose the cat to get us through. But she really upped her game in this movie and stepped out of the spotlight so the others could shine with her. That made her character much more likable and it made her shine even brighter.

As a fangirl, I totally get Kamala. Her personality is so endearing that you can’t help but smile whenever she comes on screen. She is the youngest, but she is the magnet that attracts the other two and it just works. She was enthusiastic, kind, compassionate, and she was fierce. I loved that both Carol and Monica took her under their wing, but didn’t dim her shine because she was the youngest.  Honestly, her enthusiasm is infectious and she is what fans should aspire to be. Again, you get so much more of this in her series, which is why I encourage you to watch it. 

And then you have the level-headed Monica Rambeau – intelligent, sensible, and quick on her feet. She really does bring the “black girl magic” while looking after Kamala and adjusting to all the newness happening all at once. She has lived through the events of the last phase of the MCU, and her experiences have left her a little raw and scarred. But she isn’t angry and I appreciate that so much. Instead, she is honest and vulnerable while still being strong and determined.

The Marvels movie had great action sequences. And other unexpected scenes.

The action didn’t look forced or fake. In fact, they looked like they were meant to fight together. I was very pleasantly surprised at the moves of each character, especially Kamala and Monica. It was less like a turned-based video game, and more like choreographed dance moves. With weapons, powers, and wit. Their powers are similar while separate, but they complement one another and when used this way makes each one stronger.

There was also a bit of comedy that added even more to the film. It reminded me of what I loved (and now miss) about the first Ant-Man & the Wasp films. They were meaningful enough to the overall story leading up to the Infinity Wars without being too heavy. And they were funny – omg, Paul Rudd as Ant Man is just *chef’s kiss*. So I always loved watching those movies. I think the Marvels followed a similar formula, which showed the characters enjoying the journey and each other, even in the face of inevitable world-ending chaos.

And, for an unexpected treat, you have a quick trip to a new place to meet new people and experience a charming change to the Marvel dynamic. How’s that for vague and spoiler-free? Just know that there is a lot of charm in one place; and although some may hate it, I found it to be both strange, a tad out-of-place, and fun all at the same time. But it matched the vibe of the movie which made it perfect.

The Marvels tied movies to television series

I’ve read over and over again how the constant stream of superhero television shows have caused burnout among fans. As a fan, I disagree with that. But I understand the sentiment.

The way I look at it reflects my past frustration with having to wait so long for the next big thing to come out. And then having to remember how events led up to it. The movies are just enough time to bring in the big earth-crushing problem, grab the superheroes who will hopefully fix that problem, and then action-hero their way through what always seems like a very short timeframe. Because of the ginormity (yep, I made it up) of the issue, there’s not always enough time to get to know our characters and what makes them tick. Both hero and villain.

Being able to watch the television series on Disney + is a great way to tie movies together, and tell complete stories of the heroes, villains, and vigilantes so that we can better understand the motives that lead up to the big screen crises. 

With that being said, I think that the Marvels did an excellent job of tying the first Captain Marvel movie, WandaVision, and Ms. Marvel together. That’s the end of the sentence. The transition from each of those to this movie was smooth and didn’t leave any burning questions unanswered. This is why I suggest checking them out either before or after you watch the Marvels movie. Not seeing those will not ruin the movie for you, however.

The ending of the Marvels

It can’t go without saying here that another of my favorite things about the Marvels movie was the ending. That’s all I’m going to say about that, but you have to go watch it. And get your money’s worth by staying until the end. I mean, you already bought the ticket – where else do you have to be?

What I loved less about the Marvels movie

There are very few things I didn’t like about this movie. But I found that this one thing is kind of a big deal because it involved the plot. The villain. I just couldn’t appreciate or care about her. At all.

I am not an actor, was never trained in the art of it, so I can’t speak as a professional or anyone with experience. In fact, I think the skill of acting is an art form. But I had a hard time relating to the villain in this movie and I found it hard to watch at times because of how forced her actions felt. I am a visual person who hyper-observes facial expressions, body movement, and body language to get a better understanding of a character’s motivations. So when a character’s movements and body language don’t match, or when the facial expression is wrong for the situation the whole character feels off and fake.

On top of that I just couldn’t get into her purpose. If you put three really powerful Marvels against a mediocre villain with mediocre motivations you can get an unbalanced story. Because of this, I can almost understand why some claim this movie is ‘weak’. I wouldn’t go as far as to say the entire movie is weak, but I will agree that for three Marvel-level superheroes – one who almost defeated Thanos – the villain was definitely not strong. Her actions just didn’t seem to warrant the level of power of the three superheroes. Maybe let’s not bring her back. Ever.

That’s it. There was nothing else I didn’t like about this movie. And this didn’t make it a deal-breaker for me.

Go see the Marvels movie

Overall, this movie was great. I enjoyed every minute of it, even those minutes with the villain. The word that seems to spring up a lot in this review is charming. And it was a very charming movie that moved at a good pace. It was also meaningful, spirited, funny, heartwarming, and it helped to heal some of the wounds of the characters and bring them together at a time when they needed it most.

The Marvels movie is simply a good superhero movie. And if you’re burned out from superhero movies, then see my post on some cozy anime you might like. But if you’re still along for the super-powered ride then go see the Marvels. If you go to see the movie as a fan, not as a critic or a politician, then you’ll be excited to see more of the thing you love. That’s my advice: just be a fan. There, now you have permission to go see and like the Marvels!

Enjoy the movie, you geeks!