9/12 ForReel Score | 4/5 Stars

Marvel's cinematic universe is now 33 movies deep, and most are good. No matter how you slice it, that is a real feat of franchise building. There have been complaints that the MCU post-Avengers Endgame has been bad, and this is a gross oversimplification of what has been going on: they have been trying new things, and not all of those things have landed for everyone.

The loudest, most vocal section of fans decrying that "the MCU is in shambles" is interesting because their analysis depth is inconsistent and shallow. In the former sense, they'll watch something like Black Widow, Ms Marvel, or She-Hulk and loudly exclaim that the MCU is doomed while simultaneously looking at projects like Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 3 and Loki and preach quality. In the latter sense, most of the stuff they don't like has women and people of colour in the lead (as opposed to mostly white men), is bright, colourful, and fun (instead of dark and self-serious), and doesn't tread the ongoing franchise continuity as sacrosanct. This betrays their true intention: it's a grift for clicks, views, and ad money.

The Marvels is a film that will be part of this grift. There are women in the lead, and it's bright, colourful and fun; it doesn't take itself too seriously and isn't afraid to gloss over parts of the back story that don't matter. It's a great time at the movies.

The film opens with Dar-benn (Zawe Ashton), the new leader of the Kree, unearthing a long-buried relic on an uninhabited planet. That relic is a bangle, the matched pair to the one Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) wears in her guise as Ms Marvel. Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) is sent to investigate by Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson), and at the same time, Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) is studying an unstable jump point. Through this confluence of events, each of their light-based powers ends up entangled together, so they physically trade places when they use their powers simultaneously.

At just 95 minutes, the film's pace can feel breakneck. It skips from place to place and plot point to plot point. Some will find this refreshing, but others may feel frustrated by it. It's nice that the characters can devise and execute plans with a real feeling of urgency that the plot demands, but it also means that the resolution feels a little rushed.

It also means that Zawe Ashton doesn't have much to work with regarding Dar-Benn's character; we only get one real reveal of her motivations and her ties to Captain Marvel's past. It's not nothing, though, and Ashton does all she can with it, but if you're looking for depth of character, this is not the place to look.

On the bright side, though, Larson, Parris, and Vellani work together like they have been doing this for years. Their chemistry together is infectious, and it's hard to imagine not having a great time making this movie. Vellani, in particular, brings the same energy she brought to the Ms Marvel series, and watching her super-fan character interact with her actual hero leads to some of the movie's funniest and most heartfelt moments. Parris and Larson also have some great moments together as estranged aunt and niece, and the physical entanglement of their powers is a fun, if slightly on the nose, representation of this on screen.

The result, though, is that the movie is a blast. Director Nia DaCosta and her cowriters Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik make full use of the vast and wonderful Marvel cosmic universe, visiting big, bright, imaginative places (including a musical planet, which is silly fun) while having these three characters bounce off each other and grow in the process. While it can once again feel rushed, it always makes sure to take the time to emphasize the relationship between them in warm, human ways.

There's also room for several supporting characters to shine, not the least of which is Samuel L Jackson in one of his lightest turns as Nick Fury to date and Zenobia Shroff as Kamala's mother, Muneeba. It's nice to see Jackson playing the more humourous side of Fury –especially after Secret Invasion–and Shroff is once again pitch-perfect as the loving, overprotective mother who you can't help but love back.

In many regards, The Marvels is a throwback to what made the Marvel Cinematic Universe great in the first place. It has an underbaked villain and a rushed narrative, and it feels like it probably went through a few choices in post-production, but all of this is easy to forgive because it nails the characters and has a great time doing it.

Movie Review: "The Marvels" Is Out-Of-This-World Fun