The Marvels was my most anticipated film of the year and it did not disappoint. This was definitely a step up from its predecessor, Captain Marvel, a film I already loved and this is largely due to Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani (especially) who reprise their individual roles in glorious fashion. Is this film perfect? Far from it. There are some issues with the villain and the overall cohesiveness of the story that hold this one back from being a top-tier MCU film. Honestly, that didn’t matter to me as much as it normally would because The Marvels is ripped straight from the comics and is a blast from start to finish.

As with most Marvel projects, the casting is a significant element of their films. The chemistry between Larson, Vellani, and Parris is some of the finest the MCU has to offer, and it was a joy to watch, especially the real emotional moments between Carol and Monica. Samuel L. Jackson does what he does best playing Nick Fury and he is clearly having fun doing it. The Khan family is hilarious and lovable and delivers some terrific comedic relief. However, it should come as no surprise that the star of the show is Iman Vellani. After her tremendous debut performance in Ms. Marvel (which we have raved about for the last year and a half), she makes her big screen debut in glorious fashion. Vellani gives a captivating performance, encapsulating everything we love about Kamala Khan and radiating charisma. Her performance is charming, true to the character, and delightful to watch. She’s one of the few bright spots in the MCU and the heart and soul of this film. Even as Marvel is suffering through an identity crisis, she elevates this movie to a new level and should, without a doubt, be an integral part of this universe for years to come.

The film is also one of Marvel’s most creative projects to date. There are so many cool new ideas on display, from the singing planet of Aladna to the use of Flerkens and most importantly, the fantastic action sequences. The Marvels introduces a fantastic, out-of-the-box idea that allows the main trio to switch places every time they use their powers. Director Nia DaCosta takes full advantage of this concept and creates an on-screen spectacle that is spellbinding. This movie takes some bold, ambitious swings and while the ideas all work so well individually, it’s not as cohesive as I would like. Regardless, it’s hard not to enjoy the extravaganza.

My biggest issues with the film are the villain and the cohesiveness of the story. Zawe Ashton is a very talented actress and yet, Dar-Benn is arguably the MCU’s least memorable antagonist. DaCosta seems to have realized this because she shifts the focus to our leading ladies more than usual and while I definitely am not complaining about that, it’s still disappointing to see such an underdeveloped villain. The story also falters but I feel like this is probably more of an editing problem than a writing problem. This film has so many great ideas (Aladna and THAT Flerken scene to be specific), however, when you put it all together, it doesn’t work as well as it should.

The Marvels is carried by its charismatic trio of Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani. It’s an enjoyable film that harkens back to the times when simple popcorn flicks dominated our lives. If the story was more cohesive, it would rank in my top ten MCU flicks, without a doubt. Very excited for the future of all these characters!