The Marvels is messy. It has potentially good ideas, but is too overstuffed and disorganized to fully develop anything. There are glimpses of interpersonal dynamics, character arcs, and vulnerable drama among the core trio (when the film is at its best). The inciting gimmick is fun, there's delightful weirdness, and the villain has motivation. However, everything is distracted by pointless side characters, confused exposition, a convoluted plot, and a generic threat. Meanwhile, its acting benefits from enhanced chemistry, range, likability, and brief vulnerability. Consequently, The Marvels takes chances but fails to pick a lane, feeling like a jumble of unfocused concepts.
Technically, The Marvels is standard with flashes of personality. As usual, its tone is overly tensionless but successfully playful. The editing has a breezy runtime, bold split screens, excessive cross cuts, and uneven pacing. Its music is forgettable besides some diegetic singing. The cinematography struggles to transcend rudimentary afterthought. Its sound uses sci-fi, action, and scale, yet little subjectivity or creativity. The extensive CGI effects are inconsistent. Its production design shows passing flavor among established world-building. The cast isn't as recognizable but offers diverse representation. Ultimately, The Marvels is more enjoyable in promise than actuality.
Writing: 4/10
Direction: 6/10
Cinematography: 6/10
Acting: 7/10
Editing: 6/10
Sound: 7/10
Score/Soundtrack: 6/10
Production Design: 8/10
Casting: 8/10
Effects: 7/10
Overall Score: 6.5/10
Comments