By The reviews are in and with 78 of them counted, Marvel Studios’ “The Marvels” stands at a decidedly ordinary 55% (5.6/10) on Rotten Tomatoes.
This isn’t a highly divisive film it seems. The mixed reviews are made up of quite a few lightly positives and a bunch of varying negatives with most of the complaints centering around overuse of fan service, a formulaic script and a tone that some either clicked with, some didn’t, and some loathed.
The shortest movie in the MCU to date, “The Marvels” is currently tracking for a $60-65 million domestic and $140 million worldwide opening weekend and has little in the way of competition.
Here’s a sampling of review quotes:
“It is all, of course, entirely ridiculous, but presented with such likable humour and brio, particularly the Marvels’ visit to a planet where everyone sings instead of speaks.” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“There is sugar-rush charm to at least some of the movie. DaCosta, who previously directed smart horror remake Candyman, is a genuine talent, giving vibrancy to the sitcommy Khans and a sturdy whump to fight scenes.” – Danny Leigh, Financial Times
“While Marvel’s been busy flooding us with endless, exhaustive content, DaCosta’s movie offers us the one thing that made this franchise work in the first place – heroes we actually want to root for.” – Clarisse Loughrey, The Independent
“While it’s largely successful in what it does, it’s hard to escape a nagging feeling of over-familiarity with a pastiche of a villain audiences won’t remember and a narrative arc cut we’ve seen in other previous installments.” – Jeff Ewing, The Playlist
“Not everything has to be ‘Citizen Kane.’ But there’s no reason to settle for fan-servicing junk, either. Sorry, but ‘The Marvels’ is where I draw the line.” – Rafer Guzman, Newsday
“As is often the case with Marvel’s girl power attempts, it feels a little pandering in all the wrong places and doesn’t really engage with any specific or unique female point of view.” – Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press
“There’s a place in the MCU for wackjob silliness. But in ‘The Marvels,’ the bits of absurd comedy tend to feel strained, because they clash with the movie’s mostly utilitarian tone.” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety
“‘The Marvels’ is so fueled by fan service and formula, like pretty much everything in the MCU these days, that it gives short shrift to such basics as narrative comprehension.” – Michael O’Sullivan, Washington Post
“If “The Marvels” shows us anything, it’s a fleeting glimpse of what the MCU could look like, if only it was superheroic enough to try. C-” – Kate Erbland, IndieWire
“The Marvels” hits cinemas on Friday with previews starting tomorrow afternoon.
The post “The Marvels” Reviews Are In appeared first on Dark Horizons.
