The Marvels Continues MCU’s Critical Decline
The Marvels, the latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is, according to Rotten Tomatoes, the third worst-reviewed film in the franchise so far. The two films ahead of it in that ignominious ranking are Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Eternals.
Together, the three movies comprise the only films in the MCU thus far to receive Rotten status on the review aggregator.
Bad Rotten Tomatoes Score
The audience score for The Marvels is not in yet, and those are typically higher—sometimes much higher—than the critics’ scores. Even among critics, the film has not been universally panned.
Presently holding a 54% Tomatometer score, the movie’s reviews include both deeply negative and largely positive responses.
Recycled Story?
Some critics seem to feel The Marvels is just a recycled story we’ve seen before with nothing original to offer audiences.
Others criticize the film’s comedic elements, saying they are out of step with and too silly for its overall more serious tone. Some even called the movie difficult to watch and perhaps the worst Marvel film ever made.
Some Critics Have Liked It
By contrast, many found The Marvels to be delightful and enjoyable, even if some felt this was primarily on a superficial level. Iman Vellani was particularly mentioned as a standout by critics, who praised her performance in the film even when they disliked the rest of the production.
This is not surprising given Vellani’s excellent and engaging work as the title character in her own series, Ms. Marvel.
Other Praise For The Marvels
The Marvels also received high praise from none other than Screen Rant, with the online publication giving the film 4.5 out of five stars. In a review whose headline calls the movie “delightfully fun” and a “much-needed return to form, “reviewer Molly Freeman praises the relationships between the lead characters as well as the world-building of the film.
Freeman calls the movie a “must-watch” for Marvel fans and is effusive in her enthusiasm for the “utterly enjoyable” film.
Disparity In Opinions For The Marvels
This extremely mixed bag of reviews for The Marvels demonstrates that early word about a film may or may not be a trustworthy way of assessing whether or not it’s worth viewing.
The disparity between responses from critics seems to indicate that a particular viewer’s disposition or general opinion of the current age of Marvel films might have a significant impact on their opinion of this movie.
It is also always possible with a woman-led film that the gender of the central characters could have an explicit or implicit effect, depending on the biases of the reviewer.
Fans Of The Character Might Like It
So, if you’re interested in The Marvels, go ahead and check it out while it’s in theaters to give it the best chance you can.
Especially if you’re a fan of Captain Marvel or the Ms. Marvel TV series, it might be well worth a watch, if nothing else for Iman Vellani’s performance.
Or it could be the worst Marvel movie ever made, depending on who you ask, so you might as well form your own opinion.
