The Marvels

 

Based on the Marvel Comics series, The Marvels is the story of Captain Marvel who finds herself dealing a new conflict but also a wormhole that allows to swap places with two others through using their powers in both Monica Rambeau and Ms. Marvel as the trio team up. Directed by Nia DaCosta and screenplay by DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, and Elissa Karasik, the film is a sequel to the 2018 film in which Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers not only teams up with her late best friend’s daughter but also a young teenager who also has powers of her own to deal with a major threat that wants to destroy the universe over something that Danvers did as Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers is once again played by Brie Larson with Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau and Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. Also starring Zawe Ashton, Park Seo-joon, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, Gary Lewis, Lashana Lynch and Samuel L. Jackson returning as Nick Fury. The Marvels is an exhilarating and extremely fun film from Nia DaCosta.

Set years after an event on the planet of Hala in which Carol Danvers destroyed the Supreme Intelligence, the film revolves around a new Kree extremist who has found a bangle that can allow her to create wormholes in the hope of gaining resources from other planets to save Hala after a civil war had left the planet barren while also hoping to destroy Danvers. It is a film that has Danvers deal with not just the consequences of her actions against the Kree but also having to team up with two others in stopping this person from destroying the universe. Even as it also forces her to deal with other things in her life while also making discoveries that would allow her to make some serious changes. The film’s screenplay is largely straightforward as it opens with the new Kree leader Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) who had found a Quantum Band as she is confronted by Danvers only for something to happen in which she gets entangled with both Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan who all switch places for due to Danvers’ encounter with Dar-Benn.

Throughout the script, there is tension hinted between Carol and Monica as it relates to the fact that they hadn’t seen each other in years as well as the fact that Monica is still dealing with the loss of her mother Maria (Lashana Lynch). Yet, it is Kamala that would help them sort their issues out as both Carol and Monica would meet Kamala’s family as does Nick Fury who would take them to the S.A.B.E.R. space station as it would add some humorous moments between Fury and the Khans. For a film that does have some serious stakes as it plays into Dar-Benn’s quest, the script does manage to not take itself seriously as it plays into some of Danvers’ other lives in other planets including one called Aladna where its citizens talk through singing as Carol is very famous in the planet. It is among some of the odd and hilarious moments in the film as the script does try to balance the tone of seriousness and humor though some of it isn’t perfect but there is still a lot of weight into the story.

Nia DaCosta’s direction is stylish as it does blend into many genres such as comedies, drama, action, suspense, hand-drawn animation in a brief sequence by senior animator Josh Janousky and lead animator Nicholas St. Clair, and Bollywood-inspired musicals as it plays into these different worlds that Danvers, Rambeau, and Khan would encounter. Shot largely on various studios in the U.K. as well as additional locations in Tropea, Italy and Los Angeles, DaCosta does create something that feels loose in its presentation as well as otherworldly considering the many places the characters go to. There are some wide and medium shots that play into the scope of the different planets and places these characters go to yet DaCosta grounds the film with its emphasis on family as well as playing to what is at stake. Notably as it involves a flashback in which Dar-Benn witnessed Danvers destroying the building where the Supreme Intelligence is held as it plays into her own legit grudge as it lead to Hala in a barren state with a civil war emerging. Danvers’ actions towards Hala do lead to consequences as well as why she and Monica became estranged where the two and Kamala would go to a Skrull colony where things go wrong due to Danvers’ involvement.

While the film is uneven in its approach to its different genres, DaCosta does however keep things exciting as well as knowing when to be serious as well as not to be serious. Most notably a subplot in which Fury takes the Khans to his space station where something serious does happen as it relates to Goose and the many people at the space station when it gets threatened by Dar-Benn. Its third act does take place around Earth as it relates to what Dar-Benn wants and what she can get with the quantum band that Kamala has gotten from her grandmother. Yet, the eventual confrontation between Dar-Benn and the Marvels has a lot at stake but it comes with an aftermath which forces Carol to confront her mistakes as well as realize what is more important. Even as it would also play for a couple of key events in one post-credits scene and an ending that would involve something big. Overall, DaCosta crafts a compelling and exciting film about a trio of women with superpowers who team up to save the universe from a Kree extremist who wants to save her home planet by any means necessary.

Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its vibrant usage of colors in the way scenes on Earth and Aladna are shot along with low-level lighting for the scenes in Hala and parts of outer space. Editors Catrin Hedstrom and Evan Schiff do excellent work with the editing with the usage of split-screens, jump-cuts, and other stylish cuts to play into the humor, action, and suspense. Production designer Cara Brower, along with set decorators Jille Azis, Fergus Clegg, and Naomi Moore plus supervising art directors Andrew Bennett, Ben Collins, and Andrew Palmer, does amazing work with the look of the film from the different planets the characters go to as well as the interiors of the S.A.B.E.R. space station, as well as the home of the Khan family. Costume designer Lindsay Pugh does incredible work with the film’s costumes from the suits that the Marvels wear as well as many clothes that the citizens of Aladna wear including a special dress Danvers wears as well as the uniforms the people at S.A.B.E.R. wear.

Hair/makeup designers Sian Wilson and Wakana Yoshihara, along with special makeup effects designer David White, do fantastic work with the many different looks of the alien creatures including the Kree and Skrulls as well as Carol’s own different hairstyle during her time at Aladna. Special effects supervisor David Watkins, along with visual effects supervisor Tara DeMarco and Sarah Eim, does terrific work with the special effects in the way some of the powers from the Marvels are displayed as well as the look of outer space in other parts of the film along with the design of some of the Flerkens that would appear in one of the most hilarious sequences ever on film. Sound designer Tim Nielsen, along with sound editors Addison Teague and Katy Wood, does superb work with the sound in the way Dar-Benn’s weapon sounds when it lands on the ground as well as other sound effects to play into the action and suspense along with some natural sounds for some of the humorous moments in the film.

The film’s music by Laura Karpman is phenomenal for its mixture of orchestral flourishes with Bollywood-inspired pieces as well as themes that are full of bombast along with some somber pieces and choir pieces in which is a key factor for the scenes in Aladna as it is one of the standout cuts in the film’s music score. Music supervisor Dave Jordan creates a fun music soundtrack as it features a diverse array of music from M.I.A., Skrillex with Missy Elliott and Mr. Oizo, the Beastie Boys, James Murphy, a couple of score pieces by John Ottman, and a hilarious usage of Memory sung by Barbra Streisand.

The casting by Sarah Halley Finn is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Leila Farzad and Abraham Popoola as a couple of S.A.B.E.R. officers working directly with Fury, Daniel Ings as the Kree scientist Ty-Rone, Gary Lewis as the Skrull leader Emperor Dro’ge who runs a Skrull colony until he is threatened by Dar-Benn, the cats Nemo and Tango as Carol’s pet Flerken Goose, Lashana Lynch in a flashback scene as Monica’s mother Maria during a memory entanglement with Carol, and Tessa Thompson in a special appearance as Valkyrie who helps Carol out after a serious event involving the Skrulls. The trio of Saagar Shaikh, Mohan Kapur, and Zenobia Shroff as Kamala’s family in their respective roles as her older brother Aamir, father Yusuf, and mother Muneeba are a joy to watch as a family who would have their own dangerous encounter with a couple of Kree soldiers while traveling to space where they help Fury as they add a lot of humor to some of the chaos that occurs in the film. Park Seo-joon is superb in a small role as the Prince of Aladna in Yan as a leader whom Carol knows as he helps out as he provides a lot of charm and humor though it is a very small role that is fun to watch as it needed more of him.

Samuel L. Jackson is great as Nick Fury as the head of S.A.B.E.R. who works closely with Monica while he deals with this new threat to the universe as he also has some funny moments in his encounter with the Khan family as well as Goose where he gets more than he bargains for with what is happening with Goose. Zawe Ashton is excellent as Dar-Benn as the new Kree revolutionary who has a legitimate grudge towards Danvers after witnessing the event that lead to Hala into a civil war as she is determined to save her planet with the help of the Accuser hammer. While it is a character that isn’t fully-fledge in the writing, Ashton does bring in a lot of emotional weight to her performance as someone who is desperate to save her world by destroying other planets.

Finally, there’s the trio of Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. Vellani’s performance as the 16-year old Pakistani high school student from Jersey City is full of delight and charisma as someone who is a total fangirl of Danvers while also is aware of the seriousness of what is happening as she brings in a sense of joy but also someone who knows how to keep everyone together. Parris’ performance as Rambeau, whose late mother was Danvers’ wing-woman in the air force as Danvers was also considered to be her aunt, is full of complexities as someone that isn’t eager to deal with Danvers over some personal issues while is also still trying to figure out her own powers.

Larson’s performance as Danvers is fascinating as someone still trying to regain lost memories but also has become distant in some ways where she also deals with her actions from the past. Larson also displays some humor and wit into the performance as well as facing revelations of her own faults as it relates to Dar-Benn. Larson, Parris, and Vellani together make this tremendous trio that all bring in the best of each other as they are the highlight of the film.

The Marvels is a marvelous film from Nia DaCosta that features a trio of great performances from Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani as the titular group. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, colorful visuals, high stakes, its humor, and an exhilarating music soundtrack. It is a film that knows when to not take itself seriously and know when to be serious though the overall results aren’t perfect yet DaCosta does manage to craft an entertaining and engaging film about three ladies saving the universe. In the end, The Marvels is a remarkable film from Nia DaCosta.

Nia DaCosta Films: (Little Woods) – (Candyman (2021 film))

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers

Phase Two: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man

Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man and the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Spider-Man: Far from Home

Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Eternals - Spider-Man: No Way Home - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - Thor: Love and Thunder - Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)

Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)

© thevoid99 2023

Valhalla Rising

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and co-written with Roy Jacobsen, Valhalla Rising is the story of a mute Norse warrior who teams up with a young boy as they join a group of Christian Crusaders. In their journey, the two find themselves lost in an unknown land dealing with mysterious forces they couldn’t understand. Starring Mads Mikkelsen, Jamie Sives, Gary Lewis, Alexander Morton, Maarten Stevenson, and Ewan Stewart. Valhalla Rising is a harrowing yet visceral film from Nicolas Winding Refn.

Being captured as a slave, an unnamed yet mute Norse warrior (Mads Mikkelsen) is forced to fight for a chieftain named Barde (Alexander Morton) for profit. A young boy named Are (Maarten Stevenson) cares for the warrior that he calls One-Eye as they continue to trek the mountains until he escapes and kills his capture through an arrowhead he finds. With Are being the only survivor, One-Eye takes Are with him as they eventually meet a group of Christian Crusaders led by Eirik (Ewan Stewart). Eirik hopes to reach Jerusalem so he and his men could be saved as he asks One-Eye and Are to join them. The journey from the sea to the Holy Land would become treacherous due to a mysterious mist as a few men would die.

Upon arriving into a river where they encounter a land full of trees and mountains, the men wonder if it’s the Holy Land though many including the spiritual advisor Hauk (Gary McCormack) and Eirik’s right-hand man Kare (Gary Lewis) are unsure. Encountering more strange things, everyone becomes unsure as one of the men gets killed as many point towards One-Eye as the cause of what’s happening. With Kare and Eirik’s son Gorm (Jamie Sives) realizes that only One-Eye can save them, they would face the dark forces that has been surrounding them.

Set in the time of the Crusades as tribes try to find some world that they can inhabit, there is the one man who seems to be part of something different as he has no loyalty and no one to follow. Instead, he is a warrior that has been enslaved and taken for profit to kill other men only to escape with a boy who follows him. When they encounter a group of Christian Crusaders, only trouble occurs as the man and his young companion are seen as problems in a world that is very brutal.

The screenplay that Nicolas Winding Refn and Roy Jacobsen create is presented in six chapters reflecting the journey One-Eye takes from captive to mysterious warrior. There is little dialogue present throughout the film since the dialogue is often spoken by chieftains, other warriors, or Are who often speaks for One-Eye. The dialogue is often spoken about either about the Holy Land or about One-Eye as there is one piece of dialogue early in the film about how dangerous he is. The rest of the script is more about what One-Eye is seeing and doing as the lack of dialogue, exposition, and back-story allows the story to take its time and move quite seamlessly.

Refn’s direction is truly exquisite for the way he creates a film that is vast but also very gritty and unkind. Shot in the mountains of Scotland, there is an atmosphere about the landscape that is very rough as the film early on features One-Eye fighting in the mud. Throughout the film, there’s strange images of One-Eye looking on a mix of red and white to emphasize that something is going to happen. Once the film progresses, the film becomes more dream-like in the scenes where One-Eye, Are, and the Crusaders go on a boat trek through a misty body of water unaware of where they’re going. The look of it takes on different color palettes to express the tone of what is happening.

By the time they reach this beautiful land full of trees, sunlight, and rocky mountains, things seem fine but that isn’t the case. Instead, the forces they encounter become not just physical but emotional and mental as men kill each other. Paranoia ensues and the stakes to survive is much higher as Refn just let the film unfolds into becoming much more ugly and unforgiving. Throughout the film, Refn creates compositions that are truly hypnotic from a scene where One-Eyed is about to kill a man on a rock as if he’s lying a cliff. Others include some gorgeous wide shots of the landscape and surreal shots to emphasize the mind of One-Eye. Overall Refn creates a dazzling yet spectacular film that doesn’t play nice.

Cinematographer Morten Sorberg does an amazing job with the film‘s gritty yet stylized photography from the somewhat de-saturated look of the landscapes where things look brighter. The misty-boat scenes are great for its use of yellow-sepia and blue colors to present the sense of the unknown while the One-Eye fantasy sequences are mesmerizing for its disturbing look. Editor Matthew Newman does an incredible job with the editing to exemplify the film’s leisured pace while using fade-outs to help ease the transitions for its chapter breaks. Production designer Laurel Wear and art director Natalie Astridge do some excellent work on the small set pieces create such as One-Eye‘s cage and the boat that the Crusaders ride.

Costume designer Gill Horn does some great work with the costumes such as the fur and leather that many of the characters wear which is sort of reminiscent of what Vikings wore. Makeup designer Niamh Morrison does is amazing for its look of the mud-fight scenes as well as the fake tattoos created. Sound designer Giles Lamb does a superb job with the sound work to capture sparse sounds of the locations as well as its intimacy to maintain an unsettling tone. The film’s score by Peter Peter and Peter Kyed is brilliant for its dark-ambient score filled with ominous synthesizer textures and droning guitars to capture the eerie mood of the film.

The casting by Des Hamilton is phenomenal as it features some memorable appearances from Jamie Sives’ as Eirik’s more cautious son Gorm, Gary McCormack as Eirik’s longtime advisor Haug, Gary Lewis as the troubled spiritual advisor Kare, and Alexander Morton as the chieftain who captured One-Eye. Ewan Stewart is excellent as Crusaders chieftain Eirik who takes One-Eyed in only to be blinded by the idea that he’s doing God’s duty. Maarten Stevenson is superb as Are, the boy who speaks for One-Eye while being the only kind of soul that eases the mysterious warrior. Finally, there’s Mads Mikkelsen in a fantastic performance as One-Eye. Never speaking throughout the film, there is a chilling yet captivating presence that Mikkelsen creates for the character as he remains silent and focused. When it comes to fighting, Mikkelsen completely goes all out as he uses weapons and his body to defeat his opponent to be a full-on badass as it’s one of the Danish actor’s finest performances.

Valhalla Rising is an outstanding film from Nicolas Winding Refn featuring a mesmerizing performance from Mads Mikkelsen. The unconventional Vikings-period piece is among one of the best films of 2009 for its hypnotic direction and lack of a traditional script that keeps the audience in awe of the journey of One-Eye. Fans of these kinds of warrior-driven films might be put off by that lack of conventional style but will be amazed at what Refn does by simplifying it and bringing enough grit to satisfy these viewers. In the end, Valhalla Rising is a dirty yet thrilling film from Nicolas Winding Refn.

Nicolas Winding Refn Films: Pusher - Bleeder - Fear X - Pusher II - Pusher 3 - Bronson - Drive - Only God Forgives - The Neon Demon - The Auteurs #12: Nicolas Winding Refn

© thevoid99 2011