THE MARVELS : Tuesday 14th November 2023

I saw the M Rated 'THE MARVELS' this week, and this American superhero film is based on the Marvel Comics featuring the characters Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel. It is intended to be the sequel to the 2019 film 'Captain Marvel', a continuation of the 2022 TV mini-series 'Ms. Marvel' and the 33rd film in the MCU. The film is Co-Written and Directed by Nia DaCosta whose previous film making credits take in her debut in 2018 with 'Little Woods' and 2021's 'Candyman'. This film was originally scheduled for an early July 2022 release before being moved back to 11th November 2022, then mid-February this year then the end of July before settling on a release date of 9th November. It forms part of Phase Five of the MCU and is the third entry in this phase following 'Ant-Man and the Wasp : Quantumania' and 'Guardians of the Galaxy : Vol. 3'. The film has polarised critics with it ultimately gaining mixed or average reviews with the three female leads and Nia DaCosta's Direction seemingly the saving grace. As for the Box Office return so far, on a production budget of US$220M it has grossed US$115M and with an opening US weekend tally of US$46M which represents the lowest take of any MCU film ever. 

The film opens up on some desolate planet with the Kree excavating an ancient tomb from far beneath the planets surface. Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) a warrior revolutionary and newly appointed leader of the Kree, orders one of her henchmen to smash open the tomb, so revealing one of the all powerful Quantum Bands which she immediately straps to her wrist, whilst searching among the rubble for the second, but it is nowhere to be found. In the next scene we cut to the bedroom of Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) in New Jersey where she is avidly drawing scenes of her imaginary escapades with Captain Marvel, whom she idolises. As it turns out Kamala is wearing the second Quantum Band that was gifted to her by her grandmother, but she has no idea of the significance of the bracelet. Meanwhile, Dar-Benn harnesses the power of the Band to tear open a jump point in space. The resulting anomaly is discovered by S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient Weapon Observation and Response Division).

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), now residing at the S.A.B.E.R. (Strategic Aerospace Biophysics and Exolinguistic Response) space station, hosts peace talks between the Kree and the Skrulls. Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) investigates a jump point anomaly near S.A.B.E.R. while Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) investigates the source of the anomaly, where Dar-Benn discovered the Quantum Band. When Rambeau comes into contact with the anomaly, she, Danvers, and Kamala switch places via teleportation. The switching causes the three to fight each others' Kree enemies, leaving Kamala's parents house all but destroyed in their wake. 

In a flash back scene we see Captain Marvel defying the influence of the Supreme Intelligence (an artificial intelligence that is the ruler of the Kree) and destroys it, which leads to a Kree civil war, the desolation of their home planet of Hala, and the results of that conflict rendering the planet barren as it loses its air, water, and sunlight. 

After the three women return to their original places, Fury and Rambeau visit Kamala on Earth at her parents house. As Kamala shows off her powers, she switches places with Danvers. When Danvers flies away having been reintroduced to Rambeau for the first time in years, she switches places with Kamala in mid-air, causing Kamala to plummet to the ground helplessly only to be saved by Rambeau in her first, and somewhat uneasy attempt at flight. Back safely on the ground the group surmises that their light-based powers are linked through quantum entanglement, and that they swap places when the three use their powers simultaneously. 

The three join up at a Skrull refugee colony on the planet Tarnax and meet with Emperor Dro'ge (Gary Lewis) where talks of resettlement have dissolved. Dar-Benn rips open another jump point, which sucks the atmosphere of Tarnax into Hala to try and restore its air, and rapidly destroys the colony in the process. After a hasty effort to evacuate the Skrull, Danvers, Rambeau, and Kamala form a team informally referred to by Kamala as 'the Marvels'. Danvers informs the others of the legend that the Quantum Bands had been used to create the jump point transportation network; the three became entangled due to their mutual contact with its energy when Dar-Benn disrupted it. Dar-Benn's continued rupturing of jump points is causing further instability to the network and endangering the order of the universe.

Dar-Benn reaches the planet Aladna where water covers 97% of its surface. The Marvels have also arrived in advance and are greeted in a fanfare of song and dance as Danvers is considered royalty. There she meets with Prince Yan (Park Seo-joon) where she relays the impending threat of Dar-Benn's arrival. Following an intense battle between the Kree and the Marvels supported by Prince Yan's finest soldiers, Dar-Benn successfully wrests the second Quantum Band from Kamala's wrist and then tears open a jump point to draw the ocean water into Hala. 

Dar-Benn's final plan is to seize Earth's sun to restore that of Hala. The Marvels follow Dar-Benn to her space ship where another fight breaks out, which ultimately sees the Kree leader pinned under falling masonry and feigning death. Captain Marvel removes the heavy lump of stone and metal, at which point Dar-Benn jumps up and uses the power of both bangles to tear open another hole in space. The act destroys Dar-Benn but sees the two Quantum Bands returned to the Marvels. However, is also leaves behind a rupture into the multiverse. After Kamala reclaims the Bands, she and Danvers use their combined powers to energise Rambeau, allowing her to close the hole from the other side, but leaving her stranded there in the process. Danvers flies into Hala's sun and uses her power to restore it. Some months later and Kamala is next seen seeking out other heroes to form a new group, starting with Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) - the champion archer.

In a mid-credits sequence, Rambeau comes around in a clinic bed in a parallel universe where she is greeted by an alternate version of her mother, Maria (Lashana Lynch), and the mutant scientist Hank McCoy, aka Beast. Maria has no knowledge of who Rambeau is, and the closing frame sees 'Maria' in her Binary suit.

'The Marvels' is an OK film - its not great but its not that bad either. There's a lot going on in this film with ties back to a number of previous MCU cinematic and television offerings, and much of the plot here doesn't add up to the sum of its parts, including the undercooked villain of the piece in Dar-Benn. That said, Nia DaCosta's Directing is on point and the chemistry between the three leads, and in particular Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel saves the movie from the depths of despair. There are also some genuine laugh out moments, particularly with a newly 'hatched' litter of Flerkens, and the film doesn't take itself too seriously. Whilst the media buzz surrounding this film has been largely less that flattering and the Box Office take underwhelming - the film moves along at a good pace and its swift duration of 105 minutes makes for a welcome change in the MCU canon of over inflated run times.

'The Marvels' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 9th November 2023

The 42nd Three Rivers Film Festival (3RFF) runs this year from Wednesday 8th until Wednesday 15th November in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The 3RFF remains the largest annual film festival in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and this exciting event traditionally highlights unmatched depth and breadth of choice in the best international independent film. 3RFF is part of a long tradition of film innovation in Pittsburgh—from the world’s first Nickelodeon in 1905 to its role today as a popular filming location. 

This year’s festival showcases twenty-two exciting and thought-provoking indie feature films including dramas, comedies, and documentaries. Also presenting all the fun things that make a film festival so much more than just going to the movies, including World and Pittsburgh Premieres of incredible films, the chance to meet cast and crew, an amazing opening night party to kick it all off, and so much more!

Of the twenty-two films being screened, those feature films are as given below :-

* 'Dancing Queen' - from Norway and Directed by Aurora Gosse. Mina, is a nerdy, eager-to-fit-in teenager at the start of a new school year. Despite her self-doubts, she challenges herself to participate in a dance competition to impress E.D. Win, a popular young hip-hop dancer. With the support of her thoroughly enthusiastic grandmother, Mina embarks on her own version of a hero’s journey.

* 'Double Down South' - from the USA and Directed by Tom Schulman. Nick runs an illegal gambling operation in his run-down plantation house in the deep south. Soon he finds himself enamoured with Diana - a smart, tough, and charming ace who’s determined to win big. Together they prepare to risk it all to take down a world champion. 

* 'Hard Miles' - from the USA and Directed by R.J. Daniel Hanna. This humorous coming of age sports drama follows an unlikely crew of at-risk youth on a seemingly impossible bike ride from Denver to the Grand Canyon, with the aid of a determined coach who pushes the young men to their limits in an effort to teach them life’s most valuable lessons. Starring Matthew Modine and Sean Astin.

* 'The Holdovers' - from the USA and Directed by Alexander Payne. A curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam. Starring Paul Giamatti and Da'Vine Joy Randolph.

* 'Housekeeping for Beginners' - from North Macedonia, Poland, Croatia, Serbia and Kosovo and Directed by Goran Stolevski. Dita never wanted to be a mother, but circumstances force her to raise her girlfriend's two daughters, tiny troublemaker Mia and rebellious teen Vanesa. A battle of wills ensues as the three continue to butt heads and become an unlikely family that must fight to stay together.

* 'La Chimera' - from Italy, France and Switzerland and Directed by Alice Rohrwacher. After being released from an Italian prison, Arthur, an English archaeological scholar with an uncanny knack for knowing just where to find hidden artefacts, reunites with a band of misfits. Together they work to extract Etruscan relics until they find a treasure beyond measure.

* 'Little Brother' - from the USA and Directed by Sheridan O'Donnell. When Pete attempts suicide once again, his parents recruit his younger brother Jake to drive him home for a family intervention. But on that 1400-mile trip, the brothers who were once close become an explosive combination, as the brothers’ road trip is filled with trials, tribulations, and revelations.

* 'Love Without Walls' - from the UK and Directed by Jane Gull. This is a heart-wrenching tale of a young married couple and their efforts to keep love alive through adversity in modern day London. Despite their trials and tribulations, Sophie, an art student, and Paul, an aspiring musician, somehow manage to maintain good humour and positivity. US Premiere.

* 'Mr. Blake at Your Service' - from France and Directed by Gilles Legardinier. Andrew Blake is a grieving, widowed British businessman who takes a job as a Butler at the Domaine de Beauvillier estate in northern France near where he and his wife spent the early days of their romance. Although everyone at the estate seems to be just as badly off as he is, his arrival seems to spur them all back to life. Starring John Malkovich.

* 'My Love Affair With Marriage' - from Luxembourg, the USA and Latvia and Directed by Signe Baumane. The protagonist, Zelma, a young, spirited woman, is determined to conform to the pressures of the mythological Sirens in order to find love. But the more she attempts to conform, the more her body resists. This tale of inner female rebellion blends both two-dimensional and stop-motion animation to take us on her journey.

* 'Parachute' - from the USA and Directed by Brittany Snow. Riley meets Ethan the night she’s released from a rehab facility. When they’re together, life makes sense, but Riley’s therapist urges her to avoid dating for a year. So, when the pair develop an intimate friendship that borders on codependency, Riley’s insecurities about her body send her back into a spiral.

* 'Perfect Days' - from Japan and Directed by Wim Wenders. Hirayama, is a quite-contented man who spends his days working as a cleaner of public toilets in Tokyo. His thoroughly structured daily routine reveals his passion for music and books and his love of the trees he photographs. As we are immersed in his daily life, a series of unexpected encounters gradually expose more of his past.

* 'The Secret Art of Human Flight' - from the USA and Directed by H.P. Mendoza. Here, an eccentric spiritual guide who just might be a con artist and a widower grieving the tragic loss of his wife and best friend deliver a tale of grief and healing by tapping into that all-too-human attribute of going to almost any length to find hope in the midst of despair. 

* 'Sugar and Stars' - from France and Directed by Sebastien Tulard. The film follows renowned chef Yazid Ichemrahen from his rough early beginnings to working for the world’s top chefs in Paris and Monaco. As a child, Yazid moved from one foster home to another but held onto his dream of becoming a pastry chef. Through Yazid’s indomitable spirit, resourcefulness, and determination, he works to realise his dream of winning an international pastry championship.

* 'Two Lives in Pittsburgh' - from the USA and Directed by Brian Silverman. Confronted by his mother’s illness and his child’s exploration of gender, Bernie Evers, a traditional blue-collar guy, finds himself struggling to come to terms with the man he’s always been and the father his child needs him to be.

* 'Unsinkable' - from the USA and Directed by Cody Hartman. In the aftermath of the Titanic disaster in April 1912, Senator William Alden Smith chaired an inquiry by the United States Senate into the causes of and responses to the shocking event. The film explores the rushed investigation and political interference in the search for accountability when the 'unsinkable' RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sank on its maiden journey. World Premiere.

For the details of the Documentary Features being showcased - '1946 : A Mistranslation That Shifted Culture', 'Black Barbie : A Documentary', 'Citizen Sleuth', 'Karen Carpenter : Starving for Perfection', 'Kite Zo A (Leave the Bones)' and 'O Pioneer', you can go to the official website at : https://filmpittsburgh.org/pages/three-rivers-film-festival

This week we have seven new movie offerings to tease you out to your local Odeon, hailing from all corners of the globe, kicking off with the 33rd entry in the MCU that sees our three protagonists team up after they begin swapping places with each other every time they use their powers. Then we have a New Zealand dark comedy film about a former teen actress who seeks enlightenment at a remote retreat while also navigating the close yet turbulent relationship with her stunt performer daughter. Next up is an American offering about an ex-special forces operative who takes on a job to provide security for a journalist as she interviews a dictator, but, a military coup breaks out in the middle of the interview and they are forced to escape into the jungle where they must survive. This is followed by an Aussie comedy about a man whose secret dominatrix cleans out all of his bank accounts, leaving this married stockbroker just one day to save his life from ruin. Then we turn to a French film in which a young woman survives a terrorist attack on a busy Paris brasserie, and after time spent with her mother, she returns to Paris and an event that haunts her in order to find the answers that will allow her to move on with her life. Up next is an Australian drama about a non-resident cab driver and his fare, a old lady who can't remember where she's going, while he can't forget his troubled past. And closing out the week we have a South African animated action adventure film about a team of nano sized, peace keeping aliens who end up stranded in the brain of 16-year-old boy, and who then have to work together with his friends to save Earth from an intergalactic villain who took control of his schools Principal.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the seven latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the week ahead.

'THE MARVELS' (Rated M) - is an American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics featuring the characters Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel. It is intended to be the sequel to the 2019 film 'Captain Marvel', a continuation of the 2022 TV mini-series 'Ms. Marvel' and the 33rd film in the MCU. The film is Co-Written and Directed by Nia DaCosta whose previous film making credits take in her debut in 2018 with 'Little Woods' and 2021's 'Candyman'. This film was originally scheduled for an early July 2022 release before being moved back to 11th November 2022, then mid-February this year then the end of July before settling on this date. It forms part of Phase Five of the MCU and is the third entry in this phase following 'Ant-Man and the Wasp : Quantumania' and 'Guardians of the Galaxy : Vol. 3'. 

Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. However, unintended consequences see her shouldering the burden of a destabilised universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), her powers become entangled with those of Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) - two other superheroes. The trio team up to form 'The Marvels' to determine why they are swapping places with each other every time they use their powers. The film cost in the region of US$220M to produce, and also stars Samuel L. Jackson and Park Seo-joon.

'BAD BEHAVIOUR' (Rated MA15+) - this New Zealand black comedy drama film is Written, Directed and stars Alice Englert in her feature film making debut. The film saw its Premiere screening at this years Sundance Film Festival back in January and has so far garnered mixed or average reviews. The film tells the story of Lucy (Jennifer Connelly), a former child Actress who seeks enlightenment at a retreat led by spiritual leader Elon (Ben Whishaw) while she also navigates the close yet turbulent relationship with her stunt performer daughter, Dylan (Alice Englert).

'FREELANCE' (Rated MA15+) - is an American action comedy offering Directed by Pierre Morel whose debut feature film was 'District 13' in 2004 which he would follow up with the likes of 'Taken' in 2008 with Liam Neeson, then 'The Gunman' in 2015 with Sean Penn and 'Peppermint' in 2018 with Jennifer Garner amongst others. Here, years after retiring from the Army, former Special Forces operator Mason Pettits (John Cena) takes a job providing security for journalist Claire Wellington (Alison Brie) as she interviews Juan Venegas (Juan Pablo Raba), President of Paldonia. When a military coup breaks out in the middle of the interview, the three are forced to escape into the jungle together. Also starring Alice Eve, Christian Slater and Morton Csokas. The film was released in the US late last month and cost US$40M to produce. 

'THE BIG DOG' (Rated MA15+) - this Australian comedy film is Written and Directed by Dane McCusker in his feature film debut. One sunny day in an upper middle-class Aussie suburb and a few hours before his despondent son’s graduation party, alpha Sydney stockbroker Richard Morgan (Julian Garner) has his bank accounts drained by his 'findom' mistress, Princess Paige (Asha Boswarva). That’s a (usually) non-sexual dominatrix hired by wealthy men to spend their money and humiliate them. Richard now has to attempt to gather a mountain of cash that will prevent his unsuspecting wife Kelly (Felicity Price) from discovering the ugly truth.

'PARIS MEMORIES' (Rated M) - is a French drama film Written and Directed by Alice Winocour who made her feature film Directing debut with 2012's 'Augustine' then 'Disorder' in 2015 and 'Proxima' in 2019. After an idyllic date night fuelled by red wine and a late-night motorcycle ride home, Mia (Virginie Efira) stops at a Parisian bistro to take shelter from a downpour. Her reprieve is shattered when a gunman opens fire. Three months later after surviving that attack, Mia is still traumatised, unable to recall the events of that night and finds herself numbed and unable to resume her life. In an effort to move forward, she investigates her memories and retraces her steps. The film saw its Premiere in the Directors' Fortnight programme of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, had its US Premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, was released in cinema's in France in early September 2022 and only now is it released here in Australia having so far grossed US$3.6M at the Box Office and has garnered generally positive critical reviews.

'DAMAGE' (Rated CTC) - is an Australian drama offering Written and Directed by Madeleine Blackwell in her feature film making debut. Here, Ali (Ali Al Jenabi) is not a citizen. He drives a taxi using another man’s license and relies on the GPS to negotiate his way around a city he doesn’t know. His passenger, Esther (Imelda Bourke) is an old woman who can’t remember where she is going. She is angry because she has been stripped of everything that is familiar to her and she doesn't recognise the world anymore. They travel through the night in search of a vague destination while surveillance cameras mark their journey, coldly omitting the human element, defining who belongs and who does not, who is safe and who is not. What they have in common is their damage – she can’t remember and he can’t forget.

'HEADSPACE' (Rated PG) - this South African animated action adventure film is Directed by Paul Meyer (who also Co-Writes here) and Gerhard Painter. Norman (voiced by Bonko Khoza) is a fairly typical teenage boy who has an above average concern for the future of our planet. It all becomes very real when three microscopic, peace-keeping aliens Sophie (Jana Louw), Max (Chris van Rensburg) and Gus (James Cairns) crash land into his iced tea. They enlist him and his friends to save the planet from the intergalactic villain, Zolthard (also quite small, and voiced by Zak Hendrikz) who has in turn taken control of their school principal as well as two other teachers. Zolthard will stop at nothing to get his fleet of droids to invade Earth and dominate the giants that roam it.

With seven new release movie offerings this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere at your local Odeon in the coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-