I’ve written quite extensively about “Ms. Marvel” already, from first impressions to exploring how the show’s nails representation and healthy fandom. So this review of the series will be relatively shorter than usual. I think I’ve made it pretty clear about how much I love everything about the show, so I don’t think it’s necessary to be too redundant. But in good faith as a critic, I will do my best to try and say some things about the series (now concluded) that I haven’t written ad nauseam already.
“Ms. Marvel” is packed with heart and joy, the kind of stripped down coming of age story that for the most part feels focused on delivering on its promise. Though it is inexplicably tied to the larger picture that is Marvel Studios‘ Phase 4 (particularly in the final episode that dropped not one but two gigantic bombs in quick succession), it feels predominantly more lighthearted than the rest of the current outings. Even more so, it doubles down and owns its strengths instead of trying to lean on them to make up for any of the series deficiencies and short comings. And yes, even the short comings of the larger Phase 4 listlessness that seems to have taken over the MCU. “Ms Marvel” stands its ground as a lighthearted coming of age story that delightfully relishes in its cheekiness and charming lead, all of which feels like a breath of fresh air among an increasingly weighty phase.
The series thrusts its sink or swim success squarely on the shoulders of Iman Vellani, who bursts into the MCU with dazzling charm and irresistible likability. Vellani as Kamala Khan channels the base energy of the character even though her power set has been changed to fit the larger narrative. She pretty much IS the real life version of Kamala; a super fan who is given a once in a lifetime opportunity and makes the most of it in every way possible. There is something to be said about an actor who mirrors the character they play in real life, and you can feel Vellani’s very real Marvel fandom shine through in every single episode as Kamala Khan. She is truly a delight, and elevates the show well beyond the series own narrative constraints. I’ll get into those a bit later. For now, I simply want to highlight how absolutely wonderful Vellani is here. She is an instant star, and impossible not to love both on and off screen. This is a true breakout role, and I am absolutely on the Iman Vellani train.
We’ve already talked about how well “Ms. Marvel” nails representation, so I won’t go into all of that again. And I think I’ve made it very clear how much I enjoy the lighthearted approach the series maintains all throughout. Even in its more heartfelt moments (which absolutely packs a punch to the tear ducts sometimes) the series sheds the weight of being something its not and owns its identity through and through. “Ms. Marvel” is honestly just fun, and though it feels targeted at a young adult audience (which it is) we have to always remember that the character herself is (you guessed it) a young adult.
Also, while we’re on the subject, by its very nature of being based on a comic book series it is a young adult story. I know it’s hard to admit, but comics, superheroes, and everything you think is made for grown men is in fact made for young adults. So ya, your hot take of “this show is for children” isn’t as novel or hot or as “owning the woke” as you think it is. Is it on the younger side of storytelling? Absolutely. But that doesn’t make “Ms. Marvel” a bad show. In fact, it makes it a rather refreshing, more true to form show that feels vastly missing from the larger superhero landscape.
End rant.
Where’ the show does falter is in the overall narrative and execution. Like many of the streaming series across the board, most Disney Plus shows seem to suffer from episodic miscounting. There seems to be a continuous imbalance of how to pace out shows across the arbitrary episode count, and “Ms. Marvel” unfortunately falls victim to this consistent mistake. The show feels front loaded with a slow burn exposition, comfortable with taking its time and letting the setting and characters breath. But like many other series, the back half seems to switch to light speed, plowing through story arcs and character leaps without much warning or time to really flesh it out.
The final chapter of “Ms. Marvel” feels as if they’re trying to pack a 3-episode arc into a single 40-minute episode, and while the show is still a blast these narrative misgivings do leave you a little wanting. There are far more unanswered questions than believable conclusions, and there seems to be some undercutting pay offs for a number of plot threads that never truly feel wrapped. I know that these shows are meant to be miniseries, but “Ms. Marvel” suffers from not having enough episodes to truly tell the whole story that the show clearly wants to tell.
This seems to be an overarching misstep for most of what’s been released in Phase 4, “Ms. Marvel” being no exception. The best analogy I can give is that almost everything released in this current phase feels like cookie dough. I personally love eating cookie dough, but at some point I really want someone to actually turn on the oven and bake me a chocolate chip cookie. Phase 4 overall is a giant wad of cookie dough, and desperately needs someone to turn on an oven to 350 degrees bake us some goddamn cookies. “Ms. Marvel” feels half baked at times, which is more than I can say for most of the other entries. This is why the series is perhaps one of the better outings so far. Young at heart and purposeful in telling a unique story, “Ms. Marvel” gets more right than it does wrong.
And lastly, despite feeling disconnected from everything else, “Ms. Marvel” may just be one of the most important entries in the entire phase so far. I’m not going to spoil the final moments and one line of dialogue that essentially blows the doors off everything we’ve been waiting for, nor am I going to try and dissect the post credit scene. There are plenty of other outlets who have used their headlines to spoil the endings. But I do want to say this about the “Ms. Marvel” endings: HOLY F*($*)@G S(*T WHAT THE F(*& DID HE JUST F)(*&*G SAY?!?!? AND WHAT THE ACTUAL F*&^ IS SHE F(*^($G DOING HERE?!?!?!
That’s about as cryptic as I can be, but I think that says it all. “Ms. Marvel” is a bundle of joy that not only nails the heart and love of healthy fandom (that is seldom represented as toxic fandom seems to have the loudest voice with very little to say) but delivers a great watch for the whole family. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and the departure from the heavy “everything has to mean something” Marvel experience to the simplicity of a high school fangirl that gets powers but still has to do her homework while crushing on cute boys is a refreshing and journey I am willing to take.
Bring on “The Marvels,” due in theaters July 28th, 2023.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
All episodes of “Ms. Marvel” are currently streaming on Disney+. You can watch the trailer below.
