The Marvels (2023), directed by Nia Da Costa

A Captain Marvel superfan, 16-year-old Kamala Khan has some powers of her own that become supercharged when her grandmother’s armlet suddenly lights up. At the same time she finds herself in a body-switching situation with Carol Danvers herself and Captain Monica Rambeau. All three share light-based powers and must find a way to work together to combat the Kree, who plan to wreak revenge on Captain Marvel ‘the annihilator’ and restore their home planet by destroying the places she loves. This film has apparently not done well, which is perhaps not surprising given the lack of marketing but is a pity because it is a lot of fun. Clear plot lines, appealing characters and a running time of less than two hours are a very good start for a superhero film. But it is also hysterically funny in parts, with elements that could easily have veered into cheesiness or farce instead provoking gales of laughter. Bree Larsen is always good and her Carol Danvers is more vulnerable in this film. Iman Villani is a delight as Ms Marvel and Zawe Ashton makes a good fist of the big bad – Kree, Dar-Ben. There are references to the other films without getting bogged down in obscurity for those who haven’t seen them all, or the various TV shows. Samuel L Jackson is a nice anchor for the action, but the real star of the show is a cat, playing an alien.