Yet another addition into the ever-expanding MCU, Ms. Marvel introduces one more young, relatable and endearing hero into the fold. Without a doubt the best part of this show is Kamala Khan. Iman Vellani gives one of my favourite performances in any marvel project to date, she simply oozes enthusiasm and this effervescent energy that captures your attention and doesn’t let go. She perfectly embodies the character of Kamala, her youthful optimism and obsessive infatuation with superheroes, watching her journey of discovering her powers with the lens of being a super fan is just delightful.
Alongside Kamala there’s a fantastic supporting cast. The family dynamics between Kamala and all of her extended family is just wonderful, and give the audience some of the best scenes of the show. When the show decides to slow down and move away from the “Marvelness” that’s when this shows shines. In these little interpersonal moments between Kamala and her friends and family. This is partially why the first two episodes are so strong. They lack most of the superhero aspects of the show and are more focused on Kamala’s relationships and her slowly discovering her powers and her history.
Sadly after these 2 really strong episodes, seriously some of the best episodes to come out of a Marvel Disney+ show, the show begins to succumb to the errors and mishaps that have plagued the other Marvel shows. The superhero aspects of this show are what stops it from being one of the best things Marvel has made. The villains particularly are just down right bad. On the one hand you have the Clandestines, who’s convoluted backstory is never fully explained well enough for you to fully grasp what their reasons for wanting to end the world is. It’s all very plot convenient and they never feel like real characters, more so just a way to move the plot forward, however, weirdly their story could be removed from the show and not much change. Then you have Damage Control, who are just another version of the people in suits that are against the superhero that we’ve seen played out time and time again. They do flirt with the idea of the attack on Ms. Marvel being rooted in racism, but they never fully commit to this idea as it feels as if they have other plans for Damage Control in another project which is disappointing.
I suppose with any show to be successful you want to be invested in the characters stories and want to see more of them, and this show certainly succeeds in that regard. But since the show decided to depart from its central cast during the middle of it, a lot of the characters feel underdeveloped and leaves you wanting to see more not only because they were enjoyable but also cause they weren’t given enough. This is the case with Kamala’s friends who’re set up to have interesting stories but are sort of resolved off screen without much shown to us. They have developed over the course of the show but unbeknownst to the audience why they have, or how they got to the place they’re at now.
Despite it’s clear issues with the story, Ms. Marvel is still a thoroughly entertaining and fun watch, and one of the better entries into the MCU Disney+ shows. With an insatiable cast, a distinct visual palette, and some of most creative aspects of any Marvel project, this was one of the more enjoyable shows to watch, if only there was a great story to match the other amazing aspects. Also best Captain Marvel look yet, Brie Larson looked amazing.
★★★1/2
