Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors |
USA • 2018 • 80m •
Superpowered teens Ms. Marvel, Squirrel Girl, Quake, Patriot, American Chavez and Inferno join forces to battle an unexpected threat.
   • Directed by: Alfred Gimeno, Eric Radomski.. • Music by: Kristopher Carter, Michael McCuistion, Lolita Ritmanis. |
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Review:
The unifying theme for the movie is about rising above adversity and unlocking your potential to be a true hero no matter what. Given how this is a character driven movie, let's talk about individual characters and various dynamics explored.
1. Let's start with Kamala Khan and Doreen Green, aka Miss Marvel and Squirrel Girl. One of the major plot points of the movie is about their friendship, the conflicts they face, and how they're different yet similar. Miss Marvel is established to be a very wholesome person, someone who wants to see the best in others and do what she can to reach out to those in need. She does have her own personal baggage though, such as how she's seen as an awkward geek, how her mother is overly critical of her to be a success, and is seen someone of lesser worth due to her status as an Inhuman. Doreen is very different. She's shown as being too devoted to the heroic cause to the point of being impulsive and quick to judge anyone who acts too much out of the ordinary. She even accidentally uses the Inhuman slur against Kamala. Wow! What makes their dynamic work is the intention. Kamala likes seeing the best in others, but focuses too much on reaching out primarily through heart. Doreen is impulsive, but you can tell it's just for a defense since she has the heart of a hero, but acts more on gut instinct. It also helps that they do regret fighting with each other after the abduction.
2. Now I will talk about Daisy Johnson and Rayshaun Lucas, aka Quake and Patriot. Both are seen as just wanting to be special, but both go about it in different ways. It turns out that Daisy has powers of her own, and she's been hiding them from Patriot since she wants to be respected as an agent of SHIELD. Patriot wants to be seen as his own hero without being compared to Captain America, who's much older and wiser and calmer. What really helps sell their dynamic is the sense of vulnerability. Daisy is shown as very strict with what she does to the point of snappishness, yet also able to show compassion when she senses something isn't right. Patriot has the same moral values as his idol, but with more of a willingness to push forward and defy authority when given the chance.
3. Now let's talk about Dante. He was once just a normal person, until the Terogen wave gave him fire powers, and he accidentally burned his parents' house down, and eventually them. He's shown as hot headed and impulsive due to not wanting to be seen as a freak. That's pretty sad. What helps his case is that he's simply acting out of desperation, and at least tries minimal using collateral damage.
4. Let's look at America Chavez. She's hot headed and no nonsense, generally wanting to be left alone and literally flying away when she feels like it. However, her backstory is tragic. She looked up to her two mothers as heroes, but was heartbroken when they sacrificed themselves to save her when their planet was being destroyed. Another wow! It also helps that, though not as determined to stop collateral damage, at least just wants make sure others are safe.
5. Though she only appears for about 20 minutes, Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, stands out. Kamala looks up to her due to her cool head and ability to act on the fly. Even with her slight cockiness, this holds water since she's commanding yet also knows how to let others work in their own.
Now let's talk about our villains, VictorExile and Hala. Victor sees Inhumans as rather scummy even though he himself is an Inhuman, and thinks of humanity in general as a subspecies. He also initially passes him as a nice guy before revealing his true colors. However, he sees Hala as a type of mother figure, and just wants to please her. That's pretty sad. As for Hala herself, she manages to be dangerous, yet also rather complex. She kidnaps Inhumans to be part of her army in order to unlock their true potential as heroes given how humans see them as second rate. That's pretty deep. You can see this in action when she chastises Victor for failing her.
Now let's talk about the ending. Victor rejects redemption, but is still a conflicting figure, while Hala is thrown out the air lock. Kamala manages to work with everyone to free the Inhumans and save them from perishing. They, under Captain Marvel's advice, then decide to form their own team, the titular Secret Warriors.
This movie has everything you can ask for: interesting and likable characters, sleek action, witty humor, and a very thought provoking message.
Review by blytheandferb from the Internet Movie Database.
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