My dad and I just watched The Marvels in a special “ScreenX” format in theatres.
We’ve never heard of this before, but apparently it’s been around for a good 7 years at least.
It’s a special gimmick version of the film, yeah, where they project a whole 270° view of the film on the front and side walls of the theater.
It’s done through either a 3-camera setup during production or CGI in post.
It’s kinda cool? But yeah, mostly a novelty.
The illusion of the surrounding screen doesn’t totally work if you look to the side, as it’s meant to convey peripheral vision.
Plus, not all of the scenes use the ScreenX format, so it’ll cut or fade between the center and side screens, and it’s a bit disappointing when you’ve been treated to a wider shot. (The opening space scene and inciting event had a cool wide effect, but later on there’d be space scenes that don’t use the side-screens and it felt strange.)
Some of the action scenes and establishing scenery shots of the film used the added screen space and it was pretty cool, feeling like you’re surrounded or deeper immersed into the world, but as mentioned above, there wasn’t “consistency” in where its used.
I’d aay a good 60-70% of the film’s scenes use it though, and the entire climax had the side-screens turned on which was cool.
As for the film itself, it was fun. I liked it.
Not really the best ever, but it was of acceptable quality for what Marvel has put out lately.
Iman Vellani is definitely the standout energetic performance with a really great animated intro that calls back to her opening episode of Ms. Marvel… Really love that creative/artistic flair they give her “fangirl dreams” and I really wish it appeared more!
Brie Larson does a great job at showing more of Captain Marvel’s emotional side, since we were robbed of a lot of that in the last film due to her being a brainwashed stoic soldier. Though she does bring in some cool stoic, focused energy that I did enjoy in her character when in the group.
Teyonah Parris is the newcomer, essentially, to the group, as she learns more about her powers and offers some big scientific knowledge to the group where needed. I liked discovering she is essentially the Danny Phantom of the power-trio.
All their powers combined to give some very neat teleporting fight scenes as they’re forced to tap in and out of each others’ battles.
The movie gives the characters a kinda one-note villain but with interesting motives that evolve from the lingering conflict at the end of the first CapMarvel film.
I also liked all the exotic alien places the trio visits as
Overall, it’s a good entry to the MCU. I’d watch it again one day. There’s fun to be had here and I liked the cosmic scope of this film.
Plus, a very neat ending stinger…
Spoiler Time
- I felt so bad for the Khan’s house at the start of the film. Damnit, why the hell can’t superheroes just take the fight outside?? I liked how the whole family tried to step in and help beat the baddies though that was fun.
- The weird organic eggs found around the space station were a bit of an “oh god it’s a contrived hidden threat for later” but I quickly guessed and got right that it was Goose the cat laying eggs all around the place.
Totally gross but adorable hatching of kittens though!
- And man, the whole Goose stuff in this film and the ensuing Cats Escape Pod master plan was soooo weird but in a fun way. It was ridiculous but I loved how creative they got in solving the horrible Titanic problem of “not enough escape pods”
- I was giggling so much at that fun ending, with Kamala parodying Fury at the end of Iron Man 1. I guess they’re finally giving fans hope that a Kid Avengers team might happen!
- Also, oooh, Monica is in the X-Men universe now! I wonder if this might tie into Deadpool 3 in some way, if that’s the start of the whole X-universe integration to the MCU…
or they are super luck 
