After the one-two punch of Ant-Man Wasp Quantumania and Secret Invasion, I was denouncing Marvel. The writer's strike, the Variety expose from a few weeks ago, the artists complaining about crunch... Films that have moved the ball more for the larger MCU but not the characters have been really frustrating me.

There have been a few bright spots, though, that have kept me interested. Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk remain some of my absolute favorite things Marvel have done in this phase. I've hated that I've seen so many knives out for this film before it was released from a certain subset of fans who disliked Brie Larson and her stances on issues that threaten her existence as an LGBQTIA person. Who think Marvels inclusiveness in championing stories of their women characters are harming their muddled mess of hero soup.

I've looked at so many reviews who disparage the in media res opening of this film as disorienting, when that seems to be what Nia Dacosta is going for. If you don't know these heroes before this film, DaCosta doesn't want you to have to sit through long origin stories, she wants to get to the action and have fun. And those opening 30 minutes are the most fun I've had at a Marvel movie in several years now.

It helps that Iman Vellani is an absolute delight as Kamala Khan, the most perfect casting Marvel has ever made. She and her family are the heart and core of this movie, and it's always an utter delight to see her living life as the character and writing comics on the character and the larger agency she has.

This film starts filling in some gaps of the 30 years between Captain Marvel and The Marvels of what Carol Danvers has done as well, which really chips away at arguments others have had with the character from that film. She was not a perfect hero. She has layers and flaws and things she has done she still needs to help correct, lessons learned the hard way for multiple people...

And then there is Teyonah Parris, Monica Rambeau/Photon, the girl who was always waiting for Danvers to live up to the promises she made. Another portion of this story is seeing how Rambeau has become so much more guarded and different since getting powers in Wandavision.

Suffice to say, the film is at it's absolute strongest and most fun when the trio are together. The focus on these characters Dacosta brings from things like her film "Little Woods" (seek that out if you haven't seen it) really highlight a good portion of this film.

Does this have some flaws? Oh yes. The villain is essentially inconsequential glowing plot box chaser and cataclysm creator with thin, thin motivations. So, your typical Marvel villain in any production post Thanos.

There's some dodgy CGI/art sequences (that inevitable crunch still lingering). And worst of all is the Marvel machine working to connect this to things in the MCU I could give a rat's ass about seeing happen, namely a way to bring the X-Men into the larger milieu of things to come. I like the X-Men, don't get me wrong, but I don't need that interconnectedness in this film at all.

Where this film truly shines for me is the humor. Goose remains the absolute best space cat, and there is a sequence with a needledrop in the top of the third act that the second I heard it paired with the visuals literally had my sides splitting with laughter. Added with Vellani absolutely hamming it up on a planet where people sing to communicate, the Khan family's reaction to all the weird stuff they're witnessing around them...

And it comes in at a breezy 105 minutes. I love comic book movies that can contain there story to the length a big gulp makes "you have to go to a bathroom now!" a non-concern.

I had an utter delight with this movie and wish more people give this a chance before shitting on it. If for no utter reason, see this if you love Vellani as Kamala Khan. You won't be disappointed at all there.