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Iman Vellani is Marvel Cinematic Universe’ first Pakistani-American Muslim teen superhero in
Ms. Marvel. The TV series has been the talk of the town, or rather the world, for quite some time. The show premiered on Disney+ on 8th June, and only two episodes have been released till date.
Despite being loved by all and sundry,
Ms. Marvel has contradictory ratings on popular platforms Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb. The show is currently not only the best-reviewed MCU series on Disney Plus, but at a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics. But it is actually the lowest scored MCU series on IMDb based on its user star ratings. Some speculate that it’s being review-bombed: the low score is because users are spamming loads of 1 star reviews.
Here are excerpts of the reviews from some popular publications and critics who have watched and reviewed it:
The Guardian: Ms. Marvel review – a glorious debut for the MCU’s first Muslim superhero
Rating: 5/5
“The star is Iman Vellani, in – incredibly, given her charisma, comic timing and dramatic chops in every scene – her first acting role. Her second will be in the next Marvel film outing,
The Marvels, a sequel to Captain Marvel and focusing on the adventures of Carole Danvers/Captain Marvel and our Ms. Normally, you would fear for a young actor, but Vellani seems so born to the purple that you almost have to shrug and say, as an elder might to a nascent superhero in – oh, I don’t know, the MCU perhaps – that it is her destiny.”
Variety: Ms. Marvel’ brings ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ energy to charming, refreshing new heroine
“It’s undeniably refreshing to see an origin story from the perspective of a Muslim Pakistani American, whose only role in the first wave of Marvel movies might have been handing Captain America a sandwich from behind a bodega counter. Whether exploring Kamala’s life at school, in the mosque with friend Nakia (Yasmeen Fletcher), or at home with her mother (Zenobia Shroff), father (Mohan Kapur, delightful), and brother (Saagar Shaikh), the series makes her specific corner of the world feel fleshed out before too long. And as played with infectious charm by Vellani in her first TV role, Kamala is a believably starry-eyed teenager whose bursting creativity and imagination spill over onto the screen — often literally.”
Rolling Stone: As a coming-of-age tale, ‘Ms. Marvel’ kicks as*. As a superhero origin story, maybe not
“Bisha K. Ali and the other writers have crafted a compelling, smart, funny, and poignant coming-of-age story, and found a terrific young star to embody it in Iman Vellani. In some ways, Kamala’s desire for independence and to pursue different dreams from the ones her parents have for her is familiar from so many similar adolescent tales. At the same time, every one of those conflicts is in some way so informed by Kamala’s heritage and her faith that Ms. Marvel feels distinct from almost everything else on television…”
“But, then, a lot of the super material feels less inspired than the more personal material. No matter how many purple sparks fly from Kamala’s hands, the superhero material ironically lacks energy compared to her arguments with her parents, her and Nakia protesting the condition of the gender-segregated parts of the mosque, or her and handsome new transfer student Kamran (Rish Shah) flirting while discussing their favorite Bollywood films.”
Los Angeles Times: How ‘Ms. Marvel’ breathes new life into the MCU — just when it needs it most
“While the majority of the streamer’s franchise TV series have had difficulty working Marvel’s mythology and tangled narratives into compelling stories that actually make sense, “Ms. Marvel” doesn’t struggle with that issue in the two episodes provided for review. Kamala’s fandom adds just enough context to connect her with the Avenger timeline, even as the series marches to the beat of its own tabla. The series may alienate fans of the MCU who are used to svelte Avengers battling evil in billion-dollar productions. “Ms. Marvel” is a fast-and-loose adaptation of the comic book character, and it’s loaded with creative flourishes that are anything but slick.”
Ms. Marvel has premiered on Disney+ from 8th June. Disney and Marvel have created a special cinema format of the six episode series for Pakistan, split into three parts. Here is the schedule of its screening in cinemas across Pakistan: episode 1 and 2 will debut on 16th June, episodes 3 and 4 will debut on 30th June, and episodes 5 and 6 will debut on 14th July.
