[Review] 'The Marvels' Park Seo-joon, a 5-Minute 'Laughter Hold Challenge'

Movie 'The Marvels' Opens on the 8th

Prince Yan of Music Planet Role Feels Like a One-Time Use
Bad Example of Korean Actor-Driven Marketing
Three Female Heroes Are Charming... Cat Swarm Cheat Key

If that's the case~ they shouldn't have cast Park Seo-joon~♪ Don't do that~♪ The director said he was a fan~♬ He shouldn't have said that either~♩♬

'The Marvels' teaser screen
[Photo by Walt Disney Company Korea]

"What is this?" It's bewildering. Is this 'Speak with Park Seo-joon's song'? I shouldn't laugh, but laughter keeps slipping out. Unexpectedly, it's a 'laughing challenge.' This is a trending phrase meaning 'holding back laughter in a situation where you shouldn't laugh.' Attention is focused on how domestic audiences will react to Park Seo-joon's appearance in his first Hollywood debut, the Marvel movie 'The Marvels.'

The MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) superhero 'Captain Marvel' (2019) sequel, 'The Marvels,' held a press screening and revealed the film on the afternoon of the 7th at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

The film attracted attention from domestic and international audiences as a new Marvel release and a sequel to 'Captain Marvel.' However, due to the ongoing Hollywood actors and broadcast workers union (SAG-AFTRA) strike in the U.S. since July, film promotion has come to a complete halt. It did not generate as much interest as expected before its release.

Nevertheless, domestic audiences showed considerable interest upon hearing that Park Seo-joon would appear in 'The Marvels.' Park Seo-joon plays Prince Yan, the ruler of the planet Aladna. Previous Korean actors who appeared in the MCU include Soo-hyun and Ma Dong-seok, but most of them were Korean-Americans who had lived abroad or had long prepared for activities overseas. In that sense, Park Seo-joon's casting, having actively built a fandom on the domestic stage, was highly anticipated.

'The Marvels' Trailer Video [Photo by Walt Disney Company Korea]

Director Nia DaCosta, who directed the film, openly admitted to being a fan of Park Seo-joon after watching the drama 'Itaewon Class' (2020). It was remarkable that K-content influenced the casting of a domestic actor, not through circulating profiles overseas or auditioning abroad. As the status of K-content rises, the phrase 'entering the U.S. market' has become somewhat meaningless, but joining Marvel was a welcome milestone of a different dimension. Expectations grew about whether Park Seo-joon would play an active role in various MCU series in the future.

Perhaps because expectations were high, Park Seo-joon's appearance in the released film was disappointing. His screen time was about five minutes. Even including the story on the planet Aladna, it was just over ten minutes, very brief. Before the press screening, in a virtual meeting with domestic reporters, the director said, "Though the screen time is short, it is impactful." There was impact. He succeeded in capturing attention in five minutes. But the meaning was different.

The short screen time was regrettable, but the bigger problem was the content. In the film, the heroes protecting the universe?Captain Marvel Carol Danvers (played by Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani)?head to the planet Aladna during their journey. Aladna is a musical planet where the language is not spoken but sung.

The scene where the planet's inhabitants gather and sing evokes an atmosphere reminiscent of India's 'Bollywood.' This also feels uncomfortable, as if it reflects a narrow perspective of white people viewing Asian cultures. Especially in the scene where Park Seo-joon reunites with Brie Larson's Captain Marvel, it's confusing whether to laugh or not.

Park Seo-joon has shown graceful acting in various films and dramas, but in 'The Marvels,' it is disappointing. He had to handle dialogue in English and deliver a commanding voice befitting the ruler of a hero planet, but Prince Yan's portrayal reminds one of 'Surprise.' In modern terms, his 'resilience' (ability to endure) is lacking.

If Korean actors are to be used like this, they shouldn't have been cast. The Korean market is important to Marvel. Most films released domestically have been box office successes. Simply put, it is a profitable market. In that sense, was a Korean actor used just to attract audience interest? Of course, such planning is not necessarily bad. But they should not be consumed as a one-time use.

If the director was a fan of the actor, all the more reason not to consume him like this. After seeing the result, one even suspects that the director's fan remarks were just marketing narratives. Simply put, Park Seo-joon's casting seems to have been just for 'ticket selling.'

'The Marvels' stills [Photo by Walt Disney Company Korea]

'The Marvels' is quite entertaining. Captain Marvel Carol Danvers faces a crisis where her location switches with Monica Rambeau and Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan every time she uses her powers, leading to an unexpected new team play. Dar-Ben (played by Zawe Ashton), the leader of the Kree and a powerful force, appears as the new villain, aiming to destroy Carol Danvers' home planet and the universe. They join forces to stop him.

Carol, who had worked alone, now has a team. The returning Carol is still formidable, and Rambeau and Khan are impressive as well. All three female heroes are attractive?righteous, loyal, and strong. When they come together, their power grows. Each has abilities to absorb light, see through light, and shape light, making the visuals spectacular. The female heroes shine even brighter when together, delivering a satisfying performance.

The appearance of cat heroes like Goose and Pluckiton also adds to the enjoyment. The cat group is truly a 'heart bomber.' Each cat is cute, and their group appearance makes hearts flutter. From the hero Goose who appeared in the previous film and melted audiences' hearts to the kittens and adult cats, all are charming.

Will these virtues of the film be fully conveyed to domestic audiences? The greater regret is that more thought was not given to how Park Seo-joon was utilized. Running time is 105 minutes. Rated 12 and over. Released on November 8.

PS, there is one post-credits scene. It is noted as Marvel's most lackluster post-credits scene ever.