_Ms. Marvel_ works well as a relatable origin story that should appeal to many viewers, but the narrative falters when it shifts toward cosmic elements due to underdeveloped antagonists and questionable writing decisions. I was initially quite pleased with how much I enjoyed _Ms. Marvel_. The high school setting felt fresh, since there’s really only one hero in the MCU who is around that age. Kamala Khan seemed like an extension of the audience—a huge fan whose lifelong ambition was to become a hero herself. Seeing her interactions with her family and friends as she tried to fit in while also avoiding her parents' overprotectiveness was genuinely enjoyable. I did think her parents’ concerns felt exaggerated and not entirely believable, because Kamala is portrayed as a respectful daughter who is upfront with them. Despite that, there are numerous heartfelt conversations with her family throughout the series that feel very real and sincere. My heart warmed whenever her father spoke; he brought such a sense of calm to the entire family. Things started to go wrong for me after the first couple of episodes. The Karachi-based episodes felt disjointed. Kamala’s connections and conversations with her mother and grandmother were significant moments for her character's development, but introducing the Red Daggers felt rushed and somewhat cheesy. The villains introduced during that stretch weren't particularly interesting because there was very little buildup to the conflict. They are essentially dropped into the show a third of the way through and given a lengthy explanation about why they’re after Kamala. The audience doesn’t get a chance to connect with them or understand them beyond a superficial level. This issue is only worsened in the final episode, when the villain changes abruptly, leaving me confused. The acting was generally acceptable. Iman Velani shines as Ms. Marvel; I found her enthusiasm and connection to the character very authentic, and any criticisms I have of the show aren’t related to her performance—she was excellent. Yasmeen Fletcher, Zenobia Shroff, and Mohan Kapur also delivered wonderful performances that resonated with me. The conversations they shared with Kamala, which helped guide her journey, were captivating and sometimes brought tears to my eyes. Matt Lintz and the other villains, however, were pretty unremarkable. There were too many lines that felt awkward, and while some of that was due to poor writing (as all actors had moments where their dialogue seemed off), these characters’ performances often felt stilted. The action sequences are fairly average as well. A few scenes with Kamala are obviously CGI and look like they came straight out of a late 2000s video game. I can't help but wonder why they didn't do it practically, using green screen boxes that could be edited out. However, there were also some scenes with interesting camera angles and minimal cuts that I appreciated. _Ms. Marvel_ is a good introduction to Kamala Khan as a character, and even though the story takes a noticeable downturn after episode two, it still manages to finish relatively well, leaving me looking forward to what’s next in The Marvels. Score: _65%_ Verdict: _Decent_

Source on TMDB