2023 NFL Power Rankings: Week 12

 ()=Previous Ranking

1.(1) Philadelphia Eagles (9-1) Week 12 opponent: Buffalo Bills

2.(3) Detroit Lions (8-2) Week 12 opponent: Green Bay Packers

3.(2) Kansas City Chiefs (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

4.(4) Miami Dolphins (7-3) Week 12 opponent: New York Jets

5.(5) Baltimore Ravens (8-3) Week 12 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

6.(6) San Francisco 49ers (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Seattle Seahawks 

7.(7) Dallas Cowboys (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Washington Commanders

8.(8) Cleveland Browns (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Denver Broncos

9.(9) Jacksonville Jaguars (7-3) Week 12 opponent: Houston Texans

10.(11) Houston Texans (6-4) Week 12 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars 

11.(10) Seattle Seahawks (6-4) Week 12 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

12.(15) Buffalo Bills (6-5) Week 12 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

13.(20) Denver Broncos (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Cleveland Browns

14.(13) Minnesota Vikings (6-5) Week 12 opponent: Chicago Bears

15.(14) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) Week 12 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

16.(16) New Orleans Saints (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

17.(17) Indianapolis Colts (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

18.(12) Cincinnati Bengals (5-5) Week 12 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

19.(18) Los Angeles Chargers (4-6) Week 12 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

20.(26) Los Angeles Rams (4-6) Week 12 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

21.(21) Las Vegas Raiders (5-6) Week 12 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

22.(19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6) Week 12 opponent: Indianapolis Colts

23.(23) Atlanta Falcons (4-6) Week 12 opponent: New Orleans Saints

24.(28) Green Bay Packers (4-6) Week 12 opponent: Detroit Lions 

25.(21) Washington Commanders (4-7) Week 12 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

26.(25) Tennessee Titans (3-7) Week 12 opponent: Carolina Panthers

27.(24) New York Jets (4-6) Week 12 opponent: Miami Dolphins

28.(27) Chicago Bears (3-8) Week 12 opponent: Minnesota Vikings 

29.(31) New York Giants (3-8) Week 12 opponent: New England Patriots

30.(30) New England Patriots (2-8) Week 12 opponent: New York Giants

31.(29) Arizona Cardinals (2-9) Week 12 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

32.(32) Carolina Panthers (1-9) Week 12 opponent: Tennessee Titans

Week 11 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2023 Edition

Quarterback

MVP: Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars)

After his faceplant against the 49ers in Week 10, Lawrence took full advantage of the softer matchup against the Titans this week by putting together his clear best performance of the season (262 YDS, 2 TD's, 17 Rushing YDS, 2 TD's). Lawrence will hope to parlay this exceptional showing into the beginning of a hot streak in Week 12 against a Texans team that he played pretty poorly against back in Week 3.

Honorable Mentions: Brock Purdy (49ers), Justin Herbert (Chargers), Lamar Jackson (Ravens)

LVP: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

Mahomes probably would've been in the running for MVP if Travis Kelce hadn't fumbled in the redzone or he had just 1 wide receiver with serviceable hands. But alas, that didn't happen and he ended up with a pretty pedestrian line (177 YDS/2 TD's/INT/38 Rushing YDS) in a frankly stunning loss to the Eagles last night. Mahomes supporting cast on offense has been bad enough this year to cause him to have average-to-below-average performances with a far greater degree of regularity than usual and unless his receivers start using banned substances to help them catch passes, that will likely remain the case the rest of the way.   

Dishonorable Mentions: Jared Goff (Lions), Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Joshua Dobbs (Vikings)

Running Back

MVP: Saquon Barkley (Giants) 

The top beneficiary of Brian Daboll actually allowing Tommy DeVito to throw the ball against the Commanders abysmal pass defense was Barkley. The star running back caught 4 passes for 57 YDS and 2 TD's while also contributing 83 YDS on the ground on just 14 carries as the Giants picked up a victory that was good for locker room morale and horrible for their 2024 draft position. Barkley will have another golden opportunity to clean up against a reeling Patriots team that would greatly benefit from losing on Sunday.  

Honorable Mentions: Gus Edwards (Ravens), Christian McCaffery (49ers), Devin Singletary (Texans)

LVP: Najee Harris (Steelers)

Stop me if you heard this before but Harris got severely outplayed by Jaylen Warren against the Browns this past week. While Harris turned his 13 touches (12 carries, 1 reception) into a measly 36 scrimmage YDS, Warren picked up 145 YDS and a score on 12. Matt Canada getting ousted as OC today is the perfect opportunity for the Steelers to put Harris on the bench where he belongs. Fantasy managers should follow suit. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Derrick Henry (Titans), Austin Ekeler (Chargers), Josh Jacobs (Raiders)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Calvin Ridley (Jaguars)

Ridley put together one hell of a slump-buster performance against the Titans in Week 10, securing 7 catches for 103 YDS and 2 TD's while further sweetening the pot with an 18-YD carry. What version of Ridley will show on Sunday in Houston is anyone's guess, but he'll be hard to sit after a performance like this.

Honorable Mentions: Tyreek Hill (Dolphins), Tank Dell (Texans), Brandon Aiyuk (49ers

LVP: Garrett Wilson (Jets)

Wilson racks up so many damn catches each week that he's remained a solid enough fantasy option despite the staggering ineptitude of the Jets offense. His seemingly long-overdue awful performance arrived in Week 11 as he managed only 2 catches for 9 YDS and lost a fumble in a blowout loss versus the Bills. A whole lot more bleak days could be on the horizon for Wilson as the Jets have benched Zach Wilson in favor of Tim Boyle-who is one of the only QB's in the league right now that's less qualified to start than Zach Wilson.    

Dishonorable Mentions: A.J. Brown (Eagles), Marquise Brown (Cardinals), Stefon Diggs (Bills)

Tight End

MVP: George Kittle (49ers)

Kittle was all over the place on Sunday against the Bucs porous pass defense, reeling in 8 catches for 89 YDS and a TD as the 49ers cruised to a victory. With Mark Andrews likely out for the year after sustaining an ankle/fibula injury last week, Kittle officially moves into top 3 overall TE territory and becomes even more indispensable to the people who have him on their team . 

LVP: Tyler Higbee (Rams)

Even Cooper Kupp exiting the game with an ankle sprain wasn't enough to get Higbee involved in the passing game against the Seahawks. Ultimately, he caught just 1-of-3 targets for 17 YDS and got outscored by nearly every TE that stepped on the field this week. With Kyren Williams reportedly in line to be activated off IR for this week's game with the Cardinals, Higbee's already limited target share is at risk of dipping even lower. He's a safe drop option in any league that has less than 14 teams. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Cole Kmet (Bears), Evan Engram (Jaguars), Pat Friermuth (Steelers)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Cowboys

In a development that should shock no one, the Cowboys defense absolutely feasted on the Panthers struggling rookie QB and league-worst offensive line. Dan Quinn's group picked up 7 sacks, a fumble recovery and a pick 6 by Da'Ron Bland and only allowed 10 points in yet another blowout victory in 2023 for the 'Boys. They'll face the Commanders in Week 12.

Honorable Mentions: Bills, Dolphins, 49ers

LVP: Jets 

A pissed-off Josh Allen and even-worse-than-usual performance from their own offense was a recipe that led to the Jets D surrendering 32 points to the Bills while only picking up a single sack and takeaway to offset the damage of the high point total they allowed. They'll be a tough sell as a starter for this week's contest with the Dolphins.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Lions, Eagles, Ravens

Joaquin Phoenix Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Joaquin Phoenix-whose latest project "Napoleon" releases in theaters tomorrow. 

Joaquin Phoenix's Filmography Ranked:

17.Joker (D-)

16.The Village (D+)

15.Signs (C-)

14.Ladder 49 (C)

13.The Sisters Brothers (C)

12.Irrational Man (C)

11.You Were Never Really Here (C)

10.Clay Pigeons (B-)

9.Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (B)

8.We Own the Night (B)

7.Beau is Afraid (B)

6.Hotel Rwanda (B)

5.Walk the Line (B)

4.C'mon C'mon (B+)

3.To Die For (B+)

2.Her (B+)

1.Gladiator (A)

Top Dog: Gladiator (2000)

The last time Phoenix and Ridley Scott collaborated on a big period action epic prior to Napoleon, the results were really special. While undeniably cheesy, Gladiator is one of those badass, wildly entertaining pieces of meathead entertainment that hits all of the right notes with its action sequences, rousing monologues and melodramatic story beats.   

Bottom Feeder: Joker (2019)

Turns out the guy behind Old School and The Hangover trilogy isn't all that great at making serious movies. But what makes Joker particularly painful to endure is that Todd Phillips thinks that he's fucking terrific at it. In fact, he spends the entire movie patting himself on the back for having the vision to reimagine The King of Comedy as an origin story for an iconic Batman villain. Joker's self-congratulatory nature-particularly regarding its approach to its social commentary on how "the system" fails people with mental illness and the shock value of its violence-turns what is supposed to be this profound, disturbing psychological character study into an insufferable piece of trash that is so desperate to be taken seriously that it becomes embarrassing.            

Most Underrated: To Die For (1995)

Right before he went onto the make the biggest hit of his career to date in Good Will Hunting, Gus Van Sant made a very different but similarly excellent film in To Die For. This darkly comedic satire about a local news reporter (Nicole Kidman) who dreams of becoming a star who enlists three naïve teenagers (Phoenix, Casey Affleck, Alison Folland) to murder her husband (Matt Dillon) who doesn't support her Hollywood aspirations takes some sharp shots at America's obsessions with celebrity and tabloid culture while also serving as an early showcase for Kidman and Phoenix's willingness to go to really ugly places on screen.

Most Overrated: Joker (2019)

The following films more received more Oscar nominations than Joker in 2019:

The following films won more Oscars than Joker in 2019:

Parasite 

1917

This is by far my least favorite movie or awards fact in recent history. I would pay a good $20 to have it erased from my memory permanently. If Phillips can repeat this feat in the upcoming musical sequel that features a method-acting Lady Gaga next year, there will likely be a new winner for my least movie or awards fact in recent history.  

Michael Fassbender Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Michael Fassbender-whose latest project "Next Goal Wins" opens in theaters tonight.

Michael Fassbender's Filmography Ranked:

16.The Counselor (D) 

15.Haywire (D)

14.Jonah Hex (D+)

13.Alien: Covenant (D+)

12.Slow West (C-)

11.Shame (C)

10.Prometheus (B-)

9.Dark Phoenix (B)

8.12 Years a Slave (B)

7.X-Men: Apocalypse (B+)

6.X-Men: First Class (A-)

5.Steve Jobs (A-)

4.The Killer (A-)

3.X-Men: Days of Future Past (A)

2.300 (A)

1.Inglorious Basterds (A)

Top Dog: Inglorious Basterds (2009)

The start of Tarantino's ongoing alternate history-era marked an incredible return to form for him after the misstep (by his lofty standards at least) that was Death Proof. Tarantino is able to blend dark comedy, nerve-rattling tension and cathartic, over-the-top action in this engrossing interconnected story that follows an elite squad of Nazi hunters (Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, Fassbender, Til Schweiger, B.J. Novak, Gedeon Burkhard), a movie theater owner (Melanie Laurent) looking for revenge and ruthless Nazi colonel (Christoph Waltz) as they slowly work towards their paths converging in Nazi-occupied France in 1944. It's one of the best films of Tarantino's storied career and probably the one released in the 21st Century that's had the biggest cultural impact.  

Bottom Feeder: The Counselor (2013)

The most interesting and infuriating thing about Ridley Scott as a director is that truly any quality outcome is possible with his films. He's made several masterpieces, completely unwatchable pieces of shit and basically everything else in between over the course his remarkable 5+ decade career in film. The Counselor is near the top (or bottom, depending on how you look at it) of the "Completely Unwatchable Piece of Shit" list. Despite an intriguing premise surrounding a naïve American lawyer (Fassbender) who realizes far too late that getting involved in the Mexican drug trade can have deadly consequences, The Counselor manages to be a brutally dull and disjointed affair with a rushed, awkward narrative and some really horrendous performances from Fassbender, Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz.        

Most Underrated: X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Yes, X-Men: Apocalypse is a silly movie that didn't completely sustain the momentum built up by its excellent predecessors First Class and Days of Future Past . But damn it, I still think it's a whole lot of fun and gets far more shit than it deserves. 

Most Overrated: Alien: Covenant (2017)

While I wasn't the biggest fan of Prometheus, it was at least a semi-respectable prequel to Alien that had a handful of sufficiently nasty scenes that shared some DNA with the most memorable body horror moments of the original. Alien: Covenant, on the other hand, is a pretty much useless film that sees Ridley Scott bid farewell to the franchise that launched his career into overdrive with a booming thud. Outside of an unintentionally  hilarious sequence involving one character teaching another how to play the flute, it's a shockingly lifeless affair with boring kills, predictable plot twists and real no reason to exist other than to add more useless lore to a universe that really doesn't need it.  

2023 NFL Power Rankings: Week 11

 ()=Previous Ranking

1.(1) Philadelphia Eagles (8-1) Week 11 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

2.(2) Kansas City Chiefs (7-2) Week 11 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

3.(7) Detroit Lions (7-2) Week 11 opponent: Chicago Bears

4.(4) Miami Dolphins (6-3) Week 11 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

5.(3) Baltimore Ravens (7-3) Week 11 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals 

6.(8) San Francisco 49ers (6-3) Week 11 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

7.(9) Dallas Cowboys (6-3) Week 11 opponent: Carolina Panthers

8.(10) Cleveland Browns (6-3) Week 11 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

9.(5) Jacksonville Jaguars (6-3) Week 11 opponent: Tennessee Titans

10.(12) Seattle Seahawks (6-3) Week 11 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

11.(14) Houston Texans (5-4) Week 11 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

12.(6) Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) Week 11 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

13.(16) Minnesota Vikings (6-4) Week 11 opponent: Denver Broncos

14.(15) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) Week 11 opponent: Cleveland Browns

15.(11) Buffalo Bills (5-5) Week 11 opponent: New York Jets

16.(13) New Orleans Saints (5-5) Week 11 opponent: Bye

17.(20) Indianapolis Colts (5-5) Week 11 opponent: Bye

18.(17) Los Angeles Chargers (4-5) Week 11 opponent: Green Bay Packers

19.(22) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5) Week 11 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

20.(25) Denver Broncos (4-5) Week 11 opponent: Minnesota Vikings 

21.(24) Las Vegas Raiders (5-5) Week 11 opponent: Miami Dolphins

22.(21) Washington Commanders (4-6) Week 11 opponent: New York Giants

23.(18) Atlanta Falcons (4-6) Week 11 opponent: Bye

24.(19) New York Jets (4-5) Week 11 opponent: Buffalo Bills

25.(23) Tennessee Titans (3-6) Week 11 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars

26.(26) Los Angeles Rams (3-6) Week 11 opponent: Seattle Seahawks 

27.(28) Chicago Bears (3-7) Week 11 opponent: Detroit Lions

28.(27) Green Bay Packers (3-6) Week 11 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

29.(32) Arizona Cardinals (2-8) Week 11 opponent: Houston Texans

30.(29) New England Patriots (2-8) Week 11 opponent: Bye

31.(30) New York Giants (2-8) Week 11 opponent: Washington Commanders

32.(31) Carolina Panthers (1-8) Week 11 opponent: Dallas Cowboys  

Week 10 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2023 Edition

Quarterback:

MVP: Dak Prescott (Cowboys)

In the Cowboys Week 1 blowout win over the Giants, the defense and special teams ensured that Dak's services as quarterback weren't needed much. In the Cowboys Week 10 blowout win over the Giants, he got his time to shine. His Madden-esque performance (404 YDS, 4 TD's, INT, 17 Rushing YDS, TD) was so good that he got to finish the day on the bench while backup Cooper Rush guided one final TD drive against their helpless division rivals. Dak could be in line for another effortlessly brilliant performance this week when they take on the helpless Panthers.     

Honorable Mentions: Justin Herbert (Chargers), Josh Dobbs (Vikings), Sam Howell (Commanders)

LVP: Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars)

The 49ers defense' recent struggles came to an end on Sunday and nobody on the planet is more aware of that fact than Lawrence. He got absolutely pummeled by their pass rush and was completely out of sync all afternoon-which shows in his horrendous, turnover-riddled line (185 YDS, 0 TD, 2 INT, 7 Rushing YDS, FUM Lost). Lawrence has a good chance of quickly getting back on track when he faces the Titans in Week 11. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Josh Allen (Bills), Will Levis (Titans)

Running Back:

MVP: Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions)

There were several stars on the Lions offense during their tremendous performance in a full-blown shootout with the Chargers but only one of those guys found the endzone twice. In addition to the 2 scores, Gibbs put up an impressive 112 scrimmage YDS (77 rushing, 35 receiving) on just 17 touches. Since being freed from the bench a few weeks back, Gibbs has been electric and it would be downright negligent if Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson didn't continue to prominently feature him in the offense. 

Honorable Mentions: Brian Robinson Jr. (Commanders), Devin Singletary (Texans), Austin Ekeler (Chargers)

LVP: Derrick Henry (Titans)

Another game with Will Levis under center, another disheartening dud from Henry. The workhorse back only earned 12 touches (11 carries and 1 reception) on Sunday and did very little with them (20 YDS) as the Titans got smacked around by the Bucs on the road. Henry could be in line for his 3rd straight dud as the Titans have to go up against the Jags and their stout rush D in Week 11.

Dishonorable Mentions: Travis Etienne Jr. (Jaguars), Alexander Mattison (Vikings), Tony Pollard (Cowboys)

Wide Receiver:

MVP: Keenan Allen (Chargers)

Unlike the Lions who got contributions from numerous backs and receivers during the shootout, Allen and Austin Ekeler were basically the only ones helping Justin Herbert tear apart the opposing  defense. Allen put forth one of the best games of his career- registering a whopping 11 receptions for 175 YD and 2 TD's in yet another Bolts loss where the offense isn't to blame. With the nagging finger injury on Herbert's non-throwing hand now seemingly healed, Allen could be in line for a hell of a fantasy stretch run- which would only further solidify his status as one of the best value picks of 2023 at any position.

Honorable Mentions: CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys), Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions), Mike Evans (Buccaneers) 

LVP: Jahan Dotson (Commanders)

Just when everybody thought Dotson had finally turned a corner this season, he regressed right back to his slumping ways. Not only did Dotson finish the contest against the Seahawks with a big goose egg on the stat sheet, Sam Howell only targeted him twice on a day where attempted 44 passes and threw for 312 YDS and 3 TD's. Where Dotson actually stands in the passing hierarchy in Washington is a complete and total mystery right now and his trick-or-treat nature is something fantasy owners are just going to have to live with if they elect to put him into their lineups. This debate should be particularly heated this week as the Commanders are set to take on a Giants secondary that just got torched by CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Diontae Johnson (Steelers), Calvin Ridley (Jaguars), Marquise Brown (Cardinals)

Tight End:

MVP: T.J. Hockenson (Vikings)

Josh Dobbs might not know much about his new playing environment in Minnesota right now, but he made fast friends with Hockenson in Week 11. The star tight end put on a major show against a dumbfounded Saints defense-securing 11 catches for 134 YDS and a TD as the Vikings improved to 2-0 with Dobbs under center. While Justin Jefferson's imminent return from a hamstring injury is going to reduce Hockenson's target share, the valuable reps he's picked up with Dobbs over the past couple weeks could give him a leg up over Jefferson for the rest of the season.

Honorable Mentions: George Kittle (49ers), Trey McBride (Cardinals), Dalton Kincaid (Bills)

LVP: Evan Engram (Jaguars)

Engram had no chance to shine on Sunday with Lawrence playing so poorly against the 49ers and it relegated him to a glamourless checkdown role as he finished the game with 4 catches for 12 YDS. He'll be back in the TE1 picture for this week's showdown with the Titans. 

Dishonorable Mentions: Taysom Hill (Saints), Kyle Pitts (Falcons), Hunter Henry (Patriots)

Defense/Special Teams:

MVP: 49ers

This was a pretty easy one to assume based on all of the Jaguars offense bashing I've done in this piece. The damage this defense did to Jacksonville on their home field was astounding (5 sacks, 2 INT, 2 FUM REC) as they played a significant role in the 34-3 win. A Bucs offense that has struggled against teams with winning records all season long awaits the 49ers next.

Honorable Mentions: Browns, Ravens, Buccaneers 

LVP: Saints 

Based on this past Sunday's performance alone, it would be impossible to buy that the Saints are one of the best defenses in the league. They were listless and supremely ineffective-logging 0 takeaways and just 1 sack-as Josh Dobbs and T.J. Hockenson diced them up all game long in a 27-19 loss. They're on bye this week, but expect them to be a waiver-wire favorite once they return to action in Week 12 as they have dates with the Falcons, Panthers and Giants lined up for this pivotal portion of the fantasy calendar.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Falcons, Seahawks, Bills

Movie Review: The Marvels

Fair or not, The Marvels is a case of the wrong movie at the wrong time for the Marvel machine. A combination of the lack of a coherent connected narrative in the Multiverse era, oversaturation of the marketplace via the Disney+ series and their signature on-the-fly, last-minute-tweak approach to writing, editing and constructing VFX finally leading to an extended string of a projects that weren't well-received by fans has the MCU in the bleakest place its been in at least a decade, if not ever. A low stakes team-up movie between characters that aren't among the heaviest hitters in their universe just isn't the kind of thing that was going to restore the shaken confidence and diminishing interest of the viewers that have started to check out on this world .

Now, does this mean The Marvels is some kind of irredeemable disgrace to the cinematic artform? Not at all. The power-swapping device that brings the lead trio (Brie Larson's Carol Danvers, Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau, Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan) together for this adventure paves the way for some fun action sequences, the chemistry between the three leads is pretty good and there's a couple of weird, whacky scenes that provide some of the biggest laughs I've gotten out of a Marvel movie in a while. However, these bright spots aren't enough to stop it from falling into the dreaded "Fine but Ultimately Forgettable Superhero Movie Bucket"-in large part due to several of Marvel's biggest long-standing institutional problems looming large over the film. 

First of all, its glaringly apparent that Kevin Feige and co. significantly meddled with the final product. The flow of the film-particularly in the second act-is clunky and it feels like a handful of scenes were haphazardly cut out in order to get the runtime down. Director Nia DaCosta has said recently in interviews that she always wanted the movie to be under 2 hours and while that very well could be true, it's hard to believe that someone with her degree of directorial skill would assemble a cut that features the exact type of roughness that is traditionally associated with a project that had the hands of many a studio shot caller all over it.   

Then, there's the typical half-baked, boring Marvel villain in Zawe Ashton's Dar-Benn. While her motivations are clear and simple enough (Danvers did severe damage to her planet and she wants to return the favor by using the power of some magical space bangle to destroy her home), her arc is really underwritten and the whole "annihilate Danvers" angle is diametrically opposed to the goofy nature of the rest of the film-which leads to some strange tonal shifts whenever the narrative is focusing on Benn that draw further attention to the presence of all the corporate cooks in the kitchen. Perhaps their recent struggles and the extra time they got to contemplate their future strategy while their bosses refused to pay to their writers and actors will get Feige to do the right thing and either allow the people he hired to make movies to just do their thing or simply not start shooting something until the script is in good enough to do so.   

It sucks that Larson, Parris, Vellani and DaCosta-who all did solid work here-will forever be linked to The Marvels creative and commercial failures. They're merely the unlucky bunch that got left paying the bill for a string of fuck-ups, oversights and bad creative practices that had nothing to do with them at a time where audiences have finally started to grow sick of the way of that Marvel does business. 

Despite the wishes of some cinephiles on Twitter, the MCU isn't going anywhere. But if they want to have the works of their non-juggernaut characters continue to make money moving forward, they're going to have to step their shit up from a quality control standpoint. Their days of assembling mediocre-to-decent projects on a whim with no financial consequences are officially over and it's going to take some serious retooling to win the skeptics back. Whether they're capable of doing it or not is another question entirely, but the theatrical industry needs as many hits as possible to ensure its survival and for me at least, that alone is enough of a reason to root for their success in doing so.                    

Grade: B-