Secret Invasion

Marvel has been struggling to recapture the success of its earlier years. Their recent films and series are lackluster, barely reaching the quality of even the most average works from five years ago. Secret Invasion starts off fairly strong, with Samuel L. Jackson delivering as usual. However, as the story progresses, it devolves into a routine, uninspired mess. Even the opening sequence, created entirely by AI, lacks creativity. Only the music manages to stay somewhat on par. (08/08/2023)

The lapses in logic and the weird handling of the characters ruin the whole thing. What good is a great parallel with disgruntled migrants if it gets lost in the end? What's the point of perfectly timing the Russian border conflict with the war in Ukraine and planting the idea of Putin being a Skrull when whenever it could be potentially interesting everyone starts acting like idiots and knocking the whole thing down? And the CGI-packed finale is utterly pointless. It’s still watchable, but what a shame! (26/07/2023)

I was quite looking forward to the Secret Invasion because it seemed to me like a slightly more down-to-earth and serious event than what Marvel produces not only in their series. I don't like the comic book source material very much, so I don't mind the traditional changes in the live-action production this time, but overall it just wasn't a sophisticated masterpiece, just a seven-point drama with maybe even too grandiose finale with good actors. I would swear by Samuel L. Jackson in any role (too bad he's not at least ten years younger), Mendelsohn has had better roles already (he's divine in The Outsider); as for newcomers, I was probably most impressed by Emile Clarke, whom I also find suitable in anything, although I might be in the minority. Someone who didn't fit in here at all is Olivia Colman, who seems to me to be greatly overrated in her role of recent years and overplays it again in the style of some costume dramas, I just didn't believe her in her badass position. And the main villain is also weaker. In general, I preferred the series production of the now-ended division of Marvel Entertainment, but those times will simply not come back. I am curious whether in the coming years Marvel will really switch tracks, because it is heading into a dead end. Although this project ends up being above average, but this time there are no numbers. (26/07/2023)

I'm not sure what everyone is complaining about, because Secret Invasion is a very enjoyable four hours with a good plot, characters and overall development. It's certainly not an A-list blockbuster like the "old Marvel" used to be, and it's certainly not a series that any of us would return to or see in a better-than-average light, but it's still solid stuff that wasn't boring at all. The final minutes don't lure in any good cliffhanger, and the lack of a post-credit scene is disappointing, but in sum, it's a relaxing and okay piece of work. (31/07/2023)