Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) has been plagued by disease since childhood, but this brilliant mind refuses to sit still and let sickness control his life. Along with Morbius, his best friend Milo (Matt Smith), too, is sick to the point that he may not survive much longer. Dr. Morbius has dedicated years to research and he’s finally found a cure. When that cure has horrific side effects, Morbius and Milo will struggle with life in new and unexpected ways. No good deed goes unpunished, and that’s the predicament in which Morbius finds himself.
After Spider-Man: No Way Home back in December of 2021, the world eagerly awaited the next Marvel film. Morbius is the first Marvel film to grace the silver screen since their previous success with the aforementioned Spider-Man film–and expectations, appropriately, were high. Over the course of the past few weeks, however, critic reviews have come to light saying nothing but negative things about the vampire film–and I was determined to find something positive to say about Morbius, but it’s hard. I had to dive deep into the film in order to find something to like, and honestly, the best part of the entire film are the two post-credit scenes.
What Marvel has done better than most other superhero franchises is insert comedy into their stories that are full of emotion, creating an amazing balance between the two. Morbius omits comedy, at least it omits it in the way that viewers have come to expect from Marvel. Leto’s Morbius is very matter of fact, and the characters surrounding him fail to introduce comedy to the world. It appears that Al Madrigal (Agent Rodriguez) is meant to be the comic relief throughout the course of Morbius, but his inability to connect with viewers leaves the film feeling flat and unappealing. The comedy fails, and much of the anticipation that I had for the film was thrown out the window as a result.
In general the acting isn’t bad, but Matt Smith tilts the scales in the direction of something quite horrid. He’s difficult to look at, his voice is terribly annoying, and he’s spectacularly below average in the field of acting. He struggles to convey emotion, and opposite the talented Leto he comes off even worse. Morbius struggles a great deal anyway, but the presence of Smith in the film makes it all the more troublesome.
Morbius is suffocating as a result of the cinematography. A good portion of the film is shot from low angles and in confined spaces, and there were times when I actually felt claustrophobic. I understand that much of the cinematography is meant to put viewers in the shoes of the film’s struggling protagonist, but what it does instead is frustrate viewers, making them feel uncomfortable and unhappy with the finished product.
The film’s saving grace is the fact that it’s a Marvel product, and regardless of what the film can or cannot accomplish on its own, it plays a role in the grand scheme of an ever-changing and constantly developing world. It’s this reason alone that allows Morbius to find some success rather than simply crumbling and becoming entirely obsolete.
Morbius is the most disappointing Marvel film in years, maybe even in the past fifteen years. It fails to ever really establish its characters, the cinematography is poor, and the narrative present is ultimately unappealing. In order to appreciate Director Daniel Espinosa’s Morbius, you have to be familiar with the massive narrative present in the Marvel movie universe, but without this knowledge or attachment, Morbius is sure to be lost on you. If you love Marvel and its many films, I encourage you to see this film once (do yourself a favor and don’t watch it multiple times), but if you’re just looking for something new to watch I implore you not to waste your time with the unrelenting ramblings of Espinosa and his crew.
Directed by Daniel Espinosa.
Written by Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Roy Thomas, & Gil Kane.
Starring Jared Leto, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Matt Smith, Tyrese Gibson, Al Madrigal, Michael Keaton, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
Comments