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| Iman Villani, left, plays Kamala Khan, and her alter ego Ms. Marvel. |
REVIEW:
Based on the first two episodes of the Ms. Marvel Disney series, I have to say: I'm loving it!
This Disney series opens the door to what it means being a South Asian American; being a product of two cultures: one full of tradition and ancient beliefs from India and the constantly changing and shifting culture of modern day America.
At its roots, it's a coming-of-age story; but from from a fresh point of view from the eyes of an immigrant girl struggling to find balance between the two cultures, trying not to pit one over the other, but more like accepting both side-by-side.
The clash of cultures, the mixing of new and old to create something new: that's the dilemma faced by most Asian Americans, not only by identify-seeking teenagers like the central character, Kamala Khan played by newcomer Iman Villani, but also for her parents, who think are also trying to adjust to a new way of thinking but still clinging to the traditions that they were raised with.
That's one of the beautiful aspects of the series, it doesn't give us easy either-or answers to how to navigate the confusion created by not quite fitting in either world; it shows us that there are two sides to every question and the solutions aren't necessarily clear-cut.
Of all the (limited) series about Asian Americans, (All-American Girl, Fresh Off the Boat and Never Have I Ever,) Ms Marvel gives us one of the best glimpse of the world of South Asian Americans and Muslim Americans without hammering down on the obvious: the immigrant parents with their traditional views of raising a proper Pakistani child and the Americanized child who idolizes comic book heroine Captain Marvel of the Avengers.
All this takes place in a treasure trove of ethnic references, there is perhaps the the first depiction of the celebration Eid ("the minor one") on TV; mispronouncement of names ("My name is Ka-ma-la!"); rushing to prayers, the loss of shoes ("the shoe thief strikes again"); the secondary role of Muslim women (it's hard to pay attention with the screen blocking tour view"); the Bollywood references (which I got lost in since I'm not into that genre -- yet) and the debate over Indian movie stars SRK (Shah Rukh Khan) and Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani).
I imagine the ethnic references evoked cheers among South Asian viewers hungry for representation. (It went over my head but I appreciate the writers' unapologetic approach prompting some Google searches.)
Even the New Jersey references coming from Kamala's parents, Jon Bon Jovi fans, are funny and remind us that they have had to adapt to the U.S. just like their daughter,
I recommend that viewers who like Ms. Marvel should also watch the accompanying behind-the-scenes short. You'll discover that the reason the 19-year old Iman is so good playing Kamala, is because she is so similar to the character she plays.
"There is so much of Kamala in her because I think Kamala has the same type of view of the world," said producer Sana Amanat, Ms. Marvel's co-creator, to Entertainment. "She looks at the world with eager and hopeful eyes, and I think Iman does that, too. You can't help but root for her and be drawn to her. There are just so many similarities that it felt like such a natural fit to see her put on the costume for the first time [or] see her go into the Khan house for the first time. It just made sense. There's no other Kamala than Iman Vellani."
"There is so much of Kamala in her because I think Kamala has the same type of view of the world," said producer Sana Amanat, Ms. Marvel's co-creator, to Entertainment. "She looks at the world with eager and hopeful eyes, and I think Iman does that, too. You can't help but root for her and be drawn to her. There are just so many similarities that it felt like such a natural fit to see her put on the costume for the first time [or] see her go into the Khan house for the first time. It just made sense. There's no other Kamala than Iman Vellani."
The Pakistani Canadian actress is, like Kamala, is a real geeky fan of the Marvel superheroes. Her wide-eyed innocence on the show easily reflects the same excitement and wonderment she is experiencing as an actress in her first professional gig for Disney. Her expressive face is able to convey every high and low of a teenager struggling with fitting in, teenage crushes and trying to find her own racial identity. Add on to all the complications of getting use to her new found powers and getting used to the idea of being a superhero. Put all of that together and you can't help to cheer for and for AANHPI of all ages, someone you can relate to..
Despite the mostly rave reviews by critics, Ms. Marvel is suffering one of the lowest ratings of any Marvel product which can be explained by several troubling factors.
One, unlike other Marvel superheroes, Kamala Khan is much younger, which, while appealing to a younger audience may cause older fans to think the storyline and character is too juvenile. Really? Relating to beings with super powers is more adult?
The other reasons are more complicated and more related to the tenor of the times we live in.
First, Kamala Khan is a girl; second she is a girl of color; third, she is Muslim; all elements that tends to stir up two major constituencies: the teenage boys who prefer their Marvel heroines in tight-fitting spandex and playing second fiddle to the male heroes; and a sector of the audience who prefer their heroes to be White and (presumably) Christian and believe Ms. Marvel is just another sign of the diminishing white power structure.
When Captain Marvel first came out in the comic books and onscreen, the same insecure element came out protesting the gender takeover.
Unfortunately, those bandwagon fans who don't know the intricacies of the Marvel Comic Universe (MCU) believe that the Pakistani Ms. Marvel is taking over the White Captain Marvel. To be clear, they are two separate characters, who will (we are told) eventually team up in a future Marvel production.
As a result of the show being the target of bomb-reviews giving a bunch of 1-ratings countering, the generally higher reviews (9s and 10s) awarded by more legitimate media critics, the overall ratings have been artificially lowered to 3.6 the lowest rating among Marvel's recent productions.
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the directing duo known as Adil and Bilall who directed the first episode of Ms. Marvel, commented on the review-bombing controversy. “I think fandom values are a reflection of society, you know, so you got to have the good and the bad,” El-Arbi is quoted by Gizmodo.
“We believe that it’s overall good. I mean, fandom for us the reason why we make these TV shows and movies. They make Marvel MCU heroes big and that’s why we have AvengerCon. We try to do that homage to the fandom. That’s why Kamala Khan is a fan," he said.
"You got to also respect the fandom because they’re so passionate about that. I think that we tend to focus just on the positive aspects of it, because the love and the care that they give. You will not have that in any other job and it’s a real pleasure. We hope that our humble contribution to the MCU will please the fandom everywhere in the world, especially the younger fandom.”
As Kamala discovers the strength of her superpowers and as the series progresses, she will discover her real superpower, something all immigrants, young and old, who have had to find that middle ground between two cultures.
"I think, in this TV show that the family and friends are the real superpower of Kamala Khan" explains Fallah. "And she has to go deep into her her roots to really understand from where she is and who she is."
"I think, in this TV show that the family and friends are the real superpower of Kamala Khan" explains Fallah. "And she has to go deep into her her roots to really understand from where she is and who she is."
Ms. Marvel is available for streaming on Disney+.
EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.
