Captain Marvel Review
Over the past 10 years there have been dozens of new Marvel movies, but up until now they were all male-led. That changed with the release of Captain Marvel, the newest Marvel Cinematic Universe hero. However, before it was even released it was surrounded by controversy about Rotten Tomatoes ratings, and the fact that the main character is a woman. But, controversies aside, is Captain Marvel a good movie?
The story of Captain Marvel follows Carol Danvers, a Kree warrior with amnesia. During a mission gone wrong she ends up on Earth in 1994. While she’s on Earth she has to work with Nick Fury to stop the impending invasion of the Skrulls, shape-shifting aliens who are the sworn enemy of the Kree. However, she starts having memories of a life on Earth, one that she doesn’t fully remember. Watch Captain Marvel to see if she can stop the Skrulls while figuring out what her lost memories are.
All of the characters in Captain Marvel are great, and manage to bring these great comic characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Brie Larson does a good job as Captain Marvel, but there’s some occasional tonal whiplash between her being a sassy, sarcastic hero, and her being the noble warrior, but it’s nothing too jarring. Samuel L. Jackson returns as Nick Fury, but as this takes place before most other Marvel movies, we see him as a spry new recruit, while he still retains some of his leadership. Ben Mendelson does a great job as the Skrull leader Telos, as he can either fill a serious and threatening scene, while also being able to throw in some great jokes.
When Guardians of the Galaxy first brought the MCU into space, there were many elements introduced with little to no context. Captain Marvel helps bring some major context to the previously mentioned Kree-Skrull war from the Guardians movies. Seeing this familiar corner of the universe (including some familiar faces) helps viewers feel comfortable in the setting, while also preparing them for the crazy events of the story.
The MCU is known for having fun movies that, even if you’re not a huge comic fan, are really enjoyable. Captain Marvel goes above and beyond with that, as it is easily one of the most fun Marvel movies, but without too heavy of a reliance on quips that wear down some of the other movies. Captain Marvel also does a great job using its status as the first female-led Marvel movie to be empowering, no matter who you are.
Captain Marvel is a great superhero movie that’s inspiring to anybody watching it. It delivers a fun experience that expands on history of the Marvel Universe, both terrestrially and extra-terrestrially, while also making sure that it stays in terms most people can understand.
The movie isn’t without it’s flaws though, as the first act of the movie delivers lots of exposition in strange places, and with some strange line deliveries. There’s also the matter of pacing, which isn’t terrible, but between each major point in the movie, the pace tends to slow down. But these problems don’t hurt the overall product much, as Captain Marvel establishes that it’s one of the best modern superhero movies.
