Production Company: Marvel Studios
Streaming Service: N/A
Release Date: March 8, 2019
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson
Directed By: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Rating: ( If it’s R, PG-13, etc.) PG-13
Description: Captain Marvel was one of the most highly anticipated movies of 2019. Not only was it Marvel’s first female-fronted film, but it was sure to be a vital chapter in the MCU after the tease at the end of Infinity War. Marvel fans everywhere were eager to learn about this new addition to the MCU and how she would fit in to the story as a whole.
Did Captain Marvel deliver on the stellar expectations? It did indeed. The movie was colorful, suspenseful, and entertaining from start to finish. Brie Larson was an absolutely stunning Captain Marvel. She excellently portrayed Carol’s unyielding strength, but also her vulnerability, creating a multilayered and intriguing character. The dynamic between Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) was hilarious, endearing and set up the motivation behind Nick Fury’s Avengers Initiative. One of my favorite And the 90’s aesthetic prevalent throughout the film was wonderfully charming. Many of the action scenes were vibrant and slightly choppy in a way that was reminiscent of 90s movies and video games, and the scene where Captain Marvel falls through the roof of a blockbuster made me physically ache with nostalgia. The film’s Big Twist (when it is revealed that the Kree, not the Skrull, are evil) was unexpected and made the plot a lot more interesting and impactful than some other marvel films.
Despite its many strengths, the movie did have some flaws. It was by no means a generic origin film, but it certainly followed the superhero origin story format in many ways, which sometimes lead to clunky writing and some awkward acting. The 90’s-esque action scenes were fun at times, they often crossed the line from nostalgic to cheesy. I would rank rank Captain Marvel at the upper-middle level of MCU films; certainly above the likes of the first two Thor movies, but not quite at the top tier with the likes of Black Panther and The Winter Soldier. But although Captain Marvel may not be the greatest superhero film ever produced, it is incredibly satisfying, after all these years, to finally see a good marvel movie fronted by a woman.
This brings me to one of my favorite things about Captain Marvel: its depiction of the female experience. Carol begins the movie under the control of a manipulative man who he underestimates her and acts as if her power is something he can take away at will, an experience far too many women can relate too. This overarching theme, and other little details like the guy who hits on Carol outside the clothing store and the men who belittle Carol for wanting to be a pilot, create an accurate representation of what it is like for a woman in a world that wants to keep her grounded and powerless. But Carol’s ability to overcome this hardship, with the help of other strong women like her best friend Maria and her mentor Wendy Lawson/Mar-Vell, is truly inspiring to women everywhere. Captain Marvel is, at its heart, the story of a woman searching for her identity and (literally) punching through the oppression that has held her back. It is this that gives the movie its heart and soul and sets it apart from other run-of-the-mill origin films.
Overall, though not perfect, Captain Marvel was a fantastically entertaining movie that is a great addition to the MCU filmography. It gave me a new character to adore and even more reasons to be excited for Endgame. And it gave female marvel fans everywhere a hero to relate to. I can’t wait to see what future adventures the MCU has in store for Carol.