Captain Marvel, the latest stop in the Marvel universe, is set to premiere in wide-release hours from now with fans anxious to see how she fits with the greater story and if it lives up to the standards of Marvel’s best offerings. The answer is yes and no.
(Authors note: There are a lot of MAD men out there with regards to this movie. After posting video footage from the film’s recent press conference in Los Angeles, the anger and woman-bashing surrounding this film and Brie Larson is revolting. FYI, don’t look for the comments, they’ve been removed but the video is attached at the end.)
Set sometime in the ’90s, and if you’re unsure it’s the ’90s there are more than a few tongue-in-cheek references to make you giggle, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) finds herself fully engulfed at the center of a war between two alien races the Kree and the Skrulls. Fighting on the side of the Kree, Danvers began to regain memories, wiped clean at some point, memories that change the course of her life.
While not too different from any other Marvel movie formula the film is enjoyable without any significant flaws but still flaws nonetheless.
Written by Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, and Geneva Robertson-Dworet this is a new story of who Captain Marvel is and how she came to be. At the same time, comic book purists who possess the root knowledge of comic strip, the could find themselves confused. For more casual fans, the backstory could be just as confusing.
The story of Danvers is bumpy, yet not unpleasant, as it examines a woman who doesn’t know too much about who she is and where she came from. Life details that would have effectively made the trip a bit smoother (i.e.details of her life is revealed in somewhat more depth and a lot sooner in the movie) are gleaned over rather quickly making it easy to get lost in spots until finally, a revelation happens.
Marvel is her finest during the meaningful conversations with the best friend she struggles to remember Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch). Through a sequence of conversations, she is rehumanized and finally made aware of the greater purpose of her existence that is rooted in a painful past. A painful past that doesn’t require her to man-bash along the way.
The best on-screen moments happen whenever Marvel and Detective Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) are together. Remastered to look like young Fury, the light-hearted banter between the two is funny and the right moments and touching in others. But the real star is Goose, the cat.
Overall, Captain Marvel solidly introduces new characters to the Marvel Universe makes its way to Avengers: Endgame. Strong women are at the forefront on both sides of humanity, good and evil, but thankfully don’t resort to the low-hanging “men are trash” mantra choosing to focus more on the inner strength of women and why women should be treated as equals.
It manages to hold its own as a standalone chapter while including enough touches to connect itself to the other movies thus keeping the story cohesive. Where does it rank among the other films? It’s not number one but definitely not dead last.
BSO Grade: B
Before you head in to experience the latest piece of the Marvel Universe, flip the page and check out the trailer plus BSO’s footage from the Captain Marvel press conference. RIP Stan Lee.