'Captain Marvel' Movie Review

Released: March 8th, 2019 (United States).

Length: 124 Minutes.

Certificate: 12A.

Director: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.

Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Annette Bening, Clark Gregg, and Jude Law.

Captain Marvel has received plenty of fan-fare in the lead-up to its release; acting as a prequel to the venerable cinematic universe and the first entry with a heroine taking centre stage. It sits in the upper echelon of the MCU’s extensive library with a string of capable performances and dazzling effects.

Chronologically, CM is set before the Avengers first came together and tells the story of Carol Denver (Brie Larsson), also known as Veers. As a highly skilled fighter of the Kreer civilization, she undertakes missions with her comrades against the deadly Skrull forces. She soon crashes on Earth and begins to uncover some revealing details about her past alongside the returning Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Things proceed at a good pace but where the plot differs from other Marvel films is its gradual reveal of information and the film’s subsequent shift in perspective. By gradually learning about herself, Carol slowly understands that both her beliefs and place in the universe are both misguided and concealed. The film commits most of the first act towards laying some breadcrumbs towards an eventual reveal and on top of this, the way Nick Fury is used lays the groundwork for future events without ever overwhelming the central story. As a result of these differences, we have a story that sets itself apart from previous entries. The backstory to Captain Marvel herself is also condensed and worked into the narrative so it doesn’t bog down the opening act.

The characters of Captain Marvel are well embedded in this narrative and the film does a good job of bringing in new faces. What makes Brie Larsson’s performance work is its forward momentum; as her humanity slow comes into play throughout the three acts, the protagonist casts off her limitations and heads into battle with a renewed spirit. As for the returning characters, including a brief appearance by Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson, they’re all true to form, while embracing the same likability as the other characters. Where things fall flat is with the villains, again sticking out as a sore spot for Marvel; Jude Law’s Yon-Rogg and his band of Kree soldiers (played by Djimon Hounsou, Gemma Chan and, Algenis Pérez Soto to name a few) are fairly one-note, with ‘s ties to never really being fleshed out; with the way both him and Denver are placed at the start of the film, there could have been some development of the bond between the two. He plays a role in the narrative’s swerve but doesn’t go beyond that to create a strong antagonist. Further on in the film, other characters such as Lashana Lynch’s Maria Rambeau add further depth to the protagonist’s personal history and also form the heart of the film. Development varies but no one gives a bad performance here.

Much like Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: Ragnarok before it, Captain Marvel features a mixture of styles, blending sci-fi with our own world to create an engaging backdrop. The celestial effects seen through most of the film are brilliant all the way through; there’s a glowing pop to the superpowers on display here that gives Doctor Strange a run for its money. With that said we really don’t see a lot of the Kree homeworld and it stands as the least developed setting of the franchise; it’s obvious they’re saving it for future sequels. Outside of this missed opportunity however, everything else is very well done. The nineties time period is brilliantly captured with both music and memorabilia; from the moment Captain Marvel crash lands, we know exactly when things are taking place, the baking sun of California hanging over the proceedings. The retro tech mixed with comic book extravagance has always made the Marvel universe work and Captain Marvel is another shining example of this. The film maintains its blazing action sequences with strong cinematography and special effects. The costume work and make-up are given more emphasis in this film to distinguish the different factions and from a practical standpoint, these also work incredibly well.

Captain Marvel looks to the past and in doing so, creates a thoroughly entertaining entry in the MCU. While it continues what you’ve come to expect from the genre including the action and comic relief, the narrative takes a different, more interesting turn. It’s taken some time for Marvel to get a female-led production out the door, but the wait has mostly been worth it.

Rating: 4/5 Stars (Great).