CAUTION: SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD
The latest installment to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Captain Marvel, hit theaters March 8.
Captain Marvel is about Carol Danvers (played by Brie Larson) and her road to discovering who she is and her part in a galactic war between the Kree and the Skrull, two alien races.
Before seeing the film, I was expecting a superhero-meets-Top Gun-movie. Many of the pictures shared to Instagram and Twitter before the release of the film were pictures of Larson in a flight suit boarding a fighter aircraft.
The two trailers, however, showed more of an outer space aspect to the film. We see a young Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) talking to Danvers about how she is Kree and how she has come to Earth to help do her part in the war that is taking place in the galaxy.
When I arrived at the theater, I was more than excited to see Captain Marvel. Danvers was summoned by Fury at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, so I was very anxious to see the hero that is going to help the Avengers defeat Thanos.
The movie started with the sequence that is familiar to all MCU fans. This time, it showcased Stan Lee’s different movie cameos instead of the superheroes that make up the universe. The screen went black and the words “Thank you Stan Lee” appeared.
It was a touching tribute that made me cry. Many fans speculate, on Twitter and other social media outlets, that the MCU movies going forward will start with the Stan Lee opening sequence.
For those who do not know Captain Marvel’s story, the beginning of the movie can be a bit confusing. We see Captain Marvel going by the name Vers as she is training with a Kree soldier named Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) on the planet Hala.
The viewers get flashes of Captain Marvel’s past through her memories. The confusion the viewers feel may very well be a part of the design of the film so that the viewers can relate to Captain Marvel’s confusion herself.
As mentioned previously, the film focuses on a galactic war between the Kree and the Skrull and is not the origin story for Captain Marvel that I would have liked to see. As someone who is a fan of the movies, but has not read the comics, it would have been nice to see more of a focus on her origin and her past.
Jackson provided comedic relief as Fury and was the highlight of the movie in my opinion. We normally have seen Fury as a mysterious tough guy and to see the more humorous side of him was a treat.
In my opinion, Fury outshined Captain Marvel.
Captain Marvel has the snark and humor that is expected of someone who grew up in the ’90s. She is tough and unwilling to give up, but that is pretty much all we see of the character. We see her introspection and sensitive nature when she is not fighting, but we do not understand why she has this nature.
It was hard to connect with Captain Marvel and to rally behind her like we do with other MCU characters such as Captain America or Spiderman. This could be contributed to the lack of knowledge on her past or the fact that we have characters like Fury and Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) that we are already familiar with and love.
Also throughout the movie, there are two opposing sides that the viewer can feel a connection with. Usually in superhero movies, we know that one side is clearly the bad guys and the other is the good guys. In this case, as the movie progresses, we are more conflicted with Captain Marvel’s choice of allegiance.
I applaud the MCU once again on their abilities with the CGI work. The scenes in space feel real and the viewer could easily believe that they are watching a young, 1995 Samuel L. Jackson on the screen.
Perhaps, one of my favorite things about the film is the subtle nod to one of my all-time favorite movies, Top Gun. A cat in the film was named Goose after Tom Cruise’s wingman in Top Gun.
All in all, I thought the film was fun to watch with the rad soundtrack and the great CGI. It relies heavily on ’90s nostalgia which, as a ’90s baby, was lovely to see.
For those who are going to the theater expecting to see how Captain Marvel will play a part in Avengers: Endgame, I would suggest skipping the movie. If you are going as an MCU fan or because you are interested in watching a female superhero kick butt, then I would definitely suggest going.
The movie is fun, but I believe it is definitely not the best in the MCU. I reserve that spot for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I am excited to see Captain Marvel in Avengers: Endgame though. The future is female and it’s looking bright.
Photo credit/ Marvel.com
