In November of 2018, just months before the theatrical release of Captain Marvel, one of the most influential and creative minds, Stan Lee, passed away. His contributions to Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) are unparalleled. The one and only person who managed to make a physical appearance in every MCU property from 2008 to 2018 was gone, but his legacy would surely live on through the works of Kevin Feige and the rest of the Marvel/Disney collaborations. Here, at the beginning of the film, a beautiful tribute to the late, great Stan Lee plays out. Viewers are brought to tears and the emotional attachment created by just the opening moments is just the tip of the iceberg, but perfect in setting the tone for the rest of Captain Marvel.
Carol Danvers (Brie Larson)--better known to her colleagues as “Vers”--knows very little about her past. For as long as she can remember she has been plagued by horrible nightmares full of people who mean nothing to her, leaving her feeling empty and alone. However, when her sworn enemy, Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), leader of the Skrulls (a species capable of shapeshifting into anyone or anything), unlocks a part of her memory that she didn’t know existed, she uses her superpowers and her tenacity to piece together all that has been missing. The relationships that she has formed will be tested like never before, and the world will quickly come crashing down on top of her as she does whatever she can to become the powerful Captain Marvel.
Captain Marvel has been coming for some time. The idea of having a female lead in a Marvel film had been brewing when Feige and the rest of the studio finally decided on Captain Marvel to break the mold and introduce something new to the Avengers’ lineup. With this Captain Marvel became one of the most highly anticipated films of the MCU and the pressure was applied from the moment this idea was born. Anticipation can be crippling to a film, as viewers begin to develop such outlandish expectations that it becomes almost impossible for the film to live up to. While Captain Marvel doesn’t fully live up to the hype that followed it throughout production, its originality is incredibly entertaining and makes for a fun and exciting journey.
As Captain Marvel came to be, Larson became the focus of some ridiculous accusations, essentially claiming that she failed to provide any of what was needed to make the film enjoyable (including her physical appearance and her acting ability); this could not be further from the truth. By the time Captain Marvel was released in 2019, fans of the MCU had fallen in love with characters like Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) as their personalities resonated with viewers. Larson adopted many of the traits of these beloved characters, but she manipulated those personalities into something unique to her, allowing viewers, the ones who didn’t participate in the asinine propaganda regarding her inability to play this role, to instantly fall in love with her rendition of the character. Larson is edgy, enlightening, vigorous, and relatable in the best ways. A role of this magnitude can be intimidating, but Larson jumps into the role seemingly without hesitation and crushes it from beginning to end.
The supporting cast, consisting of fan favorites like Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and newcomers, Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) and Monica Rambeau (Akira Akbar), are equally as brilliant as Larson. There are moments led entirely by emotion that without actors like Lynch and Jackson would have failed to reach viewers in the fashion that they did. A great portion of Captain Marvel’s success can be attributed to Larson’s co-stars and casting director Sarah Finn who has a knack for finding untapped talent.
While Larson lives up to the hype of the first female-led MCU film, the overall story of Captain Marvel is a bit lacking. Sure, Danvers’ backstory is interesting and the journey viewers are taken on, as they piece together her past, is entertaining and engrossing, but the villains and the conclusion of the film feels juvenile and slightly underdeveloped. As viewers begin to care more and more about the titular Captain Marvel they begin to understand that her emotional fight will eventually turn physical and violent, making way for the usual, and anticipated, fight sequence. Sure, the fight eventually takes place and the brilliance of the MCU is sprinkled throughout said scene, but it feels as if the writers (Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Nicole Perlman, and Meg LeFauve) omitted the typical high-octane nature from this aspect of the film in order to help further develop this female lead. Even though the action exists, it doesn’t seem to reach the same level of intensity or end up being as memorable as previous films. What fails to live up to expectations almost feels impossible to accurately explain. There is tons of action all leading up to one climactic moment, and that moment is what fails to entertain as expected. Changing this facet of the film, the aspect that MCU fans have come to expect, leaves somewhat of a bitter taste in the mouths of viewers, and the fact that it’s the end that plays out like this makes it difficult for those viewers to appreciate Captain Marvel as a whole.
Captain Marvel is a fresh take on what the world has come to expect from MCU films. It completely shakes up what everyone knows about this cinematic universe and nestles itself in the hearts of those watching. There have been loads of emotionally drawing moments throughout the course of twenty-four MCU feature-length installments, but Captain Marvel feels like one that tugs at the heartstrings more than most others. Carol’s story is thought-provoking and gut-wrenching, keeping viewers enthralled from beginning to end. Again, Captain Marvel doesn’t live up to the incredibly high expectations, but it never, even in its dullest moments, fails to entertain.
Directed by Anna Boden & Ryann Fleck.
Written by Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Nicole Perlman, & Meg LeFauve.
Starring Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Anette Bening, Djimon Hounsou, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Clark Gregg, Akira Akbar, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
Comments