Captain Marvel Review — GoodTrash Critique

In the late 00s, I tried getting into actual comic books. I grew up in a small town, so access to comic books was incredibly limited—as in, there were none sold within 40 or 50 miles. So, my knowledge came from several animated series through the early 90s. In college, after moving to the big city, I stumbled into a few local comic shops. One of the titles I started collecting was Ms. Marvel. This iteration featured black-leotard clad Carol Danvers. I kept up with the title for a bit, but staying current in the comic game is challenging.

Once the MCU began in 2008, it only seemed natural that Ms. Marvel Carol Danvers would get a solo outing.

Why it took 11 years is beyond me.

Captain Marvel Review

The 21st entry into the MCU begins on Hala, the Kree home world. Vers (Brie Larson) is an amnesiac attempting to reconcile her past with her position on the Kree’s Starforce. Hala is the only home that Vers knows. Her training within the Starforce is lead by Yon-Rogg (Jude Law). During a Starforce mission, the group encounter a terrorist race known as Skrull, led by Talos (Ben Mendelsohn). The encounter leads to Vers being separated from the Starforce and winding up on Earth. After meeting Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Vers sets out to figure out what the Skrull want and how to get home.

Higher. Further. Faster.

MCU’s third phase is its strongest run yet. Beginning with Captain America: Civil War, Marvel Studios hit a groove and haven’t missed many beats. Captain Marvel enters the MCU stratosphere near the end of Phase 3. Much like the other recent standalone MCU films we’ve seen (Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Spider-Man: Homecoming), Captain Marvel mostly stands as an isolated story. For those who’ve seen every entry, certain blanks are filled in. Yet, general audiences don’t need to rely on 20 films worth of information to have fun here.

This has been one of the stronger benefits of phase three. Not every beat of the plot feels as if it exists to further the larger MCU narrative. There are moments, sure. But, overall the film stands on its own.

Brie Larson’s Vers/Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel is confused and uncertain. She doesn’t know where she came from and she does her best to uphold the good of the Kree empire. Through the film, she struggles to come to terms with what that means, leading her to finally embrace the hero within. It’s a strong performance, quiet at times, a bit salty and played a bit like a fish out of water. Larson pairs well with Jackson. The two banter back and forth in what does operate at times as a buddy comedy.

Side note, the effects here to de-age Jackson are incredible. It’s frightening how well this works considering how much screen time Jackson has.

Larson’s performance is nuanced, evolving as the film unfolds and her character loosening up as she becomes confident in who she is. Jackson is mostly here for comedy and to tie this into the larger MCU picture. Jude Law might be one of my favorite pieces of the puzzle, especially in the first act. He is suave and confident as Vers’ mentor. And the two share a strong chemistry. But, the real star of the show, outside of Goose the Cat, is Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos, leader of the Skrull army.

By the end of the film, Talos steals every scene—making for one of the more enjoyable baddies in the MCU. Mendelsohn is typically the menacing, frowning villain. But here, he gets to let loose and have some fun. And it shows.

Along with our first female-led Marvel film, we get our first female director as part of the duo of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. This is their fifth movie together, following Mississippi Grind, It’s Kind of a Funny Story, and Half Nelson. While not familiar with their previous work, it’s easy to see their fingerprints on this film.

At many times, Captain Marvel never feels quite as grand in scope as some of Marvel’s other grand solo efforts, such as Doctor Strange or Black Panther. Instead, it feels more intimate. Outside of the fight sequences, the character interactions are filmed in tight mid-shots with a lighting reminiscent of smaller indie fare. In particular, sequences in Maria Rambeau’s kitchen feel as though they were pulled from a low-budget family drama (that’s not a disparagement).

While these moves work well with the more human elements of the story, many of the earlier sequences struggle a bit. I don’t know how much of this is on the film, or the theater I saw it in, but several sequences were dark early on, making action hard to follow. Additionally, the multi-person fight sequences were sloppy, until Larson’s hero cleared the area of baddies.

I do appreciate the layout of Captain Marvel‘s narrative. The film begins and our hero has her powers. However, she doesn’t know who she is. It’s similar to Thor in that regard. Captain Marvel twists the MCU formula enough to avoid feeling like another copy and paste origin story. However, it never feels like it hits the higher echelon of Marvel’s better efforts.

Captain Marvel is fun, though it takes a bit finding its rhythm. I see myself going back to this one purely out of enjoyment. The comedy throughout is solid, and Mendelsohn, Jackson, Larson and Law add a lot of re-watch value. The film also slides into the MCU puzzle nicely, answering questions and setting up the universe for Endgame.

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