Rylan’s Score: 4/5
Following the grandiose events of Infinity War, Marvel needs a new banner character to take us into Phase 4 following Endgame. The highly anticipated Captain Marvel delivers on that promise and ushers in the season perfectly.
Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), a powerful woman who is a member of the Kree’s elite army run by squad leader Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), who coaches her to keep her powers, and emotions, in tact. This is a challenge, as Danvers has only brief flashes of her life before on Earth and is relatively new to her super strengths. Her path to discovery begins when a failed space mission lands her inside a mid 1990s USA.
Here, Danvers meets a young Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) who has just begun his job researching interstellar war. The two warily team up as they look for a mysterious woman who keeps appearing in Danvers’ subconscious, identified only by the name stitched on her jumpsuit: Lawson (Annette Bening). Captain Marvel’s story is akin to the first Thor film, which mostly didn’t interest me.
The big difference here comes in the form of Brie Larson – this is her hero and her movie. She’s the first female protagonist in the Marvel Universe and brings a classy, unapologetic dry wit, whilst avoiding cliched tokenism. It has a slow beginning, feeling a bit too Star Wars-y and Jude Law-y for my liking – but once Danvers lands in the Blockbuster Video store, things kick into gear. Fury’s presence is welcome and it’s his best appearance thus far. He and Danvers share some easy-going company that sets the general tone of the film. Most incredibly though, a cat named ‘Goose’ nearly steals the show from Larson. Directors Anna Boden and Ryan fleck maintain a beautiful 90s theme throughout the film which is supported by a killer soundtrack with it. The duo deliver a plot which has more twists and turns than you’d expect.
Going into each superhero film, you always have that expectation of having seen it all before. Marvel Studios deserve so much credit for keeping each movie fresh with genuine twists, as well as setting up future sequels. Each film is important and significant to the saga as a whole*.
There was a touch of controversy even before Captain Marvel was released. All I will say is this; there’s really nothing wrong with this film and the closest thing it has to an agenda is honest female representation. If you don’t like this movie, it might be because you didn’t want to like it. Maybe some people should smile more?
It’s fun. It’s funny. It’s strong. Captain Marvel belongs in the top-echelon of Marvel movies which has dated back to Civil War. Bring on Endgame.
Rylan Dawson, On The Screen
*except for Ant-Man.
