“I’m not gonna fight your war. I’m gonna end it.”
The Marvel cinematic universe is back with its newest superhero movie, “Captain Marvel.” Ever since the cliffhanger ending of “Avengers: Infinity War,” fans have been clamoring for more Marvel. With Captain Marvel being a superhero who is more or less unknown to the public, fans were skeptical about how her first foray into film would turn out. Is the film simply another generic superhero movie, or does it bring something new to the table?
Like many recent Marvel movies, “Captain Marvel” has a plot that includes intergalactic conflict. For the past six years, Vers, a woman with amnesia, has fought as an elite soldier for the warrior alien race known as the Kree. The Kree are at war with the Skrull, a race of shapeshifters who infiltrate planets only to take them over and destroy them.
When a skirmish with the Skrull leads Vers to Earth, she teams up with Shield agent Nick Fury. As she tries to track down the Skrull, she learns that she might have a past on the planet — and that she may be more powerful than she could ever have imagined.
“Captain Marvel” was not as bad as I thought it would be, but it still had a good amount of untapped potential.
The plot is a typical “fish out of water” story, but it’s told in an unusual way. Instead of starting with the character’s origins, the film begins with Vers having her powers. Unlike many superhero movies, “Captain Marvel” doesn’t explain the character’s powers until about halfway through its runtime.
This would have worked really well — if the first act of the movie wasn’t so mediocre. It took a good 30 minutes for the film to become interesting, with a cold opening that just doesn’t work. Even as a fan of the comic books, it took me a while to figure out what was happening because the film gives very little exposition and just throws you into the plot.
Once the film got rolling, however, things became much better. The film felt as if it was a fusion of a traditional Marvel movie, a 90s action flick and a Star Wars movie.
The filmmakers did a great job shooting the film’s many action scenes, which are complemented by a slew of great songs from the 90s. Every fight was incredibly fun to watch, especially the climax.
One of the most impressive things about “Captain Marvel” was its special effects and makeup. The film features Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in the 90s, and it uses de-aging technology to make him look a good 20 to 30 years younger. The effect works so well that it’s almost uncanny.
Speaking of Jackson, he was, without a doubt, the highlight of the film. His comedic timing is impeccable, and he and Brie Larson have wonderful chemistry.
Larson also gives a great performance as the film’s titular character, pairing comedy and drama to create one of the most likeable superheroes in recent Marvel films.
The film is bogged down, however, by a few notably bad performances. Annette Bening gives one of the most stiff, unbelievable performances I’ve seen in a while.
It’s also clear that Disney just doesn’t know how to cast good child actors, as Akira Akbar gives one of the worst performances I have ever seen.
Even with the slow start and some bad acting, “Captain Marvel” was a lot of fun. While it certainly isn’t revolutionary, Marvel fans looking for their next superhero fix will not be disappointed.
3.5/5 Stars
