Marvel, through years of wonderful films and iconic characters, has lulled audiences into a sense of comfort. We know what to expect mostly because we have had a chance to get used to characters over multiple installments. Even with Black Panther and his Oscar winning cultural phenomenon hit of a movie, much of the groundwork was laid in Civil War. So how then would Captain Marvel, a character we have had absolutely zero introduction to or knowledge of outside of a symbol on a beeper in a post credits sequence of a movie that saw half of our heroes get wiped out, fare? Pretty well, if the thoroughly entertaining film I saw is any indication.
Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) is a hero that we meet on an alien planet as the warrior Vers (pronounced Veers). She’s a part of an elite squadron led by Mar-Vel (Jude Law) but has been struggling with controlling her powers and a series of dreams of another life that seem to be plaguing her. On a mission to save someone, her party is ambushed and Vers is kidnapped by the villainous Skrulls, shapeshifting creatures who can mimic anyone or anything down to the DNA. She escapes and crash lands on earth where she meets a SHIELD Agent, Nick Fury (a de-aged Samuel L. Jackson). Catching him up to speed on everything proves important as the battle that was once raging on another planet comes to earth and Carol is forced to reckon with her past to propel her into her future.
To get the “bad” out of the way, there are times when the movie gets a bit too cute and on the nose for it’s own good. Some of the music drops and overly emotional beats near the middle of the film play a bit too broad for what up until then is a pretty unique tale. Captain Marvel’s powers, and how she acquired them, also remain a bit foggy to me as the movie doesn’t interrogate her powers, as escalate them throughout the movie. But Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck use that escalation to their advantage, as the action scenes in this movie are killer. This is a directing team that understands how building tension and camera placement are equally as important as the punches and kicks.
What works most about Captain Marvel is that tension, mainly because the Captain Marvel’s struggle to remember and the Skrulls powers present so many moments of unsteadiness. It might be funny to watch her beat down a Skrull who is an old lady, but being in a constant state of worry that characters are who they say and look like was thrilling to witness. I was STRESSED for large portions of this film and loved every minute of it.
But Captain Marvel isn’t just a feat of directing and good writing, the acting is some of the liveliest in a Marvel movie. I was a bit wary of Brie Larson taking on the mantel but she proves more than up to the task of delivering the quips, the emotions, and kicks that make the hero compelling. Samuel L. Jackson gets a new lease on Nick Fury and his new hair line. Being less of a harden spy frees him up to have fun with the material in an interesting way. Even the actors who don’t have a ton of screen time, like Lashana Lynch and Annette Benning, make the most of their screen time and leave an impact.
While we all hold our breath and wait to see how the Avengers saga will end, Captain Marvel provides a thoroughly entertaining entry into the Marvel canon and an important step for moving the universe forward.