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Captain Marvel is a big deal for many reasons: the picture is the studio's first female-led superhero film; it directly proceeds the franchise's cumulative Avengers: Endgame (at least in terms of release chronology); and, moving forward, it is suspected that the titular superhero will go on to lead a new band of Avengers. Despite a malicious attempt to derail the film's campaign because of the hero's gender, Captain Marvel looks set to successfully shatter the glass ceiling -- the biggest question though: is it any good?
Starforce solider Vers is separated from the Kree Empire when a mission to rescue an undercover operative infiltrating a group of alien shapeshifters known as Skulls backfires. Crashing on to Earth in 1995, Vers attempts to prevent the Skrulls infestation of the human race, while attempting to piece together the events of her own life. With the help of S.H.I.E.L.D agent Nick Fury and old friends, Vers learns from Carol Danvers how to become Captain Marvel. Starring Brie Larson in the lead role, with support from Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Annette Benning and Jude Law, the Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck-directed effort has so much resting on its shoulders.
Thankfully, Captain Marvel launches its titular hero on a rather solid, if not superlative, note. After what can only be described as a disappointingly flat, uninspired opening third, Captain Marvel crashes down to Earth but finds its footing in the process. Although Boden, Fleck and Geneva Robertson-Dworet's screenplay doesn't quite grant Danvers the story needed to elevate this piece into the realm of stronger origin releases, it is a worthy indication of what is to come; it gets audiences on board quickly and enthusiastically. It tackles the patriarchy and its female supression in a smart manner that leads to some truly satisfying moments, with fist bumps and hearty cheers aplenty.
One real strength of the script is its framing and subversion of the origin formula. This is not a story about an individual receiving their powers and using them to become someone new; when we meet Vers, she has the strength to become Danvers who has the power to become Captain Marvel - the film's journey is about her drive to become something bigger and stronger than she already is. It's less about becoming someone new than finding the person you already were, and that gives the film a really refreshing angle to toy with. Furthermore, at not one stage is a love interest even considered; the relationships are that of friendship and respect and mentorship, and it's a glorious change of pace for these female-fronted flicks.
The trio's script occasionally struggles to lay developments out clearly and concisely enough, and it suffers from heavy exposition during that opening third which desperately seeks to get audiences up to speed with a hero who already has her powers. Yet its impressive infusion of the buddy-cop comedy genre into the wider superhero template - as well the way in which it embraces the 90s pop culture references and quirks - gives the film enough flavour of its own.
Boden and Fleck's direction is more than serviceable, with their independent film roots making the transition into blockbuster filmmaking rather competently; particularly during the more character-driven moments, a pre-finale identity crisis that explores the film's central thematic arc, they convey an intimacy that provides the film with both heart and stakes through the fluidity of their camerawork and framing. With a terrific 90s soundtrack in tow, spearing a scene set to No Doubt's Just A Girl (which many will fall in love with), they handle the bigger sequence efficently; the action isn't as thrilling as it needs to be, and it's nothing you haven't seen before, but its functional. My personal favourite moment involves a montage of Danvers' summoning her strength: precisely the sort of filmmaking these films thrive because of. It isn't unfair to argue that the film is void of a visual perkiness, leading to an asethetical blandness that does little to instil that opening segment with excitment or enthusiasm.
One thing mattered more than anything else with this release though: is Brie Larson Captain Marvel? Resoundingly, the answer is yes. Its greatest asset, Larson handles the emotion, humour and intensity superbly, and the marketing certainly undersold her range in the picture. While the film never quite capitalises on her brilliance in the role, waiting until her very final shot to present an unrestrained Captain Carol Danvers that fills us with the most excitement, Larson impresses throughout, charging audiences with an optimisim moving forward; as we begin to envision a post-Endgame team, Larson's Marvel would be a fabulous pick to lead the more-diverse team alongside Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther.
Samuel L. Jackson is reliably terrific here and the film's genius decision to incorporate him into Captain Marvel's debut outing should be applauded. Jackson is responsible for a great deal of the movie's biggest laughs -- the film stumbles with a lot of its humour in the opening third and it is no coincidence that so much more of it works when he is around to deliver it and respond to it during the Earth-set scenes. Application of the de-ageing process is staggeringly-realised and arguably the greatest use of that technical practise in cinema to date, with none of his performance lost under that method - unlike Ben Mendelsohn prosthetically-augmented performance, which struggles to leave much of an impression unfortunately. Lashana Lynch is a great addition to the cast, convincing of the Danvers-Rambeau friendship; I'll be keen to see more of her in future instalments.
Maybe Captain Marvel rests on its laurels of being their first female-lead superhero flick too much, landing rather middle-of-the-road in terms of the Marvel Cinematic Universe - but it is nevertheless an enjoyable blockbuster whose very existence inspires excitement. Brie Larson is tremendous in a feature-length that never quite takes advantage of her suitability to the lead role, but she undoubtedly persaudes audiences that she really is a marvel as Marvel's first female lead. Mark my words, Thanos is shaking - and his Endgame is near with Larson along for the ride.
7/10
Summary: Captain Marvel overcomes an iffy first act to deliver an enjoyable blockbuster that will fill audiences with confidence as they begin to envision the Marvel Cinematic Universe's future. Brie Larson shines in the role as she introduces the superhero of a new generation.