Captain Marvel
by Hans A. Carpenter
Release Date: March 8
MPAA: PG-13
Directors: Anna Boden
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Ben Mendelsohn
Mister Marquee Says: Average Marvel
Number: 4/5
Vers (Brie Larson) is a member of the warrior Kree race with amnesia who has visions of a pervious life. When she chases a team of shape-shifting alien infiltrators called Skrulls to Earth, she must team up with a young Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to hunt down the Skrulls and find the woman they are looking for, a Dr. Lawson.
Captain Marvel is a fun addition to the MCU. Unfortunately for this movie, it is part of the MCU, which raises the bar a bit. As a stand alone or in any other franchise it likely would feel like more, but this is your run-of-the-mill Marvel formula movie. Not that this is a bad thing, Marvel’s formula is nearly unstoppable and pretty much a guaranteed good time. It’s just that next to Marvel’s string of heavy hitters like Thor: Ragnorok and Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel is closer to Ant-Man and the Wasp than Black Panther. The acting is on point, with Ben Mendelssohn and Jude Law up to their usual standard, and Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson making for a fun and charming buddy cop dynamic. It’s really refreshing to see a younger (the movie takes place in the 90s) Nick Fury. He’s funny, he’s light, basically the exact opposite of the grizzled, weary S.H.I.E.L.D. director we see in the other Marvel movies.
If you like Marvel movies, you’re going to like Captain Marvel. It hugs the formula pretty tight; charming lead, moments of levity, genuinely touching moments, streamlined plot. Marvel has cracked the code for making watchable movies. Even their misfires are decent flicks. This is definitely above the lesser offerings of the franchise. There are some interesting twists and turns and, of course, the special effects are fantastic. Ultimately, it’s a fun origin story and nice subversion of some expectations. It’s not the best Marvel movie, but that’s more the weight of the franchise’s dizzying success than anything else. Captain Marvel is a fun trip to the cinema and worth a view.