Like many, I did not know too much about Captain Marvel until I saw a pager displaying her symbol fall to the ground in Avengers: Infinity War. Captain Marvel was created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan in the late 1960s and went through several iterations until arriving at Carol Danvers in 2012, who we follow in the film. Choosing to follow a female superhero, and having the first female-led film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, caused so much backlash that Rotten Tomatoes removed the “want to see” rating feature from their website as trolls had been “reviewing” the movie negatively before its release and again immediately upon release.
In the Marvel Studios opening, we are treated to tribute to Stan Lee, who passed late 2018. Captain Marvel (played by Brie Larson), going by Vers, is introduced as a soldier for the Kree army, plagued by nightmares stemming from her fragmented memories. She and her elite team are in charge of traveling throughout the galaxies and taking out Skrull factions. The Skrulls are a race of shapeshifters that, as far as we are aware, have not yet been introduced in the MCU. During an ambush, she is separated from her team and captured. After being subjected to some sort of memory probe, she escapes to a 1990s, Blockbuster-ridden earth. In this setting, before the Avengers ever assembled in the MCU, we see some familiar faces, including a younger, two-eyed head of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson).
Throughout the film, we are shown that things are not always what they seem. These questions of identity are raised from humans being impersonated by Skrulls as well as who we are, ourselves. While on planet Earth, Carol Danvers explores what it means to be human and the source of her strength. Along the way she seeks a more defined sense of self. She is assisted in her efforts by a friend from her previous life on Earth, Maria Rambeau (an incredible performance by Lashana Lynch). Through this relationship we see powerful moments of women supporting women and women supporting girls when Carol both encourages and is encouraged by Maria’s young daughter, Monica Rambeau (played by Akira Akbar).
This, of course, does not come without a great deal of action, ranging from a sparring match with mentor, Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), seconds into the film, to a dogfight with wingman Goose by our hero’s side. These moments were often when the 3D really shined, though it didn’t often seem to stand out as something too special outside of flight scenes. Some action scenes did become a bit disorienting, making it hard to keep track of who was where, but overall, they were exciting and engaging.
As is often the case with Marvel’s films, we are drawn to the characters we see, caring about their progress through the hardships they face. Director Anna Boden’s Captain Marvel does many things well, from its chase scenes to moments of realization and unexpected twists. Fury and his cat, Goose, are often providing moments of comic relief, but Jackson and Larson play off each other quite well, which was a pleasant surprise.
All in all, Captain Marvel is a good film that can be enjoyed by the whole family with humor and exciting action. While this film is not vying for a top spot among my favorite Marvel films with Black Panther and Guardians of the Galaxy, I really enjoyed it. I saw it in 3D and Cinemark XD, which boasts 35 trillion colors. Both contributed positively to the movie viewing experience. I’m excited to see what Captain Marvel contributes to the upcoming Avengers: Endgame. Please stay during the credits to be treated to two post-credit scenes.