So. It’s finally here. After months of incessant fanboy whining about how Brie Larson doesn’t smile, after all the review bombs on Rotten Tomatoes, we finally have Captain Marvel. Was it all worth it? Did Captain Marvel rise above the vitriol and stewed up controversy around it? Or were the fanboys right to denounce this false “Captain Marvel”, as they sit and wait for their true hero Shazam?
Well you know its not that second one.
Captain Marvel is good. Not in a particularly ground breaking way, naritively or visually but just plain old good, from start to finish. It draws from the origin story trope well, especially in the protagonist with amnesia needing to find themselves department, but it executes it well enough and the movie moves along quick enough so that the audience never feels dragged down. The side characters are fun, the dialogue is vintage Marvel snark and the action is stellar. So why the fuss?
Be honest. You know why.
The sad thing is, folks ended up pitching a fit over a movie that really didn’t warrant it. Captain Marvel is fine. The outrage will eclipse any real discussion about it, for good or for ill, but at the end of the day I can’t say I’m angry I saw it. In the pantheon of Marvel movies it’s right in the middle. Above drek like Iron Man 2 and Thor: the Dark World but below the titans like Winter Soldier, Black Panther or Guardians of the Galaxy. What we have here is vintage Marvel: forgettable antagonist, big CGI fight in the 3rd act the end, bring out the post credit scene. The classic marvel formula is on display here, and it works like charm.
Of course, the main reason this movie kicked up the frenzy it did was because it’s Marvel’s first crack at representing a female superhero on the big screen, in her own movie. And while the movie was good, I felt it was a little weak in the representation department. Now this could be a matter of perception. I’m a black man, and the struggles Carol goes through in the movie regarding sexism and being told what she can or can’t do are not my reality. On the other hand, those elements are somewhat glossed over in the movie. This is where the amnesia subplot actually works well; interweaving the Captain’s past and allowing the audience to see her defiant personality. But those moments are brief, and the disjointed nature of how the narrative is presented may be a turn off for some who wanted a more straightforward narrative. Personally I liked it, as it felt like it added an extra layer of mystery that made the overall movie more engaging, even if you mostly know which direction this is all headed
I can’t speak much to how impact Captain Marvel will have on its female audience. I think the character as written was done exceptionally well. I think Brie Larson did a fantastic job bringing the character to life and giving that strong personality the emotional weight it needed. Wonder Woman, the most immediate comparison for this movie, struck me the same way. Of the two Captain Marvel is better, as it’s the more cohesive movie overall.
At the end of the day, Captain Marvel is another strong entry to the Marvel canon. It stands right in the middle of the pack, before Dr. Strange but right behind Captain America. It’s a fun precursor to the undoubtedly more grim Avengers: Endgame next month, where I’m sure we’ll see the good Captain give Thanos a solid thrashing. If the Marvel formula still works for you, then you won’t be disappointed. If it doesn’t it’s still worth a look for the character chemistry between Brie and really anyone else who pops on screen.
Plus there’s a cat and really, at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.
The World of Movies and Media Seen Through the Lens of a Token Black Guy. 