Although I am an amateur Marvel fan, the latest instalment of the Marvel franchise had me thoroughly impressed.
With a combination of comedy, a stellar cast, incredible visuals and references to 90s American pop-culture, including Blockbuster Video and dial-up internet, what’s not to like?
The story works well with the rest of the Marvel franchise and there is a certain cyclical nature to the film with references to some fan-favourite characters and explanations of origin stories of certain characters including Nick Fury and his lost eye (spoiler alert: Goose the Cat scratched his eye.) The film also revealed the origin of the Marvel Universe itself.
Additionally, the film links well with Avengers: Endgame, out April 26th, especially with a double dosage of end-credit scenes at the end of Captain Marvel teasing what is in store for what appears to be the conclusion of the Avengers.
Back to Captain Marvel…
Amnesiac Vers is a soldier training to fight in a Kree war with leader Yon-Rugg (Jude Law) when a mission goes wrong she is subsequently captured and interrogated by the Skrull enemy. Following her escape she crash lands in Los Angeles, and discovering she had a life on Earth as a pilot in the US Air Force, she chases her captors in an attempt to save the world with the help of Nick Fury.
Not only did the film entertain impressive visuals but was also impressive in its tackling of complex social issues, mainly racism, through the depiction of the Skrulls as the other and the enemy to be defeated by the supposed ‘hero’ Kree. This acts as an excellent metaphor throughout the film for the faults of the human condition.
Additionally, with Captain Marvel being the first Marvel film with a female lead, it dispelled a certain level of sexism and championed feminism in the film industry, especially in such a huge brand such as Marvel where many male leads are white and male. Even though this is a merit of the film, the real merit is the fact that the film did not wholly focus on the idea of the female lead. Brie Larson’s acting, in my opinion, was stellar. Her strong female acting was unmissable. A film about female power with an excellent female lead – I cannot wait to see more of Brie Larson as Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers.
The film has many merits to its name including the humour throughout the film which for me did not let up. The chemistry between Brie Larson and Samuel L Jackson throughout the film contributes to the comedic value as well as Jackson’s role and subsequent relationship to the comical Goose the Cat who appears at several points throughout the film to cause mischief. The quick-witted banter and quips between the characters only add to the films charm and humour. The characters chemistry translates into some intense and entertaining scenes together, including one where Larson and Jackson’s characters have to break out of a locked USAF office.
The only criticism I can give this film is the fact that the film did not portray Captain Marvel as being more powerful than any of her fellow Avengers when she is meant to be the most powerful. But nevertheless an excellent film with an incredible soundtrack as always with Marvel films, including classics such as ‘Come As You Are’ by Nirvana and ‘Whatta Man’ by Salt ‘N’ Peppa.