(explosion)
(impacting)
- [Jacki] The MCU's newest hero, Captain Marvel,
has entered the fray literally swinging
with a cosmic-flavored origin story
that feels like a much-needed fresh approach
to the classic Marvel Phase I formula.
With a soundtrack packed full of vintage '90s earworms
and a delightfully un-self-conscious sense of humor,
Captain Marvel pulls off a satisfying introduction
to the hero who may be our Avengers: Endgame trump card.
(dramatic music)
- You have to let go of the past.
- I don't remember my past.
- [Jacki] The bulk of Captain Marvel's runtime
is focused on Carol Danvers trying to figure out
just who and what she is.
She's been living among the alien Kree for years
and has earned herself a position on an elite commando unit
with only fleeting memories of her life before it.
Carol's quest for answers to her past
leads her to Earth in 1995,
where she's forced to work alongside
newly-minted SHIELD agent Nick Fury to uncover the truth.
Toss some shapeshifting aliens called Skrulls
and an intergalactic conspiracy into the mix,
and you'd got yourself a proper superheroic party.
The movie keeps the memory loss tropes to a minimum.
Carol never feels properly lost or floundering,
just frustrated that she's up against a problem
she can't use her powers to punch her way out of,
though she certainly gives the impression
that if she could brute force her own memories
into the proper order, she definitely would,
which is absolutely delightful.
But it is Carol's struggle against forces
that want to delegitimize her,
including her condescending, manipulative commander Yon-Rogg
that becomes the recurring theme of Captain Marvel.
Everywhere she turns, Carol is facing down someone
who doesn't think she's worthy of the power she has
or doesn't think she belongs in the position she's in.
And yet, again and again,
Carol finds a way to prove them wrong
and keep fighting regardless.
Brie Larson's performance and chemistry
with Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury is the obvious highlight
in a strong supporting cast.
She manages to capture a fiery but playful sense of humor
in her character that deftly avoids the tropes
associated with naive, superpowered outsiders
making first contact with humans.
Carol Danvers is as unapologetically brash and bold
as a hero could be, even when it gets her into trouble
and it's oh so satisfying.
On the flip side, Carol's dynamic with her human friend,
Maria Rambeau, provides the emotional core.
Lashana Lynch manages to ground the movie
with a serious and poignant throughline
and perfect counterbalance to Carol's heroics
and her sometimes slapstick buddy cop relationship
with Fury.
Ben Mendelsohn's Skrull commander Talos will be a surprise
to Marvel Comics diehards, but a welcome one.
He's a far cry from a traditional MCU antagonist,
but what he lacks in deviousness,
he makes up for in a genuinely charming sense of humor,
and his motivations stem from complicated,
surprisingly nuanced places
that give him a real depth of character.
- [Nick] Prove you're not a Skrull.
- [Jacki] Like the impeccably executed de-aging
of Sam Jackson, the visual effects
that accompany the Skrulls
and their shapeshifting transformations
are all incredibly well-done,
with animation that blends seamlessly in
with the practical effects.
Meanwhile, the Kree have their own style and aesthetic
that set them apart from both the Skrulls and the humans.
The action scenes are playful and engaging to watch,
with Larson's physicality and choreography
really taking center stage during every fight.
Thankfully, for as high concept and cosmic
as Ben Mendelsohn's story engines are,
the plot itself doesn't try to reinvent the wheel.
Instead, it relies pretty heavily
on the greatest hits of Phase I movies
like Iron Man and Thor.
The Phase I nostalgia does seem a bit jarring though.
It's strange to feel the MCU suddenly pivot back
to the pure origin story routine
after the last two years have been so experimental,
and it's hard not to walk away
wishing that Carol's introduction
had been built into a previous movie
to help add a bit more narrative weight.
All in all though, the end result is fun and thrilling,
even if it's not always the most surprising.
- I'm not gonna fight your war.
I'm gonna end it.
- [Jacki] Captain Marvel manages to take the best ideas
of early MCU origin stories and use them to form something
that feels both familiar and fresh.
It can be a bit on-the-nose at times
and occasionally has to fast-track its exposition
in a way that can feel slightly clunky.
But what it lacks in grace, it makes up for in charm.
Brie Larson's stellar performance gives Carol Danvers
a vibrant and joyful life that will fit
right into the future of the MCU,
whatever that future may hold.
(dramatic music)
For more movie reviews, check out what we thought of
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
and Alita: Battle Angel.
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