Captain Marvel opened on March 8, 2019 and it was met
with mixed reviews. Some loved it, some hated it and others didn’t know quite
what to think. Many fans claimed the movie was filled with a feminist agenda. Directed
by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the pair also wrote the screenplay along with
Geneva Robertson-Dworet. It stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Vers/Captain
Marvel, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and Jude Law as Yon-Rogg. Many fans
were upset that the filmmakers changed the origin story of Captain Marvel and
the related characters. I was unfamiliar with the comic character going into
the film, so I was curious to see if I would see the same things. I saw the
film recently and there were things I did like and things I didn’t like.
The film opens with Vers waking up from a disturbing dream
with flashes of a life she doesn’t recognize. She is a member of the Kree
Starforce and Yon-Rogg (played by Jude Law) is her commander and mentor. The
Kree and the Skrulls, a race of shapeshifters, have been embattled in a long
war and during a mission, Vers is captured by the Skrulls. Talos (played by Ben
Mendelsohn) and taps her mind in order find information. This action causes her
to see more images she is unfamiliar with and she eventually escapes their shackles.
During her escape, she crash lands on Earth. Soon after, she encounters Agent
Fury (long before he is director of SHIELD) and they eventually team up to
discover who she really is and what the Kree and the Skrulls are after on
Earth. Vers finally learns who she really is and what happened that lead her to
be on Hala, the Kree capital. She learns she has been lied to and who the true
villain is in this story. The final battle ensues as she embraces her true
identity. Before leaving Earth, Carol gives Fury a pager, designed to call her
in an emergency.
There was a lot I did like about the film. First, the
opening scroll, which usually features the various MCU characters, was used as
a tribute to Stan Lee, who had passed away before the film’s release. That was
cool and emotional to see. Second, I like the character of Carol Danvers. She’s
the girl who got back up when everyone else told her to quit. A powerful
message for everyone who has ever been told they can’t or shouldn’t do something
or be something. And I liked Brie Larson as Carol. Many reviewers complained
about her robotic acting; but it makes sense in the context of the story. She
had been molded by the Kree for six years with no memory, she was vulnerable to
what they told her. Yon-Rogg tells her during a fight training scene, “There’s
nothing more dangerous to a war than emotion. Humor is a distraction. Anger
only serves the enemy” (since when is humor an emotion, but I digress). By the
end of the film, she does lighten up a bit, laughs and smiles. Third, I enjoyed the explanation on how Nick
Fury lost his eye. Many people thought it was weak, but it makes sense. In Captain
America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Nick tells Steve Rogers “Last time I
trusted someone, I lost an eye.” We learn in this film, that it was Goose, a
Flerken disguised as a cat. In a previous scene, after Goose had devoured a few
enemies, Fury picks up Goose and says, “I’m trusting you not to eat me.” So,
Fury wasn’t lying when he said he trusted someone who eventually took his eye.
Now for what I didn’t like. First, the soundtrack. It was
underwhelming. Yes, they were hit songs from the 90s, with one or two
exceptions. Majority of the songs were great like Heart’s Crazy on You
and TLC’s Waterfalls, but others were annoying obvious like No Doubt’s Just
a Girl. While they were great songs, they just did not feel like they
belonged or had the same impact that both Guardians of the Galaxy
soundtracks did. It was almost like they just randomly decided to play a song
here or there, apart from Just a Girl. However, the musical score by Pinar
Toprak was good and I enjoyed it as I watched. Second, the de-aging was off. I
got used to Fury’s younger face, but Coulson’s was kind of creepy and hard to
watch. Luckily, he wasn’t in much of the film. Third, the overall feel of the
film was fragmented. It had great buddy moments between Carol and Fury and
between Carol and her friend, Maria (played by Lashana Lynch). It had
entertaining fight scenes and humorous moments. But it didn’t feel cohesive.
In conclusion, overall, I enjoyed this film. It wasn’t as
bad as I was led to believe. However, it wasn’t a great that was claimed by
others. It’s not my favorite MCU film, but I will watch it again. The film
vaguely connects to the other films; but you do not need to see this film in
order to watch Avengers: Endgame (2019). I also did not see the
so-called “feminist agenda” that many reviewers have claimed. There was
certainly a message of empowerment but not just for girls. I can see how anyone
can be empowered by this story. It has the message that we all need to work
together as a team, just as Captain Marvel and Nick Fury needed each other to
win the day. I recommend Captain Marvel.
