As we make our way towards Avengers: Endgame, we take a step backwards, to 1995 to be exact, to get caught up on that mysterious page sent by Nick Fury at the very end of Infinity War.
I will do my best to keep this spoiler free and will discuss plot points that have been revealed by the trailers or TV spots.
As Marvel's 21st film and the first female-led superhero movie and the first co-directed by a woman, Captain Marvel has a lot to live up to. And trust me, it was worth the wait. Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck not only shake up the timeline but also how the origin story unfolds.
Here we are introduced to Captain Marvel (played by Brie Larson) who already has her powers, though she has not truly harnessed all of them. She is a Kree soldier who is part of an elite military unit called Starforce. They are in a war with the shape shifting Skrulls. She has no idea she is Carol Danvers, as there is a huge blank spot in her memory. The Kree all-knowing Supreme Intelligence (played by Annette Bening) reminds her that there is a past that she cannot remember. Brie Larson is fierce and is perfect as Captain Marvel. Her performance stands out in an already Oscar winning career.
After a failed mission Danvers finds herself on Earth. Here she meets Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson). The de-aging process here is so good that you don't even notice it. Now in their third movie together, Larson and Jackson bring their real life friendship into this buddy comedy action film.
By flipping the origin movie script, Captain Marvel gets away from the usual origin story formula. We do not have to watch Captain Marvel train or listen through a long dialogue moment of explanation of what is going on. But we do get glimpses of her past and how she was told that she could not do things because she is a female. We get a powerful female empowerment movie without the need of declaring itself one.
The rest of the cast is solid. Jackson's Fury and Clark Gregg's Phil Coulson supply some funny moments along with the realization that the threat to the world might be coming from outer space. Lashana Lynch as Carol's best friend Maria Rambeau is a scene stealer and brings the heart of this film together. Ben Mendolsohn's Talos and Goose the cat will also quickly become fan favorites though saying more than that quickly goes into spoiler territory.
Captain Marvel is a highly entertaining film filled with all the action and humor of an action buddy comedy movie with some space opera through in for good measure. Outstanding acting performances all around and some great '90s music and pop culture references.
In the end the message is clear, your past does not dictate who you are in the present or even the person that you will be in the future. In times of weakness, the people who love you will give you strength until you can be strong for yourself. This is an important message for girls as well as for boys.
As always stay until the end for the two post credit tags. There is also a really cool Stan Lee tribute at the beginning of the movie. Thank you Stan for everything!
Captain Marvel welcome to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Higher. Further. Faster.
Captain Marvel opens in theaters March 8th.
i saw it last night. loved it! and u were right about goose and fury, lolololol!
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