Captain Marvel is a charming film. It has some witty dialogue, a few surprisingly intimate moments (for a Marvel film) and decent action sequences. But, the incredible one-two punch of Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther, two films which brought powerful new voices to the overbearing Marvel formula, feel like an eternity ago following a string of bloated (Avengers: Infinity War) and hopelessly mediocre (Ant-Man and the Wasp) films. The eye-roll-worthy self-referential humor is in full force throughout this origin story, and a rather disappointing villain (after Killmonger and even Thanos himself) left me yearning for so much more.
Those complaints aside, Captain Marvel is . . . fine. The film’s title character (Brie Larson) stars in Marvel’s first female-led superhero movie, and Larson brings an abundance of the wonderful brand of quick witticisms and eyebrow-raising charm we’ve come to know and love. This film basically answers the question “what would happen if Envy Adams [Larson’s character in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) became a superhero?” and I’m so happy it does. I had lofty expectations for one of my favorite actresses in the business, and she didn’t disappoint, even if I know she’s capable of a lot more (see Larson’s truly unforgettable performance in Room).
Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is himself, but I’m more amazed by the magic of movies with his character: the 70-year-old actor looks like he’s roughly 40 in this film, and it’s rather disconcerting. Until he runs. Or fights. Or does anything requiring strenuous physical exertion. But that’s besides the point! Fortunately directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck don’t assign him much in this regard, so Fury mostly just has a sly remark to offer every now and again, and strikes a friendship with a cute kitty, Goose. That cat is the real MVP of this film, not gonna lie.
The filmmaking here is also pretty good. There are a few shockingly intimate moments in the second act, and there’s even some silence during these emotional peaks! As someone who’s been frustrated by the sheer noise for the sake of noise in seemingly every Marvel movie, the intimate moments scattered throughout were a welcome change of pace, despite the disengagement they may create for some (such as certain members of the audience with whom I saw this film, who were visibly bored during these scenes).
The emotionally intimate moments are a staple of directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, (co-directors of It’s a Funny Story and Sugar) and really allow them to flesh out the characters and emotional foundations of this story. Many Marvel movies simply blaze past this so we can have another action scene.
That said, the faults of this film start with its villain. We have squarely returned to the realm of the forgettable in Marvel’s villain problem. You can see the “twist” with the character coming from a mile away, and the villain basically has 15 minutes to make an impression onscreen, with very little to do to make a lasting impression. No thanks. While the villain is topically tied to a great statement on our current administration’s fear-mongering with immigrants, the character itself is extremely forgettable.
Outside of it being the first female-led Marvel film, there’s not a whole lot to differentiate Captain Marvel from the other nearly two dozen Marvel films that preceded it. Maybe history will prove me wrong, but this time I’m feeling pretty confident that my opinion of this film will stand the test of time (unlike Black Panther, a film I enjoyed early on but only fully realized its gravitas long after the initial release). See Captain Marvel for the fact that Brie Larson is wonderful, but don’t expect much other than a fun time.
