Grant Dillard
Staff writer
gdillard@murraystate.edu
Graphic courtesy of Flickr
In the post-credits scene of last year’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) uses a modified pager device to contact someone before disintegrating due to the effects of the film’s conclusion. But who was this other contact, and how did Fury come to know them? “Captain Marvel,” the 21st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as the first film in the MCU to feature a female lead superhero, explains this in yet another entertaining film from Marvel Studios.
The film takes place in 1995, focusing on Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), a member of the alien Kree military who suffers from recurring memories of a past life on Earth, while taking part in a conflict with the shape-shifting species known as the Skrulls. Upon crashing on Earth during an escape attempt from the Skrulls, Danvers comes across S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury, who accompanies her on a quest to find the answers to her past, as well as stop an impending Skrull invasion on Earth.
The film’s overall narrative, while entertaining and easy to follow, plays it safe in terms of storytelling. Seeing as the film is set in the past and features previously established characters, it’s not exactly hard to tell who lives or who dies, or whether or not the world will be destroyed. Where the story starts to get more interesting is the halfway point, where a clever twist is introduced that completely changes the end goal established. It’s impressive how well this deviation works in the overall story, while also being a brilliant subversion.
The film also takes advantage of its setting with a healthy dose of nostalgic imagery; ranging from a “Street Fighter II” arcade machine to a Blockbuster Video store. Being set in the past allows the narrative to explore events that would become significant later on in the MCU, which should be very satisfying for hardcore fans. That is, except for one explanation for one of the MCU’s biggest mysteries, which is very disappointing and quite idiotic.
Brie Larson does a great job as the leading lady, having a fierce determination but also knowing how to let loose and have a bit of fun when needed. Seeing Danvers slowly make the transition from a confused space cadet to a powerful cosmic warrior is quite a sight to behold. Danvers may not be overly sarcastic and drop several quips like some of the other heroes in the MCU, but that doesn’t make her a boring character by any means. Nick Fury is also given an interesting role, as seeing him as a regular agent before his rise to director of S.H.I.E.L.D. is quite fascinating, along with seeing him encounter a superpowered being for the first time in his life. Ben Mendelsohn also shines as the Skrull leader, Talos. The shapeshifting alien can be very intimidating and a force to be reckoned with, but he can also be very funny at times too; but thankfully not to the point where it’s hard to take him seriously. Also, like some of the other great Marvel villains, Talos is given a completely identifiable motivation for what he’s doing.
While definitely not deserving of over-abundantly negative reviews, “Captain Marvel” is far from flawless. While the narrative moves along smoothly for the most part, the first 20 minutes can feel a bit uneven; opening with an action set piece from Danvers’ past, along with introducing several other memories. Eventually these memories are explained, but audiences may be taken back a bit with the overabundance of information early on. Also, while the action scenes present are certainly above average, especially toward the final act, nothing ever comes across as mind blowing. Viewers will still be entertained, no doubt, but there’s not likely to be any jaw-dropping action set pieces like in “Thor: Ragnarok” or “Avengers: Infinity War.”
Some of the supporting cast, specifically Danvers’ Kree teammates, could have used much more development. There’s a few members that stand out, including Danvers’ mentor, Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) a sniper named Minn-Erva (Gemma Chan) and eventual “Guardians of the Galaxy” supporting villain, Korath (Djimon Hounsou.) But they still don’t stand out as much as they should. This is especially disappointing for Korath, as well as Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) who also returns in a limited supporting role, as no new information about them is given to audiences who may have wanted to learn more about these characters. If anything, they feel more underdeveloped here than they do in the first “Guardians,” which is really saying something.
While it’s not the best Marvel film, especially compared to recent successes like “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Captain Marvel” is still an entertaining adventure and adds another solid hero to an already-impressive lineup of protagonists in the MCU. Danvers herself is off to a good start in terms of character development and there’s certainly potential for a future sequel to delve deeper with her; much like what was done with Captain America in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” In fact, fans won’t have to wait long for another appearance from the female heroine, as her next appearance will be in “Avengers: Endgame” next month. As for Danvers’ first feature film, it’s a fun time at the movies that’s sure to bring joy to anyone who sees it.