Anthony's Film Review - Captain Marvel (2019)

Another exciting entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which also celebrates the female hero...

Here I am with another review of a Marvel superhero movie, and more quick comments about whether to see the movie given how we have so many Marvel movies now. First off, one thing already makes Captain Marvel a unique entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: the protagonist is female. If you love the idea of a female superhero, this is for you. The action is exactly what you would expect. The story, on the other hand, took me by surprise. It's one that clearly has some creativity behind it. So let me focus on that first.

On a distant planet called Hala, a woman named Vers (Brie Larson), who has the power to make her hands burn with energy, goes on a mission to help rescue a stranded spy. She is part of a team of soldiers, which include the leader Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) and an operative named Minn-Erva (Gemma Chan). However, the mission takes a complicated turn that ultimately leaves Vers separated from her team. Vers soon finds herself crash-landing onto planet Earth, referred to as Planet C-53, in the 1990s.

Like other Marvel movies introducing a new superhero, this one is an origin story. What's interesting here is that the origin of the main character is partly a mystery, even to that character. In one scene, Vers is captured and subject to a procedure that scans memories and thoughts in order to retrieve vital information. We see images of what appears to be different parts of Vers's life. Apparently, she had a childhood like many other girls and was a U.S. Air Force pilot named Carol Danvers. Why is all of this partly a mystery? Well, Vers doesn't really remember much of her past life. We may also wonder if some of those memories are actually false memories implanted into her. We can only move on and see what happens.

Speaking of glimpses into the past, another character has an origin story here. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is in this movie, although younger and without the eyepatch seen in the Avengers movies taking place more than a decade later. Here, Fury looks more like a relatively new agent, not yet the hardened leader we would see later in the fictional timeline. Marvel movie fans will definitely appreciate Fury's backstory, and everyone can enjoy the humor that surrounds Fury, especially with the wit Samuel L. Jackson is known for.

The humor reminds me of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy movies, which are funny enough for me to call them sci-fi action comedies. Captain Marvel does have bits of humor though not at the level of Guardians. I already mentioned the humor with Nick Fury. There's another character who will make you laugh: a cat named Goose. For one thing, the cat is adorable. Even so, wait until a particular action scene late in the movie to see how Goose deals with extraterrestrial threats. The biggest laughs are perhaps right there.

Going back to the story, it's something I enjoyed following. It's not 100% straightforward, though, because some interesting developments and surprises come up. It's enough for me to move my rating for this movie from good to pretty good. Also, the protagonist is more powerful than an ordinary human but is still often vulnerable. That presents an ongoing conflict for the character to overcome, in addition to the conflict of enemies trying to stop her from finding the whereabouts of a scientist, played by Annette Bening.

In the context of an engaging plot, the main character undergoes a transformation, from a character with one superpower to a superhero who is by far the most powerful Marvel superhero. Once it all ends, you'll want to see more. And if you're anticipating Avengers: Endgame, this movie will definitely get you more excited about it. Lastly, I want to note that this movie was released on International Women's Day, which celebrates the power and success of women in all walks of life. Captain Marvel is a nice tribute to all female superheroes, not just her, especially as they can be tough just like their male counterparts.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Captain Marvel, visit the Internet Movie Database.