Captain Marvel (2019) - Movie Review

With Avengers: Endgame right around the corner, this prequel to the franchise that changed superhero cinema as we know it has a lot riding on it. It has to not only deliver as yet another Marvel flick, but it also has to sell the idea that this superhero, Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, is the progenitor to everything we’ve seen in the MCU thus far and deliver one final setup before Endgame officially closes this chapter for good. Knowing how recent movies have turned out in regards to build-up vs. pay-off, with both Marvel and DC struggling in their own ways over the last handful of years, this really could go either way. Which is why I’m pleased to report that this film does pretty much everything it needed to succeed, starting with the casting.

It’s a little too easy to buy Brie Larson as the kind of trend-setting superhero that would eventually lead to the Avengers et al. Every single moment with her on-screen is bursting with personality, possessing a very DC-esque moxie as the kind of hero that one is meant to look up to. Probably helps that her filmography so far has been littered with her playing strong characters, from The Glass Castle to Room to all the way back in United States Of Tara.

She could easily carry this entire film on her own but, thankfully, she doesn’t have to. Ben Mendelsohn as the villain… not really sure I need to add anything more than that; the guy has built a healthy reputation for amazing cinematic villains, and this is no exception. Not only does he add yet another interesting facet to the MCU’s approach to antagonists, his performance results in a weird form of meta-acting in how he uses his natural Aussie accent when he isn’t in disguise (i.e. when he’s being himself). Annette Bening is brilliant in her quite pivotal role, Jude Law as Marvel’s mentor is a solid fit, and Sam Jackson is the most fun he’s ever been as Nick Fury, making for an amazing double-act alongside Larson. And speaking of Jackson, holy hell, using CGI to artificially de-age actors has come a long way since X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Then again, most things from that movie have.

Prepare yourself for copious amounts of 90’s nostalgia, as this film certainly squeezes its retro aesthetic (let’s try not to feel too old thinking about the 90’s being "retro") for all it’s got. Grunge music, dial-up internet, pagers, VHS tapes, even a subtle nod to Men In Black with Jackson and Clark Gregg’s introduction to the story; this film loves the 90’s as much as Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 loved the 80’s. This is a type of nostalgia that has been on the verges of the mainstream for a while now, since the kitsch of the glam rock era is starting to run dry with how often it’s been used in films over the last several years. While it doesn’t reach the same level of triumphant endearment as GOTG, it still manages to slot nicely into the main plot without entirely feeling like reminiscence for its own sake.

With this being the MCU’s first female-led superhero outing, it’d be an easy guess that this was going to go for a heavy feminist leaning. Now, while that is definitely here to an extent, mainly to do with how certain dude-bros act towards Captain Marvel, it’s only part of the bigger picture. It’s still very socially conscious but in a way similar to other Phase Three Marvel outings like Thor: Ragnarok and Captain America: Civil War. The depiction we get of the war between the Kree, who trained Captain Marvel, and the Skrull is one that doesn’t hide away from the grim realities of war, giving a commendable examination on the notion that the enemy could be anyone.

But primarily, the brightest thematic moments are those tied directly to Carol’s personal character arc, dealing with her status as a person literally stuck between two worlds. The story’s knack for weird twists means that I don’t really want to get into spoiler territory, lest I ruin the impact of the universe’s most powerful hairball, but suffice to say that she goes through some serious self-discovery over the course of this film. It’s an arc that feels in line with Ragnarok and even Black Panther in regards to cultural identity, showing Carol trying to juggle the impacts of the cultures she was born into, brought into and come into conflict with.

It’s a mature look at personal identity that acknowledges how exposure and connection to different cultures can affect it, but at the end of the day, it keeps the personal aspect in focus. That, combined with a moment near the end that feels like every single online argument I’ve ever witnessed, makes this a show of genuine strength that feels like it needs to exist at this moment.