Captain Marvel Review

Introduction (Warning Contains Spoilers)

With an extended version of Avengers: Endgame arriving in cinemas this September, Marvel is once again attracting plenty of attention.

Avengers: Doomsday is also scheduled to arrive in December, making this the perfect time for an MCU rewatch.

Our decision now is to go back and explore the Marvel movies in chronological order, taking the story from its beginnings.

Our adventure will take us from the 1940s to the 1990s with Captain Marvel.

Captain Marvel was released in 2019 and it marked the 21st Marvel Cinematic Universe movie.

The movie was directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck who were also involved in writing the screenplay.

Brie Larson plays Carol Danvers, a pilot in the Air Force who becomes one of the strongest superheroes on Earth.

The movie starts off with Carol living with the Kree who call her Vers.

Carol does not remember anything about her past and thinks that the Kree protect the universe.

Following a failed mission, Vers crash lands on Earth in the year 1995.

Her presence there causes her to meet the young Nick Fury and Phil Coulson.

In addition, she starts recalling some memories suggesting that there was something in her life on Earth.

In the process of searching for her origin, Carol gets caught up in the rivalry of the Kree and the Skrulls.

However, the true nature of the rivalry turns out to be much more complicated than she thinks at first.

This film thus blends superhero action with sci-fi elements, mystery, and 90s nostalgia.

Additionally, the film had to achieve the tough feat of introducing a very powerful character just before Avengers: Endgame.

This placed quite some pressure on the film makers.

Carol had to be made sufficiently appealing to be able to have a film of her own.

She had to be made sufficiently important to be on par with other avengers. It turns out to be an interesting film with many good ideas.

However, it is also a movie that sometimes struggles to develop those ideas fully.

Direction

Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck were not what you would expect from a director for a big Marvel film.

They had mainly worked on independent films that relied on strong character studies. The transition to such a big superhero movie was a big jump.

It is this background that makes them tell Carol’s story in their own way. Instead of focusing everything on spectacle, they emphasize a lot on her identity.

The character of Carol does not have knowledge of her background at the start of the film.

It allows the directors to build the movie on the idea of discovery.

Carol and the audience discover Carol’s background at about the same time.

It is a good way of doing things as compared to the conventional origin story of superheroes.

We already know that Carol has special powers at the beginning of the film.

What is uncertain is how Carol obtained such powers.

These give the beginning parts an element of uncertainty.

The film-makers also use flashbacks and fragmented memories to give bits of information in gradual steps.

This gives rise to questions regarding the reliability of various parts of Carol’s memories.

It also allows the narrative to jump back and forth in time in a non-linear manner.

The Earth sequences seem very different from those of the initial scenes on Hala. The Kree world seems more advanced and militarized.

Earth, on the other hand, uses imagery associated with 90s sci-fi movies and action films. This makes Carol’s experience on Earth seem like a drastic change from her previous one.

Humour is used a lot in the film as well. Some jokes work really well, especially those with Carol and Nick Fury.

Others feel forced into the movie to give the Marvel tone. This may on occasions undermine the more weighty scenes.

The movie shifts from cosmic war, comedy, enigma to personal narrative. These transitions are not always entirely seamless.

One of the most prominent directorial problems that arises in the film is that of tone.

While Boden and Fleck tend to maintain the pace, The movie can at times feel like many movies at once.

The setting in the 1990s provides numerous opportunities for nostalgia by the directors.

This era is set by music, technology, clothes, and locations. Some of the references are rather funny and enjoyable.

Other references seem to be rather reminders of the film being set in the 1990s. However, what the directors manage to do is create an independent movie.

Another point is that Carol’s story is more crucial than the myth that surrounds her.

Cinematography

The cinematography of Captain Marvel by Ben Davis is what helps distinguish different worlds within the movie.

The Earth parts have a rather warm and nostalgic look. It serves well when Carol visits Los Angeles.

The movie depicts the atmosphere of America of the 1990s without making things look artificial.

The same can be said about the usage of familiar places and technology.

Thus, Blockbuster Video, older computers, and mobile phones are used in the movie as well. These elements make the environment instantly recognizable.

The stark contrast to the Kree world is also quite useful. That part has a more futuristic look to it.

The production design includes metal surfaces, artificial lighting, and bigger environments.

That helps to visually separate the two worlds of Carol. The movie also relies heavily on the use of colors.

The superhero costume of Carol is one that provides the stark visual contrast to many environments.

This creates a distinction visually in Carol’s two worlds. Colour is another effective cinematic technique used in this movie.

As can be seen, Carol’s superhero costume contrasts with various backgrounds.

In addition, her powers have been displayed through various energy effects which are vibrant.

Such scenes make the film look like a comic book, which is typical of Marvel.

However, the cinematography of the film is not very distinguished. At times, the film takes on a style of cinematography which is typical of MCU movies.

It makes it somewhat familiar. It is definitely not a great weakness, but it is certainly a limitation on the film’s own uniqueness.

As the film was set in the 1990s, it could have been more different visually than it is.

It is, rather, a mixture of period details and the usual look of a blockbuster. It creates an interesting middle ground.

The movie looks like a modern-day superhero film disguised as a 1990s film. Such an approach would have worked best if the period details were always part of the background.

It becomes less successful when nostalgia is placed directly in front of the audience.

Overall, the cinematography supports the story effectively..It creates clear differences between Earth and the cosmic sections.

It also gives the film enough visual scale for Carol’s powers. The imagery may not be revolutionary, but it is polished and consistently effective.

Visual Effects

Visual effects in Captain Marvel are obviously very numerous. The powers of Carol require quite a lot of digital effects in this movie.

This is accompanied by alien planets, space crafts, energy weapons, and battles. It is impossible to create these things without a great number of CGI effects.

The outcome looks quite impressive. Powers of Carol with energy effects look especially cool when they dominate the screen.

It can be seen clearly in the last action scenes.

Digital manipulation is also quite substantial in terms of creating the Skrulls.

Skrulls’ transformations represent some of the most crucial visual effects in the movie.

Effects have to look believable and yet allow the characters to undergo changes fast.

In general, the effects are very successful.

A remarkable effect that is used in the movie is the de-aging of Samuel L. Jackson. Fury looks a couple decades younger than in any of the other Marvel movies.

Clark Gregg is seen playing young Phil Coulson as well. The de-aging aspect is very important since it should remain believable at all times.

The youthfulness of Jackson fits into the movie in most cases. It hardly gets so distracting that it affects his acting.

This is a notable feat given the amount of digital work that has been done. But the movie does show some limitations of its effects at times.

There are places where the environment looks overly computer generated.

There are also space battles which lack the physicality of Marvel’s most exciting scenes.

Certain space battles also lack the physical quality found in Marvel’s strongest action sequences.

The problem isn’t necessarily the amount of CGI.

The issue is whether the audience can feel the weight and danger within the action.

Some scenes become so dominated by digital effects that they lose a sense of physical reality.

This is particularly noticeable during the larger battles. There are still many impressive moments.

Carol’s powers are visually striking, and the effects successfully establish her extraordinary abilities.

The transformation of Skrulls is another notable feature of the movie.

The de-aging effect is undoubtedly one of the most technologically advanced features of the film. On the whole, the balance works out quite well.

There is plenty of visual effects in the movie, but the movie demands this.

The problem arises when special effects substitute for suspense.

The good effects highlight the characters. The poor ones just showcase the capabilities of the technology.

Themes and Storyline

The most prevalent theme in Captain Marvel is identity. Carol struggles throughout most of the movie to understand her true self.

Her past has been erased from her mind and replaced with a false identity.

There is an interesting contradiction here between the idea of identity and control. Carol thinks she is a Kree soldier.

She slowly uncovers that her past is much more complex than she initially thought. The story can thus be seen as an effort to understand one’s own self.

The conclusion that Carol reaches is that she has been letting others define her.

This has a lot in common with yet another theme.

Resilience forms one of the major themes of the movie.

It is constantly being made clear to Carol that she does not have control over herself or her skills.

This adds to the empowering message of the movie.

The strength of Carol lies in rising up again whenever she falls down.

This theme is supported by memories of Carol’s past life.

We have seen Carol trying hard things again and again even when she fails.

So, Carol’s biggest accomplishment is not becoming powerful. Instead, it is in not giving up.

Friendship is another important theme in the movie.

The bond between Carol and Maria Rambeau can be seen as the most emotional of all.

Maria recalls Carol before the Kree gained power over her life.

The relationship acts as a crucial element that reconnects Carol with her past self.

Lashana Lynch adds depth to the bond with her convincing performance.

She manages to bring a grounded element into a movie that can easily get lost in its cosmic mythology.

Another intriguing theme that is explored within the movie is the Kree-Skrull conflict. The viewer first gets only one side of the story.

However, new facts require both Carol and the audience to reconsider their opinion. This adds a much-needed layer to the plot.

It undermines the belief that we should always trust the authorities.

The Kree introduce themselves as protectors. Nevertheless, their interpretation of the events does not have to be true.

This is definitely one of the most interesting plot devices used in the movie. Unfortunately, not all of the themes have been developed properly.

Carol’s identity is very interesting, but the emotional consequences of the events happen too fast. The film jumps between revelations very quickly.

It brings an element of complexity to the story. It questions the notion of blindly believing powerful entities.

Kree are introduced as protectors. But their account of the events does not make it the truth.

It is among the better storytelling elements in the movie. But some of the themes would have been developed further.

Carol’s identity is interesting, but the emotional aspects of it are often hurried through.

The film also shifts rapidly from one revelation to another.

This indicates that some revelations may not get the proper emotional weight. The plot of the movie itself is fun, but at times overwhelming.

It is the cosmic politics, Carol’s past, Skrulls, Nick Fury and Air Force. And then there is the broader connection to the entire MCU universe.

All these aspects struggle for attention. The outcome is entertaining but not always emotionally satisfying. The 124-minute long duration of the movie is justified.

Nevertheless, due to the quantity of information that the film needs to provide, certain parts can be perceived as being rushed.

Indeed, the Kree part is quite complicated. It presents many new characters, places and ideas at a rapid pace.

But when the main character arrives on Earth, it gets much easier to understand. Her mysterious background also seems more interesting.

Certainly, the middle part is one of the best parts in the movie. Indeed, thanks to Carol’s investigations, viewers learn the truth just like she does.

Consequently, the final act is rather conventional. Once Carol realizes her powers, the mystery dissipates to some extent.

In that case, the movie turns into the typical superhero action movie. Thus, there is an interesting comparison between its first and last parts.

The mystery seems more appealing than its solution. However, this does not mean that the finale fails to be effective.

This only indicates that the most intriguing moments lie in the questions.

Another element that can be improved by the movie is the villain. There are plenty of confidence and charisma in the character played by Jude Law.

Nevertheless, the character is not well-developed enough to make it memorable. In addition, there was supposed to be more drama in his relationship with Carol.

The latter makes the betrayal less significant. The movie does good thematically but not dramatically.

It has good ideas. However, its implementation is not always perfect.

Performances

There is significant weight on Brie Larson in playing Carol Danvers. She had to bring in an entirely new hero that was already part of the MCU right away.

She had to make Carol fascinating without knowing her background yet. Brie Larson gives Carol confidence and determination.

She adds humor to the character. This ensures that Carol is not all too serious.

Her portrayal works best when there is silence. The doubt Carol has over her memories provides an opportunity for vulnerability.

This is because the script does not always provide her with much emotional depth. Carol is very strong quite early on in the story.

This means that it is difficult to give her the typical superhero weakness. It is for this reason that Larson has to emphasize the emotional journey even more.

She succeeds at doing this to a certain extent.

Nonetheless, some people might find Carol to be less emotionally distinct than Steve Rogers and Tony Stark.

This is partly a writing issue rather than a performance problem.

One of the greatest assets of this film is Samuel L. Jackson. The young Nick Fury is lively and entertaining.

It is clear that Jackson has fun being this younger version of Fury, before he became a tough character.

Their great chemistry adds much energy to the film. Their connection is one of the many comedic aspects of the film.

Clark Gregg plays Phil Coulson again. Even though his role is rather short, it is always nice to see young Coulson for fans of the MCU.

Another great actor in this movie is Lashana Lynch who plays Maria Rambeau. She gives Maria some warmth and confidence.

Maria’s friendship with Carol is definitely the best human relationship in the whole movie.

Ben Mendelsohn is also entertaining in this film as Talos. At first sight, he seems to be very intimidating.

The performance becomes more fascinating as more information about him becomes known to the audience.

Mendelsohn achieves the right balance between humor and sincerity.

Jude Law presents an assured performance as Yon-Rogg. The only issue is that the character is not deep enough.

Law plays the character as the character calls for. There is not enough in the screenplay to make him an unforgettable character.

Annette Bening delivers on her dual role well. She brings authority to both sides of her character.

Djimon Hounsou is another MCU veteran as Korath.

His role is smaller, but he brings some continuity on the cosmic side of Marvel.

On the whole, the cast is good.

What is missing here is character development, not acting. There are several actors who could have done more with the help of better script.

What Worked and What Did Not

Captain Marvel has many qualities to appreciate.

Choosing the concept of identity as the key element of the movie is appropriate.

First, it creates a different format of the main character’s background story compared to most superhero movies.

Second, being set in the 90s, the movie has its own unique character.

It features a good soundtrack, cool technology and other elements that create an appealing era atmosphere.

Samuel L. Jackson is also a big win. His performance brings comedy to the movie.

His interactions with Brie Larson make his performance even better.

Lashana Lynch is another great performer of the movie. The relationship of Maria and Carol brings a real emotional base to the story.

The storyline of the Skrulls is also very successful.

The final turn brings the challenge for the spectators’ first perceptions.

It makes the movie have more depth than expected from a superhero film.

Visual effects are impressive in general. The de-aging effect is very good too.

The powers of Carol are depicted quite well. The movie manages to portray her as a very powerful superhero.

However, being such a powerful character turns out to be one of the flaws of the movie.

The reason for this is that Carol becomes so powerful that sometimes there is no suspense during fight scenes.

The movie has too much storyline as well.

The movie has many characters, settings and story lines to deal with. There are things which need more focus.

The Kree and Skrulls rivalry would have deserved more focus. Another one is the complexity of the villain Yon-Rogg.

The bond between Carol and Maria is brilliant. But there were times when the movie could have focused on their past more.

Tone is yet another grey area of the movie. The comedy in the movie is quite good.

However, there are some scenes where some comedy is unnecessary. Sometimes, the movie finds it hard to strike a balance between the serious elements and the lighthearted ones.

The action scenes are no different. There are some that are thrilling and visually spectacular.

Then there are others that seem rather generic in the Marvel movies sense.

In any case, the biggest drawback of the movie could be the lack of an identifiable identity for it.

This movie has many positive aspects to it. But some elements just feel like typical Marvel Universe stuff.

The film is clearly enjoyable.

It simply does not always reach the emotional or dramatic heights of Marvel’s best work.

Overall Verdict

Captain Marvel is a fun and meaningful chapter in the Marvel Universe Cinematic.

Brie Larson brings confidence, humor, and determination to Carol Danvers.

The young Nick Fury by Samuel L. Jackson is fun to watch.

The 1990s setting ensures lots of character. The visual effects are great, especially the de-aging effects.

The themes of identity and strength are great too in the film. Nevertheless, at times the story is a little bit cluttered.

The villain was somewhat underdeveloped. Some scenes are excessively dependent on visual effects.

The immense strength of Carol could lessen the drama in some scenes.

Despite these problems, the movie does succeed in introducing a key figure of the MCU universe.

Moreover, it serves as a good introduction to Avengers: Endgame.

Being the next destination in our chronologically arranged MCU tour, it is worth watching again.