‘Captain Marvel’ takes diehard Marvel fans on high-flying adventure
It’s no secret that Marvel Studios has been on quite the winning streak since it was purchased by Disney. But despite some backlash from angry fans online, Marvel continues to make quality films — and “Captain Marvel,” the studio’s latest entry, is no exception.
Powered by fantastic lead performances and a mostly light-hearted tone, the film succeeds by leaning into the heart and humor that has made Marvel the landmark studio it is today.
“Captain Marvel” centers around Carol Danvers, a member of the Kree race, who experiences amnesia after an accident. The Krees are at war with a supposed terrorist race, the Skrulls. While preventing the Skrulls from gaining new information about their source of power, Danvers — known by her Kree name, Vers — crashes onto Earth. With the help of a young Nick Fury, she learns about her past and discovers the potential of her powers.
Right off the bat, the film is given a boost by its two top-billed stars. Brie Larson is fantastic as the title character, giving Danvers an infectious bolt of energy more powerful than the lightning that Captain Marvel shoots from her arms. Samuel L. Jackson is, once again, fantastic as Fury. He is one of the most charming actors in the business, showcasing Fury’s wit and intelligence that would later put him at the top of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The de-aging effects used on Jackson are decent and the rest of the special effects are pretty solid as well. The design of Hala — the home planet of the Krees — has a generic sci-fi look and could have been more colorful, but it still looks pretty good. Some of the effects of Captain Marvel flying around look pretty fake, but the majority of effects used are either well-done or stylized enough to be enjoyable for audiences.
The somewhat mediocre effects are part of the issues that the film shares with other Marvel movies. Several action scenes are poorly shot and edited, with the shakiness of the camera more noticeable than the fighting choreography. The musical score, while featuring some fun 1990s hits, is mostly non-apparent.
Narratively, there are some pretty generic origin-story beats that could have been handled better. Without going into spoilers, the villain of the film also follows a pattern similar to most Disney films. It was pretty disappointing to see such a redundant arc.
These are flaws that “Captain Marvel” shares with many of its predecessors. The film succeeds, like the better half of those predecessors, by balancing its tone. Those behind the project knew when to give Danvers heart and depth, while simultaneously not making the film too dark and still having fun with the subject matter. There are scenes with the protagonist questioning her existence, alongside those of her quipping with Jackson. Both fit because they create well-rounded, personable characters.
The telling of Danver’s backstory and how she puts together the pieces of her shattered memories is great. The filmmakers never feed too much down the audience’s throats at once, all while showcasing her memories in visually interesting ways. This gives Danvers a bit of tragedy, in that her old life has been taken away, but also the purpose and motivation to move forward.
Danvers is also just an enjoyable person to be around. She is someone that could easily go from fighting crime to sharing jokes on Tony Stark’s yacht with ease. She isn’t perfect in any way, as she lets her emotions get the best of her at times. But that is what makes her human and personable.
While this film is not a deep exploration of the human condition, “Captain Marvel” is an entertaining ride that showcases the best aspects of Marvel Studios. It’s definitely flawed, but the film succeeds at being a heart-felt, high-flying adventure that Marvel fans should be accustomed to seeing.
