Movie Review: Captain Marvel, A Blast Of A Sci-Fi Superhero Movie With Small Flaws

Jeff D Lowe 3/5/2019 10:46 AM

The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe movie is here! Let’s talk about it…

Jeff D Lowe (85/100): ‘Captain Marvel’ stumbles a bit out of the gates as it hits the usual early origin story beats, but reaches a level of awesomely strange 1990s-science-fiction fun that we need much more of in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Brie Larson is fantastic in the role of Carol Danvers, but it is Ben Mendelsohn who absolutely steals the show. It’s not the perfect Marvel movie by any means, but audiences will leave ‘Captain Marvel’ grinning ear-to-ear.

It’s always hard introducing characters in their own solo movies for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. ‘Spider-Man Homecoming’ and ‘Black Panther’ worked so well in part because we were able to jump right into the movie’s main conflicts after getting to know the characters beforehand. With that said, once Brie Larson finds her footing in the role of Carol Danvers, the story really comes together.

The mystery and intrigue surrounding Carol Danvers’ origin help give the movie a fresh enough vibe to keep you engaged throughout. It’s hard to talk too much about the twists and turns of ‘Captain Marvel’ without spoiling anything, but you won’t see many of them coming until they happen. You obviously know, like most origin stories, that the character will become the superhero by the time the movie ends, but it is nice to see them cloak much of how the story will play out.

As I said up top, Brie Larson was great, but the performance that stuck out the most was that of Ben Mendelsohn. I’ve been yelling from the mountain top for him to be given more interesting characters and scripts, and we got that with ‘Captain Marvel’. The scripts he was given in 2018 alone with ‘Ready Player One’ and ‘Robin Hood’ were awful. His quick-witted delivery and demeanor as the Skrull alien Talos in ‘Captain Marvel’ established him as one of my favorite superhero movie characters. The script writing feels clunky in some spots, but I actually think this is the best-written humor out of all 21 movies since ‘Iron Man’ released in 2008, including ‘Thor Ragnarok’, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and ‘Ant-Man’. There isn’t a single joke that fell flat for me, something Marvel Cinematic Universe movies tend to have happen now and then in their scripts.

It’s funny saying ‘Captain Marvel’ is in the middle of the pack of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for me because while it had some struggles getting going, it was an absolute blast of a movie. These are superheroes, they have powers and interact with aliens, it should be weird, and it should be fun. ‘Captain Marvel’ thrives when it plays up those vibes. Brie Larson was a perfect choice for the role and fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will love this movie. Much like that of Captain America, the more Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, integrate into this universe, the more and more we will love her.

EXTRA NOTE 1: If you’re a nostalgia junkie like me, you’ll love every single 1990’s reference, gag and joke.

EXTRA NOTE 2: Anything connecting to ‘Avengers’ will give you big time goose-bumps.

KenJac (84/100): This was a visually appealing and very fun movie within the bubble of the MCU. Outside of said bubble, I could see where this hiccups for some people. The more important thing is that Brie Larson fucking rocks as Carol Danvers and the superhero of Captain Marvel works which was something I was afraid of going into it. She’s funny, badass and keeps you entertained from the start to finish of the film.

Brie Larson was great in the scenes where she got to show off her funnier side and struggled a bit in the moments where she was used as a tool for exposition. Samuel L Jackson was ok as a very coarsely de-aged and less gritty Nick Fury, and Lashana Lynch had some powerful emotional moments to Danvers development. The surprising stars of the show for me were everyone’s favorite bad guy, Ben Mendelsohn, and Jude Law. Mendelsohn added some levity while Law gave a dramatic arc in limited screen time.

The first third of this movie was a bit of a struggle as it was finding a rhythm. There was a bit too much ham-fisted explanation that they tried to sweep under the rug with semi-charming quips and jokes. As soon as the stage is set, however, it’s a total blast. The action sequences look great and most of the heavy scenes go by without a hitch. The climax, in particular, was an incredible sequence that I think rivals the apex of most any MCU flick. Also, for a movie set in the 1990’s, they never made a point to hammer home too many references which is a mistake I know all too well. My biggest issues come with the pacing early in the movie and some of the dialogue choices which felt forced. Outside of that, this is a very enjoyable comic book movie and a great prelim to ‘Avengers: Endgame’.

‘Captain Marvel’ gives you a fun, energetic superhero set in a nostalgic period. Honestly, what more can you want? Also, the soundtrack fucking ruled. One No Doubt song comes on at possibly the most perfect point of the film and I was rocking along to it like I was there. Thanks for teaching me how to spell banana, Gwen.

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We will wait until next week to see if ‘Captain Marvel’ is buttered! Subscribe to Lights, Camera, Barstool where we will review ‘Captain Marvel’ with Trillballins next week. Also, remember to rate all 2019 and 2018 movies below.

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