Captain Marvel - Review

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Originating in earnest back in 2008 with Iron Man, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has so far spanned across over a decade and produced 20 action-packed instalments, all featuring a male character at the forefront. For the franchise's 21st outing, the character of Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel takes centre stage, making it Marvel's first female-led superhero film.

Kree warrior Captain Marvel (Larson) finds herself caught in the crossfire of an intergalactic battle between her people and the Skulls, other extraterrestrial beings. After crash-landing on Earth during an escape mission, Danvers memories of her life there come flooding back and with the help of Nick Fury (Jackson), she reassembles her identity and hones her powers to end the war between the Kree and the Skulls.

Akin to other stand-alone MCU entries in many ways, Captain Marvel differs from the likes of origin stories Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger and Doctor Strange as our titular character is already imbued with her powers before the film begins. However, her fellow Kree warrior and mentor Yon-Rogg (Law) has trained her to temper her power and attempts to convince her that she must keep her emotions in check if she is to excel. But Carol is a character who trusts and follows her impulses, often leading her into dangerous situations. Yon-Rogg views this trait as a weakness but her innate goodness and instinct to do the right thing always prove to be the right course of action.

Indie-favourite and Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson steps into the heroine role and assumes the mighty mantle with complete gusto. Larson physically embodies the airforce pilot turned amnesiac space cadette, proving to be a formidable force in her hand-to-hand combat scenes that are unfortunately under-featured. However, she also has a firm grasp on Danvers' vulnerabilities that emerge when the character traverses Earth to scupper the Skurll's plan before they can launch a full invasion. Memories from her life on Earth plague Carol's journey and she experiences flashbacks that she cannot seem to place, particularly one involving visions of a woman called Dr. Wendy Lawson (Bening) that holds the key to her identity.

However, efforts to provide flesh to the bones of Carol's backstory prove to be underwhelming. Glimpses of a pre-teen Carol Danvers (Mckenna Grace) speeding around a race track only to crash and be harshly reprimanded by her father, implying a fraught and troubled relationship, are all too brief and could have been developed further to provide more context and growth in the character's arc.

In terms of innovation or deviation away from the tried-and-tested Marvel formula, Captain Marvel doesn't push any boundaries or move any mountains (although the character displays that she most certainly can), but it's refreshing lead and empowering themes are translating into box-office success and are sure to change the face of the MCU going forward.

EB

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