Marvel Studios’ films typically have a pretty high floor. By that I mean, the worst installments in the catalog tend to be better than a lot of other movies out there. However, not every film under the umbrella is good. Even the most diehard of fans can admit that Thor: The Dark World was an abysmal mess and several of the sequels in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Iron Man 2, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man and the Wasp) have been a step down from their predecessors. The fabric binding it all together is the overall role each of these films plays in the larger cinematic universe. Captain Marvel bridges all the necessary gaps for her inclusion in the future of the MCU but fell far short of expectations as a stand-alone effort.
Right off the bat, there is something off about this movie. The trailers gave away quite a bit, so we knew before going in that Carol Danvers had been in some kind of accident and subsequently became Kree. We also knew she was having flashback memories of her life on Earth, so the basic premise was going to revolve around her unraveling that mystery. Additionally, there was the introduction of the Skrulls who figured to play a large role in the plot. Beyond all that, this still had to tie into the much broader story arc that sets up Avengers: Endgame. That’s quite a bit to unwrap.
This was obviously a tall task for directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck who were taking on their first big studio film. The duo had made some well-received indie films (Half Nelson, It’s Kind of a Funny Story) and worked on numerous television shows but those were much, much simpler stories. This is the MCU and it seems like they bit off a little more than they could chew…so to speak. It felt awfully similar to the ill-fated Green Lantern which struggled mightily to ground the otherworldly content. The audience is immediately thrust into the middle of the Kree homeworld with plenty of spectacle and action but almost no context. Without at least some minimal prior knowledge, it’s very difficult to know what the heck is going on. Just from a narrative standpoint alone, anyone who had seen the trailer already has a pretty good grip on the origin story so trying to work backward, to uncover something that’s not really a secret, was an odd choice. Beginning with her adult life in the Air Force and moving ahead from there would have been completely fine but then it would really have been nearly a carbon copy of Green Lantern…and we know how that turned out.
Having written the screenplay, along with Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Tomb Raider 2018👎), Boden and Fleck certainly went all-in but the characters and the dialogue aren’t particularly well written. They did create nice working chemistry between Danvers and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) but the tone for the whole thing was off. Given what we know is at stake in the grander scheme of things, there was a strange laissez-faire attitude that permeated everything. It just never felt serious because we already know Captain Marvel is slated for a large role in Endgame, so obviously, nothing game-changing can really happen anyway. It was all just filler and backstory.
The other problem with setting this film as a prequel that occurs in 1995 is the blatant audience pandering through cliched and forced 90s references. Look, I get it. That decade isn’t as easy to portray on film as some of the others which are more clearly defined but beating the audience over the head with Blockbuster Video and two-way pager gags wasn’t the way to go. Even the soundtrack choices were so incredibly obvious it was a clear indication that they were trying way too hard. To make matters worse, besides the stuff that’s spoon-fed to the audience, it doesn’t feel like a period piece whatsoever. Boden and Fleck were in a very tough position here and I feel a little bad but it seems like they got stuck between two worlds. I actually really liked the way they chose to utilize the Skrulls (specifically, Talos who is played wonderfully by the talented Ben Mendelsohn) which gave the movie a very Star Trek-y vibe but I’m not sure that’s going to go over so well for most people either. I’m very curious to see if Disney and Marvel Studios decided to change direction (literally) for the sequels.
Brie Larson was an interesting choice to play the titular role but it sets things up well for the future of the MCU. This was a far cry from her Oscar-winning performance in Room but it was a serviceable effort that can be built on going forward. A large part of that goes back to the character writing. There was an overwhelming air of immaturity surrounding the character much more in line with a rebellious teenager than a seasoned 30-year-old military veteran. The attitude fits very well in some moments and not so much in other, but it was one of the major elements that stripped any seriousness out of the plot. Fortunately, in all the really important ways, this was a character that young girls (and everyone) can look up to for the right reasons. She has a big heart and wants to do what’s right even at risk to herself. It’s that endearing quality Larson nailed and it’s what will carry the character forward from here.
It is no coincidence this film was released on International National Women’s Day. If it wasn’t abundantly clear beforehand, they make sure to drive home the message early and often. While it’s important to promote heroes like this in the public sphere, there is a way to accomplish that with fluidity and it felt like that was lacking. For all the obvious production quality which went into making this, they shouldn’t have had to sell it so hard. There’s an army of people who put it a ton of work to make this movie look as good as it did but the spectacle only gets you so far.
After both the financial and critical success of Wonder Woman in the DC Extended Universe, Marvel had to answer back with a lead female superhero of their own but Captain Marvel felt rushed and forced more often than not. In the 20-plus films that comprise the MCU, this was unfortunately near the bottom. In a stunning turn of fortune, for the first time, DC not only beat marvel to the punch but out punched them as well. Don’t fear, the Carols Danvers show is definitely going to make its money but once word of mouth gets around it may have a hard time surpassing the $800-million globally held by Diana Prince.
Recommendation: If you’re an avid MCU fan, then you don’t need me to tell you to see it. In fact, you probably already have. However, if you’re an impartial observer, see it for the action and the kinship between Sam Jackson and Brie Larson. I was excited about this. Actually paid to see this on the early Thursday release but I wouldn’t spend the time or money to watch it again.