Mostly Just Marvel - Captain Marvel
At this point, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has this down to a science. The individual stories introduce us to characters who will then be propelled into the ‘Avengers’ universe. Disney makes tons of money and everyone walks away happy. Captain Marvel is the latest hero to enter into the equation, and this story serves as a sort of prequel for all of the films that came before it. We get the origins of S.H.I.E.L.D., the origins of Captain Marvel and a good look at how she fits into where the franchise is headed from here. But all of that was to be assumed. How successfully they pulled that off is another matter entirely.
Photo Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
When we meet Vers (played by Brie Larson), she is struggling to make sense of her identity. We get flashes of her past that not even she understands. She is mentored by Yon-Rogg (played by Jude Law), who leads the Kree Starforce and helps Vers learn to harness her power.
Once Vers finds herself on Earth, she begins to piece together subtle clues that the identity she has always known is not her complete truth. With the help of a young Agent Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson), she works to unscramble her memories and fight the forces that worked to confuse her. Along the way, she discovers how powerful she is, how to use those powers most effectively and the real causes she is fighting for.
Photo Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
That’s as simple as I can make it. That convoluted thread is the one Disney is trying to pull through the film’s two-hour runtime. Throughout, however, there are any number of confusing and obscuring storylines that make it hard to connect with the film. The film is obsessed with 90s nostalgia, for instance. But it is doing so in a way that feels like a Buzzfeed clickthrough representation of the 90s, rather than the 90s itself.
The film is also trying to straddle the awkward line created by the fact that this is the first Marvel movie headlined by a woman. While Wonder Woman successfully thwarted that barrier for the DC Extended Universe just last year, Marvel is still trying to make this feel groundbreaking in a way it isn’t at this point. The result feels like a Nike ad. Interspersed clips of her staring down boys in her youth and fights set to ‘No Doubt’ girl power ballads. The villains are also hollow and don’t come with the same sort of ethos as a Killmonger or Thanos.
Photo Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Those weaknesses aside, Brie Larson is wonderful and her dynamic with the always-fun Samuel L. Jackson makes the ride feel worth it. The film lovingly features Los Angeles backdrops and just enough of a fun through line. By the end, it had figured out what it wanted to be. Its just a shame it spent so much time confused.
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