Great actors and engaging storyline make latest Marvel film a hit

Summary

“Captain Marvel” is not your typical superhero origin story.

The latest iteration of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and its first solo female superhero led film, focuses on Carol Danvers, AKA Captain Marvel, (Brie Larson) as she tries to regain her memory and establish who she wants to be as a person and as a hero.

Captain Marvel has her powers right from the start of the movie, meaning that we are immediately thrown into the action, with her past being the mystery. It was a nice refresher to watch Carol’s past unfold alongside her instead of watching how she got her powers in a linear way.

But before she is Captain Marvel, she is Vers, a Starforce member fighting for Hala, the capital planet of the Kree Empire, in an intergalactic space war. There, she suffers from recurring nightmares.

Her mentor, Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), warns her to control her abilities while the Supreme Intelligence, an AI, urges her to keep her emotions in check.

While working with Ronan the Accuser (you may remember him as the bad guy from “Guardians of the Galaxy”) to rescue an undercover spy, Vers is abducted and subjected to a memory probe by a group of Skrulls. The Skrulls are alien shapeshifters with whom the Kree Empire is at war.

Vers escapes from the Skrulls’ ship in an escape pod, and ultimately crash lands on Earth. Her presence quickly attracts the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), whose investigation ends up being interrupted by a Skrull attack.

The rest of the movie then becomes a buddy-cop film of sorts, with Nick Fury and Captain Marvel searching for answers. Never quite trusting the other, the pair must quickly learn to do so as both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Skrulls are after them.

Review

I really appreciated that Captain Marvel is a female superhero and that she is seen as someone who is strong. The film is a superb example of what positive representation looks like. She did not need the help of a man to fight off the enemies.

By fully using her powers, she took down the enemies within no time.

Brie Larson was a phenomenal Captain Marvel — I cannot picture anyone else in the role. She brought her to life and made her seem real.

I appreciated that the idea that emotions are powerful and can cloud judgment was present throughout the movie. Emotions are extremely powerful, and people need to be able to control their emotions to avoid doing something they may regret.

Another thing that was particularly enjoyable about “Captain Marvel” is Goose the Cat.

Goose definitely provided comedic relief throughout the movie, especially his various interactions with Nick Fury.

The Skrulls have the ability to shapeshift, which make them seem like they would be the perfect villain for Captain Marvel to encounter throughout the movie. However, in war, things are rarely what they seem.

Continuing on the same topic of character choices, Jude Law was superb as Yon-Rogg. It is safe to say that Jude Law certainly has the talent to play a complex man of war. He seems like the perfect fit to play the self-assured mentor to Carol.

I think it goes without saying that I highly recommend that you see this movie in theaters to get the most out of your movie-watching experience. There are some significant tie-ins to the larger MCU, so if you’re planning on seeing “Avengers: Endgame,” you should definitely see “Captain Marvel.”