Captain Marvel
/“Higher. Further. Faster.”
Filmology Rating: 2.83 out of 4
It would seem that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has no boundaries that it cannot reach. It has taken us to some of the furthest corners of the galaxy, to World Wars, and has even shown a Mad Titan hellbent on bringing “peace” to the cosmos. For the past ten years we have taken many journeys with the Marvel heroes, but we have never had a Marvel lady take control of the cape until now.
For six year Vers, played by Brie Larson, has been training to be a Kree Warrior, to help eliminate the threat of the Skrulls. Vers has a hard time keeping the Kree mindset with keeping emotion at bay, which is challenged even more after she finds herself on Earth tracking down leads of the next Skrull invasion. To make matters even worse Vers learns that she might have had an earlier life on Earth as a pilot named Carol Danvers.
The moment that I heard Brie Larson was cast as Carol Danvers I knew that title role would be in outstanding hands. Larson has proven to be one of the best thespians working after delivering unforgettable performances in Room, Short Term 12, and The Spectacular Now, but now she will become a true household name with her performance in Captain Marvel. The amount of humanity that Larson gives to Danvers is something that we can all relate to, the battle cry that she gives during an early moment of the film in particular brought a huge smile and a feeling of exhilaration for the film that was yet to come. The immense joy that Carol Danvers shows when her powers are on full display is completely intoxicating, not because she is showing an egotistical cockiness but she is just showing the unapologetic joy that comes with doing things you have only dreamed of. Much like the actress who plays her, Danvers doesn’t care if you like her or not, she will still continue to live her life to the fullest and I personally cannot help but have the highest admiration for that.
While the film is called Captain Marvel you still need to have other compelling actors to help balance out the film and luckily Captain Marvel it has a supporting cast that many films would be envious to have. Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, and Lashana Lynch help elevate Captain Marvel to heights most franchise films can never achieve. This is Jackson’s ninth appearance as Nick Fury but he gets to color inside the lines of the creation that he has helped bring to life. Jackson brings depth to his navie secret agent who comes out wanting to find other heroes who could help shield earth from future invasions. For me, the chemistry between Samuel L. Jackson and Brie Larson is the real surprise of the film. It felt like the two have know each other for years, the causal manner in which they banter seemed like friends who know the other just as well as they know themselves. However the chemistry in the film isn’t just with Jackson and Larson, it’s also with Lashana Lynch and Larson. While the two are best friends in the world of the film, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that the two are great friends in reality. Lynch delivers a monologue to Larson which was not only emotionally moving but delivered with such authority and humanity that it gets your blood pumping and makes your want to throw your fists up in the air. Having a trumphient moment that showcases the best of someone doesn’t seem to happen often in reality, so seeing an act of true kindness that comes across as authentic as it does in the film is a moment I wish I could see happen more off the silver screen.
The leader of the sinister Skrulls is played by Ben Mendelsohn, who is earning yet another geek credit for his badge after appearing in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Ready Player One. Since Mendelsohn is chewing up all the scenes that he’s in some might call that over acting but he fits in perfectly with all the other elements in the scene. Just his voice alone during an early moment of the film diving into memories was rather entertaining to watch, it actually made me wish that I could have him skimming through some of my memories giving his comments on them. Fans of the Marvel comics universe might be shocked with the direction that they take the Skrulls in the cinematic universe but it feels more relevant with the changes that were made.
For those who are looking for a feminist message you will find it in Captain Marvel, the men telling the woman in their lives to not be controlled by emotion, the men saying that if a woman doesn’t smile then she doesn’t have beauty, to the very core of being your own person and not letting anyone define you. Sadly some might call those progressive ideas but they should be called humanity being decent and not trying to put their judgemental views onto others. A certain core of the fanbase, who might be running around wearing red baseball caps, have nothing but hatred in their hearts towards films that challenge the core idea of having a female hero. The only thing that I was questioning was why it took Marvel Studios so long to make a film with a woman as the title character - over ten years and twenty films! To those who are misogynistic you will never understand the thrill that can be seen when Linda Hamilton is willing to sacrifice everything to save humanity, when Daisy Ridley calls upon the Force to defend against brutal attacks, or when Gal Gadot leads the charge onto No Man’s Land to show that humanity will never let evil overtake it. For years we have been given amazing woman characters on the silver screen but we need more. We need more diversity, we need every color and creed to be represented on the silver screen that many of us consider to be religious. While it sadly took Marvel Studios twenty films to realize that a core demographic had been forgotten, hopefully it will give some of the fan’s solace to know that they will not be forgotten anymore and that they have one of the best actresses carrying the Marvel banner for them with Brie Larson. For those who are simply looking for an entertaining movie, don’t worry you will find that too. While it might seem, based on my prolonged take on a few moments, that the feminist ideas of the film are being blasted in your face, they are in fact subtle. I promise that no one at Marvel is trying to offend you, yet I do argue if you are offended you might be a part of the problem.
Like most superhero origin films I left on a high, during the final moments of the film I was shown what our heroes were truly capable of, but the rest of the film I was longing for them to realize their true potential. After seeing the fantastic climax of the film I left not only hungry for Avengers: Endgame but for countless more adventures with Captain Marvel. It’s time to take things higher, further, faster with the world of Captain Marvel.
Rating: See It
-Jonny G
Captain Marvel is another one directed by two lesser known filmmakers and it was written by seven people. Honestly, I'm jumping into it right away:
I did not enjoy this film. No, it's not because I hate women. It has many issues, having nothing to do with gender at all.
The word to describe this film is "awkward." This entire film was just one giant awkward film. I will start with Brie Larson, who I was looking forward to until I realized she has the acting and facial range of Ryan Gosling. She shows little to no emotion at all and often I found her acting a little bad when next to Samuel L Jackson. She doesn't even have much of a character at all. This is just a Phase 1 movie with different wallpaper. She learns to harness powers and defeat evil people.
The writing was notably bad at times. Lines of dialogue and comedy especially. At times, the audience didn't know when to laugh and when they did, it was all because of a CGI cat who has as much to do as porgs.
The structure is hackneyed as well because it is like every B movie ever that is a Science Fiction film: we start in a magical world for a while, then spend the rest of the film on Earth and it made the film feel cheap and boring.
There is also a character who I guessed, within the minute of seeing that person, to being the villain and I was right. It felt so generic which led to a very boring film. This film also relies heavily on nostalgia which, at a point, felt like a desperate attempt to make the audience like the movie, which made me dislike it more.
Going back to the script: there are too many cooks in the kitchen and it lead to too many characters. There is one character we all recognize from "Guardians of the Galaxy" who has maybe thirty seconds of screen time. It felt really tacked on. The final action scene also goes against everything a final action scene should be. All the character's arcs and emotional issues are solved before the fight and the last few minutes is just things going boom.
It got to the point where I just wanted to leave. The pacing, structure, writing, and acting is just awkward. And don't feel bad if you don't like it. It's not because you hate women.
Rating: Rent It
-Nolan