Captain Marvel

Marvel’s first proper origin film since 2016’s Doctor Strange once again manages to find a way to avoid most of the origin story pitfalls, delivering a film that is as packed full of heart, humour and action as we’ve come to expect.  The new kid on the block makes an instant impact, and I can’t wait to see her introduced to the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe in due course.

Premise:  Set in 1995, Vers (Brie Larson) serves as a member of the Kree Empire’s elite Starforce, under the command of her mentor and friend Yon-Rogg (Jude Law).  But Vers has no memories of her life before she was rescued by the Kree and is plagued by nightmares of her forgotten past, which become a distraction as Starforce are sent on a dangerous mission as part of the Kree’s ongoing war with the shapeshifting alien Skrulls.

Review:

Like Black Panther, Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor before it, Captain Marvel has a lot to do in terms of world-building and in terms of selling some of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s more “out there” concepts.  Thankfully, Captain Marvel is able to build on the strong foundations laid by the twenty MCU films that came before it, so that it doesn’t have to start from scratch when selling the idea of the galaxy spanning war between the Kree and the Skrulls.

In fact, this is an MCU film where the less you know about it going in, the more you may enjoy the ride.  Unlike most of the Marvel origin films so far, Captain Marvel has a mystery at the centre of it surrounding Vers’ (Brie Larson) forgotten past, which in some ways reminded me more of the thriller elements from Captain America: The Winter Soldier than any of the other space-based MCU films.

“…far more of a character-driven mystery than a plot-driven one…”

Like Thor, Captain Marvel divides the action between an introductory section out in space, and then an Earth-based section with culture clash elements – but unlike Thor where the lead character was only metaphorically finding themselves on Earth, Vers’ journey of self-discovery is far more literal, as her mission to track down Skrull infiltrators on Earth offers her some leads into her own forgotten past.  Allowing the audience to discover the character gradually over the course of the movie, at the same time that the character discovers themselves, is certainly an interesting and creative way of avoiding most of the pitfalls that superhero origin films normally suffer from.

Brie Larson is great – but would you really expect anything less from an Oscar winner?  Her portrayal of Vers in the early scenes is interestingly layered, as she comes across as not only driven and focused on missions, but also playful, mischievous and quick to anger when off duty, particularly in her interactions with her friend and mentor Yon-Rogg, played with a glint in his eye and a swagger in his step by Jude Law.  The dynamic between the two of them does a lot to establish their relationship amidst the long-running Kree-Skrull War, which dominates life on the Kree homeworld of Hala.  And it’s important that Larson is as good as she is, because not only does she have to carry the film (I think she’s basically in just about every scene), but Captain Marvel is actually far more of a character-driven mystery, than a plot-driven one.  That’s not to say that the plot is a let-down (it isn’t, and it has some very interesting twists along the way), it’s just that the film is first and foremost the story of the revelation of Vers’ character (to herself and to the audience).

“…in many ways, it’s an origin film for Nick Fury, as well as for Captain Marvel herself…”

The rest of the cast is no less good, with Samuel L. Jackson having arguably his longest screen time yet as Nick Fury.  Whereas he normally only pops up for a cameo here and there in most of the MCU films, here he is arguably the second biggest character after Vers, as he plays the 1995-version of Fury as a relatively junior SHIELD field agent (although he’s by no means wet behind the ears, having already risen to the rank of Colonel in the army and served as a spy, before joining SHIELD).  Jackson plays Fury with the same intensity and drive that the character’s always had, but this time (being 30 years younger), he’s a little quicker to jump into the fight himself rather than sit back and coordinate others.  It makes for an interestingly different yet familiar take on the character, and gives Larson a great partner to play off once they team up.  It also means that, in many ways, Captain Marvel becomes an origin film for the Nick Fury we know and love, as well as for Captain Marvel herself.

The rest of the supporting cast are as good as you would expect from a Marvel movie: Ben Mendelsohn plays Talos, the leader of the Skrull infiltrators, and for me, this was by far his most interesting blockbuster role since Krennic in Star Wars: Rogue One, as he once again had something to really get his teeth into.  The make-up design for the Skrulls is also really impressive, capturing the spirit of the comic illustrations, while also looking believable in live action and still allowing the actors’ performances to shine through.  Up and comer Lashana Lynch brings heart and humanity to her role as a figure from Vers’ past, and acting legend Annette Bening has a small but important role as well.  And Clark Gregg makes a welcome return to the MCU as rookie SHIELD agent Phil Coulson who, like Samuel L. Jackson, is the recipient of some de-aging VFX that is so seamless, you very quickly forget that you’re watching a VFX shot and that they aren’t really 30 years younger than they actually are.

“…builds towards an emotionally satisfying final act…”

There are so many other things to love about this film besides the cast – many of which I don’t want to give away in this review.  What I will say is that it has an incredibly moving tribute to Stan Lee, as well as perhaps his most touching cameo yet (which, if it is his final cameo, feels like a perfect note to bow out on).  It also has a real sense of fun and humour alongside the action, and has several laugh out loud moments, many of which involve “Goose”, the cat that very nearly steals every scene it’s in.  All that, plus a rocking 90s soundtrack that includes some of my favourite tracks from the era.

All this builds towards an emotionally satisfying final act, which is among the best finales of the recent MCU films.  Yes, it’s CGI-heavy (like so many superhero finales are), but more importantly, the heart of the character shines through and takes centre stage, in one of the biggest punch-the-air moments since Neo stood his ground against Agent Smith in The Matrix.  If Captain Marvel represents the future of Phase Four for the MCU once the dust settles on Avengers: Endgame, I feel the universe is in safe hands.

Also, make sure you stay for the usual two end-credit scenes…