Captain Marvel

CAPTAIN MARVEL

Directors : Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden

Year : 2019

Genre : Superhero

Rating : ***

It is unfortunate that 'Captain Marvel', the latest superhero film in the eponymous studio's ever-expanding Cinematic Universe (MCU), should follow in the wake of one of the best years in the genres history. Not only did Marvel set the box office alight in 2018 with both 'Black Panther' and 'Avengers : Infinity War' but in the same 12 months, Pixar released their joyful sequel 'Incredibles II', 'Aquaman' miraculously managed to breathe new life into DC's floundering rival Cinematic Universe and Sony (who has butchered many a superhero movie in the past) not only made big bucks Worldwide but also Academy Awards history with the outstanding 'Spider-Man : Into The Spider-verse'. So it is only understandable that in the shadow of those movies, 'Captain Marvel' may not appear to be quite as significant and indeed it isn't -  but its certainly not for a lack of trying from all those involved. 

Beginning with a suitably poignant tribute to the late, great Stan Lee, the film sees Brie Larson's Kree soldier Vers aka. Carol Danvers crash landing in the middle of 1990's America in order to prevent the imminent invasion of the planet by shape-shifting Skrulls. Aided by Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury and with her loyal cat Goose by her side, Danvers embarks on a life-changing journey that will not only see her discovering the truth behind her mysterious past but also the full extent of her extraordinary powers - powers that far exceed those of any of her fellow Avengers. 

Despite being the victim of a frankly repugnant smear campaign from far-right misogynist trolls, 'Captain Marvel' manages to defeat it's enemies thanks to a number of fine performances, it's slick direction by directing duo Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, a witty and warm screenplay, dazzling special effects and a number of show-stopping action sequences that tantalize great opportunities for future instalments in the franchise. At its helm is a barnstorming central performance from Academy Award winner Brie Larson who is terrifically likeable yet undeniably fearsome as the brave and courageous Carol Danvers  while series regular Samuel L. Jackson (digitally de-aged by 25 years with the use of incredible state of the art technology) is as charismatic as ever as a younger, two-eyed Nick Fury. Together, the two have wonderfully sparky chemistry and it is very clear that their friendship and respect for one another far exceeds the boundaries of the proverbial proscenium arch.

Other casting highlights include Jude Law's morally ambiguous Kree commander Yon-Rogg, Annete Bening who is very strong in her all-too brief role as the ambiguously named Supreme Intelligence and Talos, the merciless Skrull leader portrayed with scene-chewing panache by a nigh-on unrecognizable Ben Mendelsohn (reuniting once again with his 'Mississippi Grind' directors Fleck and Boden) who along with his similarly antagonistic roles in 'Ready Player One' and' appears to have cornered the market of the threatening yet charming villain. Not to mention a few fleeting glimpses of previous Marvel alumni including Gregg Clarke's Agent Coulson, Djimon Hounsou's Korath and Lee Pace's Ronan. Unfortunately however, despite the best efforts of the hugely talented actors seen on screen, it is the adorable cat Goose who ultimately steals the show by featuring prominently in the movies most memorable comedic moments - one of which elicited both big laughs and even bigger gasps from the jam-packed audience that greeted my screening on Wednesday afternoon. 

Funny, exciting and packed with more than enough dewey-eyed nostalgia to please every 90's kid, 'Captain Marvel' is yet another crowd-pleasing winner for the studio and it is sure to lead to even bigger and better things for the massively talented and stunningly beautiful Brie Larson. However, coming in at a comparatively zippy 2 hours and 5 minutes - including 2 post-credit scenes - it is also one of the less thematically impactful movies in the sprawling MCU and while the movie is consistently fun, it is not until the effects-heavy third act kicks in and Danvers finally unleashes the full potential of her cosmic abilities that the film rises above the standard franchise conventions that we have come expect from the more disposable entries in the decade-long series. In fact, for all its pizzazz and ambitions, 'Captain Marvel' serves less as a satisfying origin story for the franchises latest character but rather a device to fill in some of the pieces missing from the gigantic narrative jigsaw puzzle that is the MCU. 

Nevertheless, while it can't compare to a great number of it's franchise contemporaries and while it certainly pales in comparison to every superhero movie released in 2018, 'Captain Marvel' is still a very entertaining and visually spectacular film that (for the most part) successfully heralds the arrival of a new Queen of blockbuster cinema and I for one greatly look forward to seeing her Majesty joining forces with the rest of her superhero counterparts next month in the eagerly anticipated 'Avengers : Endgame'.