O Captain My Captain: Make Mine Marvel!
The feel of ‘Captain Marvel’ is close to ‘Ant-Man’ where witty remarks and one-liners abound.
“Captain Marvel,” the 21st movie in the shared Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), introduces us to Carol Danvers, played by Brie Larson, the eponymous captain. She is with an alien race called the Kree, and with her crack team of special Kree warriors, she races to complete her intergalactic mission against the villainous Skrulls here on Earth, and reveal long-lost secrets. And, of course, all this happens circa 1995.
If that plot sounds a bit hokey or cliché, that’s because it is, somewhat. That’s not to say it’s totally predictable or that there are no twists and surprises, because there are. The very idea seems far-fetched and a tad over the top even by Marvel Studios standards.
But rather than work to convince its audience to take it seriously, that there is some gravitas to be found and that the stakes a high, the move instead embraces the silliness of it all. So rather than “Guardians Of The Galaxy,” which you’d think would be its closest relative among the Marvel films, the feel of the film is closer to “Ant-Man,” where witty remarks and one-liners abound.
This hurts the movie somewhat. Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige once said that Captain Marvel is the most powerful character in the MCU, a comment that raised more than a few eyebrows and sparked many a debate among fans. The light-hearted nature of the film keeps you from taking her as seriously as you might Thor or even the misfits of the Guardians, at least until about two-thirds of the way through with the big reveal and when we finally see and understand just what league she’s really in.
The decade itself is well represented. Captain Marvel, or Veers as her Kree team members call her, lands in a Blockbuster video rental store. We see our characters listen and dance to Nirvana. CD-roms were cutting edge tech and the dial-up modem was the height of global communication.
Visually, it more than lives up to the standard of Marvel movies, chock-full of seamless visual effects, and possibly the best digital de-aging work ever on the big screen. Both Clark Gregg’s Agent Phil Coulson, still a rookie in the 1990’s, and Samuel Jackson’s ubiquitous Nick Fury, himself still climbing the ladder at S.H.I.E.L.D., were made to resemble their younger selves in the 1990’s for the film.
Early attempts at this featured short sequences, such as a young Hank Pym in “Ant-Man” or a teenage Robert Downey Jr. in “Civil War.” But here we see two characters for an extended period of time, in Fury’s case almost the entire run of the film, in changing conditions and a few close-ups.
Except for a couple of times when Coulson seemed off or not quite right, the results are uncannily convincing, and utterly invisible, meaning once you get caught up in the story, the fact that Fury and Coulson are 20 years younger (and that Fury has hair and both his eyes are intact) don’t even enter your head.
“Captain Marvel” marks Marvel’s first film headlined by a woman. Black Widow had been thrown around previously but the higher ups passed on that, and now Carol Danvers is front and center in her own film, kicking intergalactic behinds and taking names.
A cloud of controversy cast a shadow down on the film, even before it premiered, as internet trolls bombarded Rotten TomaEarlier toes with false reviews, attacking the movie for being against white men.
Yes, it’s true that the lead is a woman, and that Jude Law is the only white man in any significant role in the movie, and even he has to share his screen time with Samuel Jackson. And even young Nick Fury is placed in a secondary, almost side-kick of a role. Yes, all of that is out there, plain for all to see, but then, so what? Once the wisecracks are delivered, the flashing lights and shiny effects fill the screen, once her plasma beams make short work of her adversaries, none of the supposed offensive gender politics really detract from the enjoyment of the movie one darned bit.
In fact, the importance of positive female role models is glaringly obvious. Carol Danvers had a very close relationship with Annette Bening’s character and she herself ends up setting an example to her best friend’s daughter. Far from calling for women to hate on men, this movie instead invites women to be their best selves, and that’s a hugely important lesson for young girls.
But the breakout surprise star of the show is Goose, the orange tabby named after everyone’s favorite co-pilot in the classic “Top Gun.” He even cuts a dashing figure in aviator glasses.
Despite the slow start I mentioned earlier, Brie Larson earned her Marvel stripes playing Carol Danvers, and “Captain Marvel” earned her place in the Marvel Pantheon. Plus, little girls will have a new strong, female hero to emulate.
All that remains to be seen now is how powerful she really is, and how much of a pivotal role she will have in dealing with Thanos in “Avengers Endgame,” due out this April. Whatever role she plays, it’s certain that her presence will be a boon to the besieged heroes.
And should they tussle, well, let’s just say Thanos is in for a fight.