Under the lens takes a deep look at films by focusing in on one or two particular areas of the picture that helped to define it for better or for worse. Spoilers will be included in this review.
Captain Marvel is an action-adventure picture from Marvel Studios and functions as a de facto prequel to Avengers Endgame by introducing the MCU’s most powerful hero. It stars Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jude Law, Captain Marvel is an origin story for Carol Danvers an Ace Pilot who has been imbibed with great power and now is a soldier for the Kree race.
Under The Lens: Villain and De-aging
Villain: One of the major flaws of this picture is that it lacks a strong villain, in fact, it mostly lacks a central villain at all. There are many bad guys, but none who can match our hero, she does not struggle at all, and each villain confrontation only shows how strong she really is. It’s been said a hero is only as good as their villain, and in this case, the picture can get slightly boring as we never feel a threat to Danvers. The audience is never on the edge of their seats wondering if Danvers will prevail, we know she will because there is simply no one who can match her power level. We see glimpses of a good villain when Ronan shows up, and its hinted he will return to capture Danvers, however, this does not help the narratives central lack of an antagonist worthy of Captain Marvel.
De-aging: One thing that was very impressive was the de-aging effects, Coulson and Fury looked for the most part very convincing as younger men. There were a few moments that looked a bit wonky, however, they were few and far between. With many pictures, this technology can be a distraction, yet this was not the case in Captain Marvel. Its use in a way that makes sense for the story and is not gimmicky in the least.
Highlights
The picture’s 90s setting was well done and did not feel tacked on, it was nostalgic without being placating.
Seeing Agent Coulson again was a sweet moment, it was good to see out favorite SHIELD agent back on the screens. Hopefully, he returns for the sequel.
The reveal of how Fury lost his eye was unexpected and more comedic then intense, and while many disliked it, it was subversive and played well.
Something to think about
Was the Kree right to restrict Captain Marvel’s powers?
Conclusion
Overall Captain Marvel is a forgettable but mostly fun motion picture, it exists mostly for the reason to further build the world of the MCU and in that case, it does its job very well. Its enjoyable seeing old friends return, and the fun space sequences pop. However, the picture suffers for its lack of a good and challenging villain, and for the lack of any development of Danvers as a hero, in the end, she knows she is awesome, and then ends the picture discovering she is even more awesome then she thought. If one is an MCU fan, this is a not to be missed adventure, for those just looking to catch up on Avengers, this is a missable entry.
