Film: Captain Marvel
Director: Anna Boden,Ryan Fleck
Cast: Brie Larson,Samuel L Jackson,Ben Mendelsohn,Jude Law,Annette Benning
At long last: a female-led Marvel hero origin story. And what a hero she is. Brie Larson’s Vers/Carol Danvers is a photon blast of fun. There’s a teasing mischief to her humour which is worlds away from someone like, say, Tony Stark, for whom wit is just another weapon to use in his competition with the rest of the universe. And she has fists that shoot pure energy, which is neat, even by Marvel standards. It’s just a pity that the movie that introduces her is so unremarkable.
Captain Marvel is probably the easiest Marvel film till date. You don’t need a backstory, don’t need to know the trivia and also don’t need to dig into previous films to find Easter eggs. It works just fine as a standalone film.
We meet the heroine when she is known as Vers (Larson), a member of the alien Kree race’s elite military unit Starforce. As her mentor Yon-Rogg (Law) tries to teach her to control her emotions, Vers struggles, trying to figure out why she can’t remember her past.
During an intergalactic battle, Vers finds herself on Earth in 1995. Here, she encounters Agent Nick Fury (Jackson) and slowly begins to retrace her memories to her origins. As she explores her past, she discovers that her real name is Carol Danvers or Captain Marvel.
During an intergalactic battle, Vers finds herself on Earth in 1995. Here, she encounters Agent Nick Fury (Jackson) and slowly begins to retrace her memories to her origins. As she explores her past, she discovers that her real name is Carol Danvers or Captain Marvel.
No damsel in distress, Larson does a convincing job but seems to be a little too aware of her character being a big deal. Jackson as a digitally de-aged Nick Fury is captivating. His witty scenes come as a relief from Larson’s fiery explosions. While Law fails to standout, Mendelsohn makes a memorable impression.
Then comes Reggie the Cat, the real star of Captain Marvel. Her unapologetic stance deserves a spin-off.
We have seen the origin of Captain America, Iron Man and Hulk, and Captain Marvel follows a similar formula, yet it seems new, thanks to perfect permutation and combination by the director duo Anna Boden-Ryan Fleck. Most of the origin films have been based on the theme of a superhero losing his powers, for instance, what is Thor capable of doing without his Mjolnir? But Captain Marvel does the opposite. The female superhero loses everything in the moment when she gains her powers.
The film also delves into the subject of the portrayal of women as the weaker gender and scans Carol’s life for references. In her life, she struggles against the societal norms but the writing is devoid of depth. Her fierce comeback after every fall puts screen on fire though.
Captain Marvel has a lot of '90s references, with blockbuster video-rental stores, telephone booths, bikes and grunge fashion constantly in sight. The soundtrack includes songs like Only Happy When It Rains by Garbage, Nirvana's Come As You Are, and No Doubt's Just A Girl. They seamlessly fit into the backdrop and you can't help but tap your feet.
Having said that, the film lacks the coherence of other Marvel films. None of the secondary characters get enough space, and it wouldn’t be audacious to say that it might have happened because the makers were in a hurry to introduce Captain Marvel before Avengers: Endgame.
Having said that, the film lacks the coherence of other Marvel films. None of the secondary characters get enough space, and it wouldn’t be audacious to say that it might have happened because the makers were in a hurry to introduce Captain Marvel before Avengers: Endgame.
Though 'Captain Marvel' misses the mark on many counts, it does justice to the film’s female-empowerment mission. Hopefully, her relationship with the Avengers in the future movies will be far more interesting.
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