Movie Review: "Captain Marvel"

Image courtesy of Marvel Studios

Though Marvel's movies are all very similar, they each have their defining qualities and elements of surprise. For "Captain Marvel," fans sitting in the theater appreciated the lighthearted comedic moments filled with puns and inside jokes, which didn't take away from the storyline.

I would give this movie a 7.5/10. I watched it twice in the span of a week and I enjoyed it just as much the second time around.

Best Aspects of the Movie ... Beware of Spoilers

“Captain Marvel” introduces us to Carol Danvers, the superhero played by newcomer Brie Larson. This latest Marvel film takes us on a wild ride on Earth in 1995 as we try to figure out, with Captain Marvel herself, where she came from.

In the beginning Carol is working with the Starforce, a team for the Kree military unit serving the Supreme Intelligence. She has been a part of the team for six years as they have been trying to stop the Skrulls, an alien race at war with the Kree, from destroying Earth.

After Carol's crash landing on Earth, we are gifted with her relationship with Nick Fury, something very special. In their first real interaction, Nick Fury becomes so intrigued by Carol's outer space origin that he never leaves her side afterwards. Carol teaches him a lot during their journey together. This allows the audience to see a different side of Nick Fury that isn't usually shown in the Marvel movies; we get to see him starting out as an agent working for Shield, a division created to protect Earth from unknown enemies. The friendship between these two characters brought life to the movie because of their great teamwork and the trust they put into each other after such a short period of time.

Their journey is to discover who Dr. Wendy Lawson is and how she is connected to Captain Marvel. Through this, we gain insight on Carol's past. We first learn that Lawson is actually a Kree and goes by the name Mar-vell. Because this character is in the original comics, many people were expecting to see her appear in some way. There is a strong relationship between Mar-vell and Captain Marvel, which we learn through Carol's flashbacks. Finding out Lawson's double-identity also reveals why everyone is searching for her as well.

Around the same time we learn about Mar-vell, another bombshell is dropped on the audience; the lead Skrull, Talos, helps Captain Marvel realize that Yon-Rogg and the Starforce are actually the bad guys in the equation. The Skrulls only want to use Lawson's technology to get away from the Starforce and find a new home. At this point, Captain Marvel switches sides to help the Skrulls. This part in the movie was a huge revelation because I don't think anyone expected this outcome, and it completely changed the whole mood of the movie from that point.

Towards the end of the film, when the characters are gearing up for the final fight scene, we unexpectedly see the return of the Tesseract. We also learn more about Mar-vell's plan to harness the energy and try to help the Skrulls. Here we learn that Captain Marvel's powers derive from the energy core's explosion — she happened to absorb some of the power from the Tesseract. This answers questions that Marvel fans might have had about the Tesseract timeline.

All these events eventually lead up to the final battle between Captain Marvel, accompanied by the Skrulls, against the Starforce. The ending also provides some clarity to the after credits scene in "Avengers: Infinity War."

Throughout the entire movie, music was used well, especially during the final battle where the song created a fun and upbeat mood. After watching the movie, it was clear that “Captain Marvel” combined the fun music choice of “Guardians of the Galaxy” and the comedy of “Thor: Ragnarok” — something we hadn't seen before.

Even with all of the excitement that the movie brought, I can't leave out one of the most important characters, Goose the cat, who puts to bed a big question that Marvel fans have had: how did Nick Fury get his eye patch? You'll have to watch the movie yourself to get the answer.

Looking Forward

There has been discussion about whether or not "Captain Marvel" was introduced too late into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Some fans question whether she would’ve had more of an impact on the events that have unfolded if she was brought in sooner.

Looking beyond this as an audience, we should realize that "Captain Marvel" is the final piece to the massive puzzle leading into “Avengers: Endgame.” Her late introduction is part of an overall plan that Marvel has.

From this movie, we witness that she has the power of the Tesseract coursing through her veins, making her a powerful contender to Thanos. However, we are still left with a big question after this movie: where has she been since she left Earth? In the sneak peek given at the end of the credits, she finally returns to Earth and asks Captain America where Nick Fury is, making it seem as though she has no idea about the events that have occurred since she left Earth in 1995.

Adding to that, there are still a lot of question marks around what part "Captain Marvel" is going to play in the MCU timeline. We're just going to have to wait and find out.