Agent Vers of the Kree Starforce isn’t who you think she is.
She isn’t even who she thinks she is.
She’s really Captain Carol Danvers of the U.S. Air Force and the trip she takes
from the latter to the former is what Captain
Marvel spends most of its brisk runtime unraveling. We see the journey and emergence
of a hero capable of ending the Universe’s greatest cosmic threat.
But first! We have 90s things!
Right, I’m ribbing a bit here. The references to the decade
this movie is set in are for the most part well-laid. The fashion was period-appropriate
with lots of denim and leather. The soundtrack is as well, if a bit ubiquitous
at times. There’s a vibe the producers wanted that is essentially achieved.
Sometimes.
At its core, Captain
Marvel is an action film with a coming-of-age hook. A classic origin story
for Carol and the initiative that she will aid in the future. Past that, the
story has several different movies converging on one another. As we follow Vers
(Brie Larson) on the Kree’s home planet of Hala, where she hones her power under
the watch of Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), we get a sweeping space opera with a vague Halo aesthetic. We get to Earth, meet a
young Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), and suddenly it’s a buddy cop ride-along. (A
good one, honestly.) As the two begin finding clues, it shifts to a light spy
thriller. Some choppy edits in the first half suggest this movie was cut for
time and these tonal shifts may be evidence of that.
The story finds its stride at the same time Carol does. As
she regains her memory bit-by-bit the film gains more traction in its
presentation. On Hala, Vers is told constantly that controlling her emotion is
the key to controlling her power. As Carol on Earth, through the help of her
friends, she finds that letting go is the only chance she has. Ending the
person she was to be the person she is now.
The path she takes to get to this point is surprisingly
painful in relation to the relative tameness of the rest of the film. Again, it’s
quick, at just over two hours. The problem that brings is a dissonance in how
our main character processes her trauma. In the six years she spends on Hala
she suffers from recurring nightmares; she regularly hallucinates a life and
setting she has no recollection of. Throughout the movie, she experiences both betrayals
of her trust and violations of her agency. She overcomes these trials, but the pacing
leaves no room for proper reflection outside of one very poignant scene at the
end of the Second Act.
In an action movie this rarely ever matters. The hero is
supposed to be strong and unaffected. It matters here because this isn’t just
an action movie. And Carol isn’t just an action hero. In a more organized movie
– with a screenplay more sharply written, and direction more consistent –
Captain Danvers would have multiple chances to pause and unpack how her journey
has affected her. This likely means a longer movie which, as noted, probably was
easier said than done.
Now that I’m done picking this thing apart – I liked the
movie! Shocking, I know, but sometimes I critique legit. I do believe the
runtime helped this movie. The second half was a breeze to sit through while
the first half began to drag even in the opening stages. This doesn’t appear to
be a JL scenario where two movies were cut and then spliced together. More
likely that one movie was made and then trimmed to a manageable length. I would
like more character work. I think the cast is too talented not to warrant it.
But I also know the story isn’t nearly complex enough to warrant it.
I can’t end this review without speaking on the troll campaign
to derail this movie. Firstly: at the time of me writing this, the movie has
made 188 million dollars with one more day to go in its opening weekend. What I’m
saying is, it did not work. I feel this should go without saying, but I guess I’ll
just say it anyway. It really is not that serious.
We are one decade and over twenty movies deep into this
cinematic universe. Even outside of that, we are two decades deep into this cultural
superhero phenomenon. That’s a lot of movies. I’ve seen most of them. A lot of
movies aren’t that good. But most of them are just okay like this one was. That’s
something you find out when you trek to the cinema as often as I do.
The greatest perk this blog affords me is the chance to hit
my own spots (hashtag buzzwords). When the primary goal is getting clicks, the thing
to do, depending on which side you fall on, is describe Captain Marvel as the future of hero cinema or the end of the genre
as we know it. It’s neither, really.
Know what this is? It’s a pretty safe, middle-of-the-road
Marvel flick with excellent performances that consistently outpace the
material. A good movie that should be great; one that never questions its
message, only how to tell it. It’s a message worth sharing. There are worse
ways to spend two hours on an evening out. Take a friend, enjoy the show and discuss
after.
With that said!
I can only overlook Carol’s lack of development if the Russo’s
do her justice in Endgame. How could
they do that? Simple really. The main objective of this movie was to introduce
Captain Marvel as a credible threat. Her power is undeniable. Now when people
see her wilding out in Avengers 4, things should be a little less jarring. She’s
been established as part of the universe, but at the expense of her own story.
There is but one way to rectify this.
Carol Danvers has to be the one to usurp Thanos. Only Carol.
Not Carol and the gang. Not Carol and the New Kids. They can be there, of
course! If they want to make their Infinity Stone powers combine to help Captain
Mar-Vel beat Purple Galactus that’s more than cool. But Carol has a lot of time
to make up for. She has to be positioned as the ace in the hole Fury sees her
as instead of just another member of the team. Otherwise…
