Brief note:

I am back to doing reviews. I had a surgical procedure back in December, and hadn’t really gone to the movies while I recuperated. Not really sure if I wanted to continue with the reviews, so I’d like your feedback.

For a brief time, I’ve turned on comments for this review. Please take a moment to comment on how I’m doing here. I really want to know what you think.

Rude comments will be removed!

Now, on to the show!

Capsule Review (Minimal Spoilers):

Captain Marvel is the latest movie to come from the Marvel Comic Book Universe. Vers (Brie Larson) is a soldier in the Kree Guard, who goes on special missions for the Supreme Intelligence, which rules the Kree. Their biggest enemy is the Skrull, who are rather deceitful.

While on a mission to recover an agent, things get out of hand, and it stirs up a lot of memories for Vers that she only dreamt she had.

Yes, it’s another “origin story”, but honestly, in this case, it’s a good idea. I’m not too well versed in who this Captain Marvel is. If you are not familiar, there’s also a DC comic Book Universe Captain Marvel with a movie coming out later this month (Shazam!), so starting with a fresh story really helps.

There are a lot of references to a time gone bye, since it happens then, but it’s not too long ago. The retro soundtrack and clothing really help sell the era. Good story with decent acting makes this one to see. Recommended!

Standard Review (with minor plot spoilers):

This movie heavily ties to previous Marvel movies, but it’s not necessary that you know them, because this one takes place in the 1990s, before almost all of them occurred (Captain America mostly took place in the 1940s).

On said mission, Vers is captured by the Skrulls, and has her mind probed for secrets. That dredges up a lot of memories of a life on a different world, leading her to it, so she can discover her past. What she remembers may be a lie, so she is understandably cautious, but it leads her back to Earth, where all the fun is. Not everything is what it seems.

There were a couple Marvel Universe cameos in the film, and that’s where the film focuses. She tries to track down how she could be someone named Carol Danvers from Earth, and why someone on Earth would even be doing that’s causing everyone to find her.

Carol (now, presumably), is somewhat different from the Kree, in that she has some sort of power that she doesn’t understand. The Kree warn her to keep her emotions in check, because when they get the best of her, bad things happen. This only strengthens her resolve to find the truth.

I found the best parts of the film were focused on her finding herself. Jude Law plays her Kree commander, and he was so immersed in the role that it took me a while to realize it was him. While the movie has some decent action scenes, its real strength is in discovering her empowerment, like when she interacts with Agents of Shield, or with the Supreme Intelligence. There are elements of humor that help humanize her and others, and that’s one thing the Marvel movies do reasonably well.

As for flaws, there really weren’t many. The early chase scene in the film could’ve benefited from some different editing – the car portion seemed to drag, until the end, and although this movie’s runtime was just over two hours, that was the only portion of the film that dragged, for me. The fight scenes got a little bogged down in CGI, but not enough to have anything to seriously complain about. They were not over-the-top, but more personal, and befitting of this story.

The soundtrack was pure 1990s, and rather good. Some of the song picks were a bit obvious, but probably necessary, regardless. Chances are it’ll be in my possession soon.

I do recommend the film. Ignore any criticisms you might have heard and just go see it. We chose not to see it in 3D, and didn’t feel like we missed anything, so I wouldn’t bother unless you really want to.