CAPTAIN MARVEL Spoilers: 6 Things That Worked And 4 Things That Didn't
With Captain Marvel now in theaters, we're taking a look at all the things that did and didn't work in Carol Danvers' big screen debut. Find the highlights (and lowlights) from the movie after the jump...
Captain Marvel is finally here, and while it feels like the movie has been mired in nothing but controversy in recent weeks, we can hopefully move past that now and just concentrate on what proves to be an enjoyable introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the HERoic Carol Danvers.
Personally, I thought the movie was a blast but there was definitely room for improvement.
While it's not quite a top tier Marvel Studios movie, I have a feeling it's going to grow on me and Captain Marvel is arguably the best female superhero to ever grace the big screen (Wonder Woman might be a better film, but Carol is the better character). Now, though, we're taking a look at all the things about it that worked well alongside those that didn't quite manage to stick the landing.
To check out this in-depth breakdown in its entirety, simply click on the "View List" button!
Didn't Work: Half A Story
Captain Marvel ends with Carol Danvers heading into outer space to help the Skrulls find a home (more on that later), and the door is left open to her not only confronting the Supreme Intelligence, but for further clashes with Ronan the Accuser and Yon-Rogg. The problem is, we don't know when those will happen and it makes this adventure feel somewhat unsatisfactory.
Is the sequel going to be set in the 2000s, with Carol's present-day adventures confined to the Avengers franchise for the time being? Right now, it's hard to say and that's definitely frustrating.
While this origin story definitely works for the most part, Marvel Studios should have focused more on delivering a standalone story akin to Black Panther. But with Phase 4 rapidly approaching, I guess they need to start laying the groundwork for what comes next.
Did Work: Brie Larson As Captain Marvel
The Oscar-winning actress has come under fire from trolls in recent weeks but make no mistake about; she's an awesome Captain Marvel. She may not be decked out in a revealing swimsuit style costume as some would like but if you're a fan of the powerful and inspiring Carol Danvers who takes centre stage in the comics these days, you're going to love what Larson does here.
It's a shame the trailers haven't shown just how much fun she has as the character, and they really haven't done her any sort of justice. Watching Captain Marvel unleash her abilities on the Kree and laugh as she blasts through the air while discovering the extent of her powers is a great moment, as are the hero's interactions with the likes of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Yon-Rogg (Jude Law).
She's also extremely funny and definitely a massively likeable presence.
Did Work: Paying Tribute To "The Man"
I know some critics are a little half soaked, but I'm not sure why so many of them were Tweeting out that the Stan Lee tribute that starts Captain Marvel left them an emotional wreck.
Basically, the Marvel Studios logo features some great shots of Stan and then a message comes up on screen thanking the legendary comic book creator. It's a wonderful addition to the movie and one that works really well. After seeing what people said, I was expecting a ten-minute long video featuring the stars of the MCU bawling their eyes out but this ultimately works much better.
Didn't Work: The Skrull Are...The Good Guys?!
I have mixed feelings about this one. Like most of you, I went into Captain Marvel expecting the stage to be set either for the Kree/Skrull War or an adaptation of Secret Invasion somewhere down the line. Instead, we quickly learn that the Skrulls are actually refugees being mercilessly hunted by the Kree and, as I mentioned above, Carol ends up agreeing to help them find a home.
While there's no denying that this is an interesting and unexpected twist, I can't help but feel that Marvel Studios may very well have backed themselves into a corner here and made a mistake as catastrophic as when they decided that The Mandarin was simply just an alcoholic British actor named Trevor.
There's still room for things to go wrong with the Skrulls and it seems as if Marvel might be taking a slow burn approach to introducing them but there's no way we're getting any sort of take on Secret Invasion as things stand. Ultimately, this will more than likely be the most divisive thing about the movie by a long, long way.
Did Work: Avengers: Endgame Teaser
As expected, Captain Marvel's mid-credits scene sets the stage for Avengers: Endgame. In that, we see Earth's Mightiest Heroes trying to figure out who Nick Fury was reaching out to with his pager at the end of Avengers: Infinity War and it's then that Carol Danvers makes an appearance in the New Avengers compound looking for her old friend.
As a teaser, this works really well and there's no denying that it's extremely gratifying to see Captain Marvel standing alongside characters like Captain America and Black Widow. It's brief but effective and a good way of making it clear to casual moviegoers that Carol will indeed be part of the Infinity War follow-up when it's released next month.
Didn't Work: Agent Coulson's Minor Role
This is a tricky one because Agent Coulson serves his purpose here, but could have just as easily not been included. His relationship with Nick Fury is only explored on the surface and while we get to see the groundwork laid for how close they are during Phase 1, it seems like he was included here just for the sake of it.
Honestly, Clark Gregg's return to the MCU should have meant more than this.
Did Work: Marvel's First Female Lead
Marvel Studios movies have obviously featured female leads before now, but never in a movie of their own. That makes Captain Marvel something very special indeed and the character just...works. Just like Wonder Woman before it, this comic book adaptation proves that women can take centre stage in superhero movies and sets a good precedent moving forward.
Now, we know that Black Widow is coming next year but there are plenty of other female characters who are deserving of a movie of their own in the MCU, and Carol Danvers lays the foundation for them. As a hero, Captain Marvel is amazing and while she still needs to be fleshed out a little more to be as likeable as, say, Captain America and Thor, Marvel Studios has done her proud.
Did Work: Some Awesome Surprises
Marvel Studios used to drop far too many spoilers in their trailers and so it's a relief that wasn't the case with Captain Marvel.
As well as that big twist with the Skrulls, we learn that Mar-Vell is indeed in the movie and was hiding on Earth as "Dr. Lawson" in a bid to help the Skrulls escape from the oppressive rule of the Kree. Yon-Rogg's villainous turn is handled in a unique way too, while the way Nick Fury loses his eye is bound to be both equally divisive and well-received.
We follow these movies so closely that it can sometimes hard to be genuinely surprised so good on Marvel for managing to still find some ways to shock us with Captain Marvel.
Didn't Work: A New Type Of Storytelling
Marvel Studios often comes under fire for a formulaic style of storytelling but if this is their attempt to do something drastically different, going back to what works might be the smartest option.
Things get weird in places but not as much as some critics have tried to make us believe, and this unorthodox approach to exploring Captain Marvel's origin story definitely would have been more enjoyable to follow had it played out in a linear fashion.
Brief flashbacks to the past and meeting Carol as someone who doesn't remember who she is means that she feels like an incomplete character and not someone we can fully get behind.
Did Work: MCU Easter Eggs
Captain Marvel isn't too heavy handed with the references to the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe but there are some great nods to both Guardians of the Galaxy (thanks to the inclusion of Ronan) and The Avengers.
My favourite comes right at the very end when Nick Fury finds out that Carol's call sign in the Air Force was "Avenger" and that leads to him coming up with the "Avengers Initiative."