PG-13, 2h 4m – Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Opens Today
Starting with the Marvel Studios logo projecting images of the recently departed comic legend Stan Lee at the audience, “Captain Marvel” begins its journey with several winks and nods to the genre, essentially being a greatest hits package of the last ten plus years of the Marvel movie universe while introducing the newest heroine on the big screen. Thank the maker that it’s pretty darned good in the process.
Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Sacramento’s own Brie Larson) becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races in the new comic book flick. What isn’t as well advertised about the film is that it is essentially an intergalactic buddy cop movie with Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury who, after over a decade of cameo’s and supporting roles in this universe of films, finally gets a great amount to do and elevates the material with a singular wit only Mr. Jackson can posses.
The movie takes place in the 1990s, so I suppose Marvel has a period piece on its hands for those of us that experienced that long ago time of flannel shirts, VHS movie rentals, pretentious emo-rock music and dial-up internet.
Being a 1990’s-centered story, a couple of actors in the film, including Jackson, had to be “De-aged.” I spent the entire film not only impressed with what they accomplished with this, but also how Marvel can so effortlessly shave two decades off of an actor’s face but Warner Bros couldn’t digitally shave Superman’s mustache off in the drab “Justice League” movie, leaving Henry Cavill’s “Man of Steel” with the weirdest looking mouth this side of the Fortress of Solitude.
The movie is not without its faults. The dialog is clunky and a bit heavy-handed and the final baddie in the film is a bit predictable and bland. You never really get the feeling that Capt. Marvel is ever really in danger. The Marvel formula, while still effective, is starting to feel a bit tiresome as well. It would be prudent for Marvel Studios to throw a few change-ups at us when Phase 4 rolls around, especially as WB/DC is starting to find their groove.
Still, it was one of the more enjoyable entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The chemistry between Larson and Sam Jackson is top-notch, and while Larson isn’t the inspired casting Gal Gadot was in the fantastic “Wonder Woman,” she did win me over in the end. The sky’s the limit for Captain Mar-Vell!
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“Captain Marvel” is out now. You can follow this movie on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
