Captain Marvel Plays It Safe to Deliver an Unusual MCU Film

By Avik Basak

It becomes really hard to concentrate on the main plot of a film or whatever is happening on the screen during its actual runtime when you are so much concerned about what will happen in the mid or post-credit scenes. Yes, the latest instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Captain Marvel suffers a lot due to this issue. While being the last movie before the epic conclusion, Avengers: Endgame, has its financial advantages, it also makes the viewers a little distracted from the movie’s main story.

Since its promotion began, the movie has been touted as a different kind of origin story and rightly so. Carol Danvers or as her Kree comrades call her, “Vers” has already got her powers when the screen bursts into life. Stripped off all memories of her past life, she now works as a member of the elite Kree team, Starforce. On one hand, this take works because we can relate with the protagonist as we too are unaware of her backstory. On the other hand, it makes the narrative a little shaky and less compelling than our expectations. The main problem with Captain Marvel lies here as the tale lacks that epic character transformation arc which past MCU origin stories like Iron Man, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger had. Hence, a different story does not always mean a better one.

Marvel films in recent years bring something more than just a typical superhero movie to the table. Such an element is missing from this flick as its somewhat forced infusion of feminism does not work as well as one had expected. Moreover, there are scenes that might seem too lame to digest. Moments such as when Nick Fury loses his eye really test our tolerance level. The portrayal of the shape-shifting Skrulls can also stir up debates among comic book fans whether the makers are allowed to take such creative liberties or not.

It does not mean that Captain Marvel is a bad film though. If you can ignore the somewhat average story and a rather “different” storytelling, directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck do extremely well with the innovative and grand action sequences. Ben Davis shoots the film with so much confidence and plays with colours quite efficiently. Although Pinar Toprak scores the film in a fairly proficient way but unlike the other movies in the franchise, we do not find a musical number here that will linger with us for a long time. The soul of the film is in its remarkable visual effects and the well-crafted action set pieces which make it a visual delight.

Another key element of this movie is its performances. Although there is scope for improvement in terms of her acting, Brie Larson looks decent in the titular role. Samuel L. Jackson is amazing in whatever he does here as Nick Fury except for some clumsy moments which are there owing to no faults of his. It is an excellent feeling to see Clark Gregg return as Agent Coulson and nailing it once again. Jude Law’s casting as Yon-Rogg is an intelligent move as the experienced actor skilfully handles the various shades of the character over the film’s runtime. Ben Mendelsohn is also compelling as the Skrull commander Talos though he seems a little underutilised here.

Overall, unlike the usual Marvel flicks nowadays, Captain Marvel plays it safe and gives us a good enough superhero movie. It is different that a character like Carol Danvers deserved an origin story which is more than “good enough”. However, if you can keep your expectations in check and sit through its runtime, it might just surprise you with its spectacular visuals and action set pieces.

P.S.: The mid-credit scene will indeed blow you away, hence sit through.

3 Stars Out of 5 from Me…