Captain Marvel
The latest instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe arrived in cinemas this month, appropriately, on International Women’s Day. Captain Marvel tells the origin story of a new and extremely powerful hero, alias Carol Danvers, who will clearly have an important part to play in the hotly anticipated Avengers Endgame, which is coming out this April. The film does get off to a bit of a slow start, but when things begin to get exciting, it is incredibly difficult to take your eyes off the screen. Brie Larson gives a pretty good performance as the title character, and is backed up by many other talented actors, particularly Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and Lashana Lynch as pilot Maria Rambeau. Everyone’s favourite character, though, is likely to be Goose the cat, who may not be all that he seems…
One of the things that makes Captain Marvel such an enjoyable film is its aesthetics. It features some showstopping CGI effects, which include Carol's photon blast powers, several sci-fi fight sequences, and the de-ageing of Samuel L. Jackson. Prosthetics are also used highly effectively in making the aliens known as Skrulls look especially other-worldly and unique. The film’s overall ‘look’, however, is very clearly 1990s-style; from Captain Marvel’s first arrival on earth in the middle of a Blockbuster Video store, to ‘high tech’ pagers and slow internet dial-up connections. Even the cat’s name, Goose, was changed from the comic books’ original ‘Chewie’ in order to reference the film Top Gun. Though it was entertaining to see all of these little references, especially some of the 90s songs featured in the soundtrack, there were certain scenes towards the beginning of the film where they could (and maybe should?) have been toned down just a little bit.
Not only does Captain Marvel make reference to the 1990s, but it also features several call-backs to the other films of the MCU. The film opens with a touching tribute to creator Stan Lee, who sadly passed away last year, and of course, features one of his famous cameos. This is not the only cameo in the film, however, as viewers will also notice appearances from fan-favourite S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), and Guardians of The Galaxy’s Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) and Korath (Djimon Hounsou). There are a few more little references throughout, but it is probably best to leave those ones as a surprise! All of these moments serve to make the film more engaging, and in most cases, more humorous.
Overall, Captain Marvel is a highly entertaining film for all audiences, and an excellent addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It does take a while to get into the main action, and certain scenes could have been made longer to include a bit more background information, but despite this, it is definitely a film worth watching. Its heroine is powerful, relatable, and likeable, so it will be great to see Carol Danvers again in Avengers Endgame; she's sure to make a great member of the Avengers, and hopefully has what it takes to come out on top against even the toughest of villains.
