Captain marvelPeople in power will often try to define your role in life to hold that power over you. Captain Marvel is a sci-fi superhero movie about an amnesiac space soldier for the militaristic Kree Empire named "Vers" (Brie Larson), whose past catches up to her after she crash lands on Earth. Between battling a squad of shapeshifting Skrulls and crossing paths with a young (and cinematically de-aged) S.H.I.E.L.D. agent named Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Vers takes the opportunity to discover more information about a mysterious woman who appears in her scant memories--and as the virtual manifestation of the Kree's "Supreme Intelligence" (Annette Bening)--who may be the link between her two worlds.
|
|
Captain Marvel is a superhero movie that is firmly entrenched within the long-running series of films that make up the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and presumes that its audience has at least a passing familiarity with some of its preceding entries, or even the television series, "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." As such, there is a measure of dramatic irony concerning Vers' place among the Kree, who have heretofore occupied the roles of villains in the MCU. Her mentor in Starforce--the Kree special ops team she is a part of--is Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), who coaches Vers to hone her skills as an operative on his team, and chides her when--according to him--her emotions compromise her conditioning. Captain Marvel plays on audience expectations of the Kree--known in other entries of the MCU for their zealous imperialism--subtly infuses the first act of the film with the feeling that "something" is amiss, especially in her subordinate relationship to Yon-Rogg. This is also established through cameos by villains from Guardians of the Galaxy, namely Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) and Korath (Djimon Hounsou), who are colleagues and teammates of Yon-Rogg respectively. Captain Marvel is the first entry in the MCU with a female main character, and the film explores themes of female empowerment through Vers' interactions and adventures. Following a mission on a Kree border planet called Torfa, Vers is abducted by the Skrulls, led by the surprisingly casual Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), and her obfuscated memories are peeled back to reveal another life on Earth before she became a member of Starforce. These memories don't mean much to the intergalactic warrior anymore, but she recalls instances where her capabilities as a soldier were brought into question on the basis of being a woman. When Yon-Rogg "mansplains" to Vers that her "problem" is that she is too "emotional" during their sparring match, Captain Marvel essentially tips its hand to observant audiences about the challenges to Vers' worldview (or universe-view) yet to come, both in her outlook on the legitimacy of the ongoing Kree-Skrull War, and how her past will play a crucial role in it. Yon-Rogg does this to keep Vers under his thumb, manipulating her to always look to him for approval while establishing himself as her authority figure.
Fans of the MCU will find no shortage of "Easter eggs" in Captain Marvel, as well as a blossoming nostalgia for the year in which it's set: 1995. From a story standpoint, this establishes how S.H.I.E.L.D. became uniquely aware and prepared for superhuman beings from beyond through Vers. Nick Fury--with both eyes intact at this point--and his junior partner, Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), are called in to investigate after Vers crash lands on Earth. However, their skepticism about "Starforce" and "shapeshifting aliens" are quickly kicked to the curb after they witness an all-too-real "laser tag" skirmish between Vers and a Skrull. Fury later tracks down Vers and allies himself with the extra-terrestrial soldier to help her uncover her connection to the late Dr. Wendy Lawson (also Bening), who was heading up a project called "Pegasus". Though only brief flashes of memory from her former life on Earth remain, their investigation reveals that she was a fighter jet pilot named Carol Danvers, also presumed dead at the same time as Lawson. Connecting the dots between Carol and "Vers" brings them to Louisiana, where Carol reunites with Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch), which helps fill in the gaps in her memory. A revelation about the day that led to Carol being taken in by the Kree presents a fundamental conflict for her, conjuring feelings of doubt and distrust--both in those she called friends or enemies and herself. Deprived of the firmament of memories about her erstwhile life, she must decide for herself what it is she wants to be and what causes she wants to support, and how these awakened values contradict her prior ones. Aside from subtle hints in the dialogue, Captain Marvel intimates the existential dilemma lodged in Vers'/Carol's mind in other ways. Consider the Starforce expedition to Torfa; she and her allies are tracking an alien enemy whose primary superpower is to sow discord among their foes by preying on their certitude and camaraderie. The planet's surface--long since blasted to oblivion by the Kree--is stricken by a constant storm of dust and debris, making visibility next to impossible; this serves as a metaphor for Vers' own clouded feelings of trust deep down.
Captain Marvel embraces the nostalgia of its setting with aplomb--but these artifacts from a bygone era also evoke feelings of recognition that helps the audience identify with Carol's amnesia. Many of these relics emerge in the form of visual gags--a Blockbuster Video and Radio Shack at Vers' point of impact on Earth, a Street Fighter II Champion Edition arcade machine at a bar where Carol reunites with Fury, or a VHS copy of The Right Stuff that catches Carol's eye. (A Space Invaders pinball machine serves double duty as a prop from the era as well as a self-aware nod to the Marvel movies that have featured alien invasions in their climaxes, like The Avengers.) Other instances are more stylistic, and are reminiscent of films of (or around) that time. The most pointed allusion is to Top Gun, including when Carol and Maria stride in slow-motion to their jets on the runway at the air base, in their confident attitudes as hot shot pilots, and especially in Lawson's feline companion, "Goose". The scene where Fury and Coulson chase an elevated train containing Vers and Talos recalls similar vehicular set pieces from William Friedkin's The French Connection and To Live and Die in L.A., and the "buddy cop" vibe between Fury and alternately Carol or Phil has echoes of the Lethal Weapon series. Moments that mirror aspects of Captain Marvel can also be found in other sci-fi films of the era. A dogfight through the canyons of the desert--not to mention the climactic appearance of Ronan's warships in orbit--is reminiscent of Independence Day, while Vers/Carol being forced to reevaluate her perception of her alien foes (the Skrulls) brings to mind Enemy Mine. (And although not period-accurate, Vers' time with Starforce has similarities to the popular "Mass Effect" video game series.) The musical score in Captain Marvel is peppered with alternative and rock hits from the late Eighties and early Nineties, focusing on female-led acts like Garbage, No Doubt, and Lita Ford. That directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck choose to highlight these nuggets of nostalgia for Carol with warmth compared to the cold, ritualistic lifestyle the amnesiac Vers experiences on the Kree homeworld of Hala underscores the film's key message--our past experiences help define our choices, but the choices we make for ourselves are our own.
Recommended for: Fans of a cosmic superhero sci-fi action movie, laden with impressive special effects, charm, humor, and tension. Fans of the MCU will likely be already on board with Captain Marvel--due to its ties to the cliffhanger ending of Avengers: Infinity War--but audiences will also find a compelling story that explores themes of gender-equality and empowerment woven deftly into the narrative.
Fans of the MCU will find no shortage of "Easter eggs" in Captain Marvel, as well as a blossoming nostalgia for the year in which it's set: 1995. From a story standpoint, this establishes how S.H.I.E.L.D. became uniquely aware and prepared for superhuman beings from beyond through Vers. Nick Fury--with both eyes intact at this point--and his junior partner, Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), are called in to investigate after Vers crash lands on Earth. However, their skepticism about "Starforce" and "shapeshifting aliens" are quickly kicked to the curb after they witness an all-too-real "laser tag" skirmish between Vers and a Skrull. Fury later tracks down Vers and allies himself with the extra-terrestrial soldier to help her uncover her connection to the late Dr. Wendy Lawson (also Bening), who was heading up a project called "Pegasus". Though only brief flashes of memory from her former life on Earth remain, their investigation reveals that she was a fighter jet pilot named Carol Danvers, also presumed dead at the same time as Lawson. Connecting the dots between Carol and "Vers" brings them to Louisiana, where Carol reunites with Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch), which helps fill in the gaps in her memory. A revelation about the day that led to Carol being taken in by the Kree presents a fundamental conflict for her, conjuring feelings of doubt and distrust--both in those she called friends or enemies and herself. Deprived of the firmament of memories about her erstwhile life, she must decide for herself what it is she wants to be and what causes she wants to support, and how these awakened values contradict her prior ones. Aside from subtle hints in the dialogue, Captain Marvel intimates the existential dilemma lodged in Vers'/Carol's mind in other ways. Consider the Starforce expedition to Torfa; she and her allies are tracking an alien enemy whose primary superpower is to sow discord among their foes by preying on their certitude and camaraderie. The planet's surface--long since blasted to oblivion by the Kree--is stricken by a constant storm of dust and debris, making visibility next to impossible; this serves as a metaphor for Vers' own clouded feelings of trust deep down.
Captain Marvel embraces the nostalgia of its setting with aplomb--but these artifacts from a bygone era also evoke feelings of recognition that helps the audience identify with Carol's amnesia. Many of these relics emerge in the form of visual gags--a Blockbuster Video and Radio Shack at Vers' point of impact on Earth, a Street Fighter II Champion Edition arcade machine at a bar where Carol reunites with Fury, or a VHS copy of The Right Stuff that catches Carol's eye. (A Space Invaders pinball machine serves double duty as a prop from the era as well as a self-aware nod to the Marvel movies that have featured alien invasions in their climaxes, like The Avengers.) Other instances are more stylistic, and are reminiscent of films of (or around) that time. The most pointed allusion is to Top Gun, including when Carol and Maria stride in slow-motion to their jets on the runway at the air base, in their confident attitudes as hot shot pilots, and especially in Lawson's feline companion, "Goose". The scene where Fury and Coulson chase an elevated train containing Vers and Talos recalls similar vehicular set pieces from William Friedkin's The French Connection and To Live and Die in L.A., and the "buddy cop" vibe between Fury and alternately Carol or Phil has echoes of the Lethal Weapon series. Moments that mirror aspects of Captain Marvel can also be found in other sci-fi films of the era. A dogfight through the canyons of the desert--not to mention the climactic appearance of Ronan's warships in orbit--is reminiscent of Independence Day, while Vers/Carol being forced to reevaluate her perception of her alien foes (the Skrulls) brings to mind Enemy Mine. (And although not period-accurate, Vers' time with Starforce has similarities to the popular "Mass Effect" video game series.) The musical score in Captain Marvel is peppered with alternative and rock hits from the late Eighties and early Nineties, focusing on female-led acts like Garbage, No Doubt, and Lita Ford. That directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck choose to highlight these nuggets of nostalgia for Carol with warmth compared to the cold, ritualistic lifestyle the amnesiac Vers experiences on the Kree homeworld of Hala underscores the film's key message--our past experiences help define our choices, but the choices we make for ourselves are our own.
Recommended for: Fans of a cosmic superhero sci-fi action movie, laden with impressive special effects, charm, humor, and tension. Fans of the MCU will likely be already on board with Captain Marvel--due to its ties to the cliffhanger ending of Avengers: Infinity War--but audiences will also find a compelling story that explores themes of gender-equality and empowerment woven deftly into the narrative.