New Marvel film really packs a PUNCH!!
By Nicky Kirkham
After living in the eternal swamp of deep depression for the last 11 months thanks to Avengers; Infinity War, it was time to belly crawl our way back into theatres to consume another dose of Marvel magic and brace ourselves for another dose of the feels.
Right off the bat, the beginning of the movie started with a heart breaking tribute to Marvel’s comic creator, Stan Lee, and from there the writers wasted no time in shoving us face first into Captain Marvel’s backstory.
In contrast to the darker, defeated (and dustier) atmosphere we last saw our heroes in, Captain Marvel was the perfect antidote for weary audience members.
From the first high octane flash back scene to the last tongue in cheek shot, I was reminded once again that there is a reason why the Marvel crew are the best in the blockbuster business. They know how to tell a story.
This movie was fun, exciting and entertaining. The plot was complex, but easy enough for a newbie to follow without knowing any of the backstory. For die hard fans like myself, this movie was yet another exquisite puzzle piece to collect and add to the big marvel picture.
But above all, and I can’t stress this enough, it was a fantastic family friendly movie.
Brie Larson (Kong: Skull Island, Room), our heroine Vers (aka Captain Marvel, aka Carol Danvers), played the role with such strength, grace and charisma that one would think that she was simply born for this role. She was able to bring a vulnerability and emotion with such powerful authenticity that it was easy to believe that she was capable of shooting photon beams from her fists and flying through space without looking like a major cheeseball.
Larson also does an amazing job at portraying a character that serves as an excellent role model for young girls and boys. Having lived through a life of being told she was too emotional, too weak, too much of a girl, the character Carol Danvers shows us all what a real hero she is when she pulls herself back up after she’s knocked down on her ass. She is brave, smart, loyal and loves her friends fiercely - but she really shines when she believes in herself and faces a challenge head on. And isn’t that the very thing that define a good role model?
Filling out this heroic ensemble, Samuel L Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Die Hard) returns as a younger, fresh faced Nick Fury, who was last seen on screen in Infinity Wars for barely a full minute before he turned to dust. As Captain Marvel is set back in the early 90s, we are introduced to an easy going, optimistic and eager two eyed Fury. It’s clear now that the years that followed Captain Marvel were not kind to him if our current day Fury is anything to go by. (I suppose rouge agents, alien invasions and secret organisations hell bent on taking over the world will do that to you)
Regarding the rest of the ensemble cast, the good guys and the bad guys all brought their A game to the big screen as well, serving up some very memorable performances. One of my favourite things about Marvel is that they always manage to make me question my life choices when I inevitably feel sorry for the supposed ‘bad’ guys and I start rooting for them to win (I’m looking at you Loki).
Complimenting and supporting some amazing CGI and action scenes, the soundtrack that accompanied this movie filled me with instant 90’s nostalgia and had me reaching for my denim and plaid. All my favourite songs played in sequential fight scenes and in the background. (I swear I heard someone whistling No Doubt’s ‘Just a Girl’ in the carpark afterwards). Grunge definitely needs to make a come back already.
Captain Marvel reminded me again of why I have invested so many hours and years following these storylines like a devoted disciple. While this is a universe that consists of full grown men running around in rubber suits, these stories all have one thing in common; heart.
There is so many great things to take away from these movies, but Captain Marvel does a great job at reminding its audience to trust their guts, believe in themselves and always get back up when you’re knocked down.
I rated this movie a strong five out of five and I am nervously sweating the countdown to Avengers; End Game.