Movie Review: "Captain Marvel" Prepares Brie Larson for the Endgame

Ahead of Avengers: Endgame, Marvel goes back to the '90s with MCU prequel Captain Marvel.

So, half the population was wiped out in a finger-snap, and ultrapowerful superbeings like Black Panther, Doctor Strange and your precious baby Spider-Man have all been dusted into oblivion.

Better call Brie.

In fact, following the end credits to Avengers: Infinity War, that’s precisely what Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) did. Well, technically, he paged her. But the logic was sound. If anyone could be trusted to resolve the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s apocalyptic, decade-in-a-making storyline, it’s Brie Larson. She has an Oscar. She released a pop album. And as a child actor, she began honing her wry comedic stylings long before Robert Downey Jr. or Chris Pratt were ever considered viable blockbuster stars. Thanos has the infinity stones; Larson was on United States of Tara. This fight’s almost unfair.

First though, before they can face off in Avengers: Endgame, we need a proper introduction to her superheroic avatar, and that’s what we get in Captain Marvel, from writer-directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. (The screenplay is co-credited to Geneva Robertson-Dworet.)

However, as far as intros go, this one could have gone a little better. Larson brings a lot to the table, but in an attempt to mix-up the structure of origin flicks—and believe me, twenty-one tries in, I appreciated the effort—the characterisation of her Captain Marvel (civilian name: Carol Danvers) in the script suffers. What’s left is only an avatar. Damn.

At the start, Carol is an amnesiac space soldier with super-charged hands working for the Kree army, under the command of Yon-Rogg (Jude Law). She’s kidnapped when an encounter with the shapeshifting Skrulls goes awry, leading Skrull leader Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) to crack open her memories, giving us glimpses of her past life as a fighter pilot for the U.S. Air Force. She breaks free, and they all crash-land on Earth, circa 1995, catching the attention of SHIELD agent Nick Fury, who, at this point in time, is a spry, idealistic and naïve (*checks notes*) 46-year-old man. He has both his peepers as well; no patch necessary. Consider this the picture’s Chekhov’s eye.

If you’re lost, fair enough. Captain Marvel isn’t as easy an entry point as standalone instalments Black Panther or Spider-Man: Homecoming. It’s a side-stepping accompaniment to the larger Avengers saga, with familiar friends and foes popping up to lend a hand or cause trouble while looking freakishly airbrushed. Jackson fares well, with extremely convincing CGI making him appear age appropriate. The same can’t be said for Clark Gregg, as Young Agent Coulson, whose pallid computer-generated complexion has him resembling a sick child on a charity ride-along with Agent Fury.

It’s (mostly) worth it to have Captain Marvel as a '90s-based period piece, with Carol decked out in a NIN tee and flannel shirt tied around her waist, not to mention all the Nirvana and Hole on the soundtrack. In this way, Captain Marvel is trying some new (old) tricks, and that’s before you appreciate that this is, somehow, the first Marvel feature devoted to a female hero, and their first co-directed by a woman.

Ironically, it’s the studio’s inexperience with telling female stories that ends up hindering Captain Marvel most. (Without undermining Boden, Fleck and the other credited writers, never forget overarching producer Kevin Feige is responsible for MCU homogeneity.) They seem content with merely positioning Carol as empowering, rather than building her out into an actual person. What Carol wants, why she does the things she does, and who she is deep down—beyond a winking, sometimes-sarcastic deity—never gets clarified, even after her memories are restored. She winces when a dude tells her to smile, and whoops in delight while beating up alien scum to the sounds of No Doubt's "Just a Girl", but toe-tapping needle drops alone can’t make her whole, as satisfying as those moments may be.

Still, no one has complained about spending two hours with Larson yet. Similarly, Jackson is more than physically revitalised with this lighter part; he shines as a comedic foil. Best of all is Mendelsohn, who previously worked with Boden and Fleck on the excellent Mississippi Grind. Here, they let him keep his 'Strayan accent, and despite being buried under a mountain of green makeup, Mendo’s personality radiates. His Talos is compelling and hilarious, and the movie is better by light years whenever he’s on screen.

Long ago, Marvel worked out a foolproof formula for their Cinematic Universe. You rarely see them break from the mould to produce something truly surprising. It also means there is a floor to their failures. That’s why Captain Marvel remains fun, engaging and occasionally stirring, issues aside. Plus, the last act is rousing enough to re-energise you for whatever comes next. It co-stars a very good cat too, and one of Carol’s costumes involves a mohawk helmet, which is the best thing anyone has ever worn in one of these things.

An MCU future centred on Carol Danvers—and the cat, and the mohawk helmet—could be a bright one indeed. But as Captain Marvel reminds us, especially with its haunting glimpse at the haircuts of 1995, some pasts need to be overcome on the way to greatness.

3.5/5

In cinemas 7 March. Rated M for action violence.