Not terrible, not amazing; just very underwhelming.

Rating: 4/10 (12 March 2019)

Marvel's first female-led superhero film in the MCU, which media pundits never fail missing an opportunity to bring up. (Despite the fact that there have been numerous previous examples of female led superhero/action films, but of course they're willing to look the other way to suit their narrative)
The media firestorm that culminated in a fanbase civil war, if you will, was overblown to hell. Divisive comments made by Brie Larson about gender and race disparities in film criticism served as ammunition for sceptics to kick up a fuss about the film prior to its release. It got to the point where Rotten Tomatoes had to redesign its website, removing the interest poll, as they believed that people were 'review-bombing' the film. This is not true, as they were not reviewing the film; they were simply expressing their interest prior to release, but again, whatever suits their narrative.
But anyway, onto my actual review. We meet Brie Larson as Vers, serving as a bounty hunter for an alien alliance. Her team's objective is to eliminate a race of alien shapeshifters called Skrulls. In the midst of an ambush, she is abducted by a team of Skrulls who attempt to extract her memories. Vers has no recollection of these memories, but it would seem she lived a life as Carol Danvers, an Air Force pilot on Earth. In her attempt to escape, Danvers crash lands on Earth where she comes across Nick Fury and the early formation of SHIELD. The year is 1995, so there are a number of 'nostalgic' 90s references and songs. The story becomes a sort of buddy cop movie with Danvers and Fury as they encounter more alien interferences and a strange ginger cat. Without spoiling anything, good triumphs over evil, Danvers becomes Captain Marvel and Fury comes to view Danvers as a vital asset for his future Avengers Initiative.
Now, let me be clear, the movie isn't god-awful but it is incredibly mediocre and forgettable. The script is chock full of pacing issues and plot contrivances, as well as the character development of Carol Danvers being frustratingly paper-thin. Larson is a competent actress but she is criminally miscast in this film. The story of Captain Marvel feels painfully shoehorned in simply to justify her appearance in Avengers Endgame. Apart from some rushed exposition and disjointed flashbacks, there's just not enough material to establish Danvers as a relatable character. Larson's delivery and performance feels very phoned in and it just seems like a cheap move to crowbar her into the MCU as a deus ex machina to take on Thanos in the upcoming Avengers film. There are also elements in this film that ruin the continuity of the film universe, having been fleshed out for over a decade.
Also, the revelation of how Fury lost his eye is shown here and it's such a disservice to his character. I wouldn't have minded this film too much if only it weren't for the relentless media propaganda, politicising Captain Marvel with the feminist narrative. Nothing is groundbreaking about this film. If anything, Marvel Studios are far too late to the game. They had every opportunity to commission a solo Black Widow film, which in my opinion, would've been far more compelling, given how fleshed out her character has become over the better part of a decade.
A large number of the original Avengers are due to step down after Endgame, as their Marvel contracts are due to expire. The plan is to have Larson as Captain Marvel become the new leader, which I view as something akin to a novice new recruit taking control as CEO of a business after a short period.
Nothing against Larson, but she does not have the gravitas to accurately capture a conflicted superhero.