Great film that fills in a LOT of backstory

Rating: 8/10 (10 March 2019)

It's a shame (but probably not a surprise) that a lot of negative feedback has centred on the character of Captain Marvel as being cocky and overpowered - traits that were perfectly acceptable in Tony Stark and Dr Strange. It seems some people just can't accept a female lead who can kick ass and have fun doing it!
Once you get into the film and let yourself go with the story it's really good fun, and explains huge chunks of backstory for Fury and the Avengers as well as giving weight to the Cosmic side of the Marvel universe. In this last respect the film had a much harder job to achieve than any other in the MCU, and it does it well. I now feel far more grounded in the stories of the GotG, and Fury/Shield/Avengers as well as understanding why Captain Marvel is going to be so important in the battle with Thanos. To achieve this in one film is seriously impressive - it took 3 Iron Man films to develop Tony Stark to this level.
As a male Brit and a fan of his work it hurts to say this, but the weakest element is Jude Law. He plays a difficult role and does ok but the lack of chemistry with other characters starts to pull you out of the film at times - I wonder if this is what is actually causing some people to dislike the film?
Overall if you can let go of reality a little and hang on while some of the more 'unbelivable' bits are happening, you will find an interesting, important and genuinely funny film here. The way it joins the dots between the Cosmic and Earth arms of the MCU is very interesting and gives me a lot of confidence for the next phase of stories.