Fun, funny and exciting

Rating: 9/10 (8 March 2019)

I went into this film with fairly low expectations because of the reviews it had been receiving - and while I would have made a few changes to the story itself or the way it was presented, I thought it was a great movie with a really fun and exciting plot and great acting from the entire cast.
I've seen reviews that call Brie's portrayal of Carol to be lacklustre. I'll admit, I wasn't the biggest fan of Brie Larson going into the film, but she knocked it out of the park. Brie brought Carol to life as a strong, resilient and determined woman who is a little hot-headed but ultimately good. She's serious and empathetic, but has funny and charming moments, too. She's a woman who has fallen down time and time again, and spent her life being told she couldn't do the things she wanted to do. But she never fails to get back up, similar to Captain America in his first film, or do what's right. Brie's portrayal of Carol was not a caricature of a strong women like you see in many superhero movies, she was effortlessly Captain Marvel and really sold me on the film.
The story itself was great and I thought it was nice to have something that was connected to the Marvel universe but not so embedded in Marvel mythology. Anyone who has never seen a Marvel film could walk out of the theatre still feeling fulfilled.
Overall, it's a really fun film. Fury and Carol's buddy-cop routine is awesome, the pacing was great - not too fast, not too slow. And finally! No romantic interest for a female superhero. I am so glad, because it made more room for the characters around Carol to really shine.
I will probably see it a few more times before it leaves theatres, and am looking forward to more Captain Marvel in Avengers: Endgame!