Fun, if formulaic action comedy that checks all the boxes for a big blockbuster hit

Rating: 8/10 (8 March 2019)

So I just saw Captain Marvel at the theater. I did my best to ignore the insane amount of false moral rage surrounding the movie on the internet so I could walk in with a less biased perception. Overall I'm glad I gave this movie the chance it deserved. It wasn't a perfect movie, but it certainly was an entertaining origin story that further added to the Marvel cinematic universe.
The basic plot of the movie acts both as an origin story for Captain Marvel and also a tie-in for the upcoming Avengers film. Acting as an origin film the movie checks all of the necessary boxes. It mixed elements of an intergalactic space drama, traditional super hero fare, and provided some great throwback references to the comics. I won't go into any details because I don't want spoil the plot, but overall it was a fun and action packed origin story.
Of course at this point Disney has these films down to a science. As expected the movie seamlessly blends drama, action, comedy, and references to the larger Marvel Universe. It's a fun formula that really doesn't disappoint on a superficial blockbuster level. Once the film finds its groove it is hard not to smile at the mix of action and humor.
I also have to mention how well the film captured the time period. Any 90s baby will get a kick out of the many cultural artifacts from that era. I literally want to watch the movie again just to catch so many of the references. Plus the movie loving paid tribute to Stan Lee. It may have brought a tear to my eye seeing him on the big screen again.
The movie was pure eye candy. The graphics were absolutely phenomenal and brought Captain Marvel's cosmic level powers to life. Seeing her at full power really should remind the audience why she is one of the most powerful Avengers. All of the action is sure to entertain pretty much everyone.
I didn't see any problems with the acting at all. Brie Larson is a phenomenal actress and she brought a nice combination of levity and badass attitude to the role. Of course what is not to love about seeing Samuel Jackson as a young Nick Fury?
If you went simply off the online user metrics your would think this was a terrible film. It was far from bad, but it certainly had its issues. Pacing was a major issue as the second arc of the film really slowed down the progression of the film. I also felt like the movie never provided a big enough conflict to showcase Captain Marvel's power scale and artificially blunted her powers through most of the movie with a plot device. Of course that's the issue with introducing an overpowered character by Captain Marvel just to tie into fighting Thanos for a future film. Plot wise there were also a few events that were a tad bit too convenient and really weakened the overarching story.
Captain Marvel hardly reinvents the wheel as a superhero film. It firmly follows the establish Disney formula and acts largely as an excuse to have Captain Marvel act as a MacGuffin for the Infinity War conflict. Still Captain Marvel was a very fun film. Ignore the hate online from internet trolls who love to play their false moral outrage at every turn. The movie wasn't perfect, but it delivered exactly what I expect from a Disney Marvel film at this point. A 8.25 out of 10.