A good Marvel movie once again, although a bit lacking in identity

Rating: Null/10 (27 March 2019)

Captain Marvel can be seen as a prequel to the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even more so than the original Captain America film. It takes place a bit over a decade before the events of most of the others, introduces us to young Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and shows us a world that has not yet experienced the weirdness of aliens invading New York or super geniuses flying over California in suits of armour.
It also gives us the conflict between Krees and Skrulls. Krees we have seen before in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, but this movie gives me an inkling that these two alien species will play a much bigger role in the post-Endgame Marvel universe. Which I don't mind, although I'm also not super hyped.
It's also the very first MCU film with a female main character. About. Swearword. Time!
And from a feminist point of view the film works very nicely. Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) is without a doubt the hero of her own story. She's powerful, confident and supremely capable, but she also feels relatable. I especially like her easy camaraderie with Nick Fury. These two click very nicely, but as colleagues, as two soldiers fighting for the same cause. More movies need something like that.
I also like what they've done with the Skrulls and how their innate shapechanging abilities are played straight as something that would give anyone opposing them trouble.
Plus it has the usual Marvel goodies. Phenomenal special effects, nice callbacks, witty dialogues, good jokes, plenty of great action. All that good stuff.
That being said, I did find the film to be just a bit on the bland side. Especially in light of the recent years when Marvel movies have becomes such huge, outlandish things. Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther come to mind. Compared to those two this film looks and feels downright suburban. The locations are not especially interesting, the visuals tend toward grey and it's a very by the numbers story with no great surprises or twists.
Which could still work with the right hero - Ant-Man would work fine like this, I'd think - but not when it's your first female lead and when it's Carol Danvers to boot. She's one of the most powerful heroes in Marvel lineup and deserves a bombastic film worthy of her potential.
Still, the film is good. It simply isn't as good as it perhaps should or could have been. Worthy of a watch even still, definitely.