Rate it for what it is, not what it isnt

Rating: 9/10 (10 March 2019)

This is not the next Black Panther
This is not the next Thor Ragnarok
This is Captain Marvel.
She is a classic (first appeared in 1967) hero with a pretty conduluted backstory, incredible powers, and yes, she's a woman. But this movie isn't about that. So many Men's Rights Activists and misguided misogynists are tanking the reviews because they want to label this a "failed revolution". Let's get one thing straight. This movie is not about the feminist movement, it's about Carol Danvers.
The movie focuses on Carol as a character, not as a woman. Being a woman adds to her character, yes, and it is pivotal that young women finally get a hero in the MCU they can relate to. Sorry guys, you'll just have to choose from one of the other 8 male Avengers to connect with.
The movie itself is a balancing act. 90s references are everywhere and the film does a good job of toeing the line between pandering and preparing. It makes constant nods to the period in which it's set, along with plenty of Easter eggs to keep comic geeks happy, but still manages is goal of explaining who Captain Marvel is and how she fits in the MCU. There is some dodgy dialogue that not even Oscar Winner Brie Larson can stick, but short of some reductive writing this is a movie that completely satisfied.