Another win for Marvel (and feline superheros)

Rating: 7/10 (7 March 2019)

A lesser Marvel exercise, especially when compared with the landscape shifting (and yes overrated) Black Panther and the all-round goodness that was Infinity War, Captain Marvel is nevertheless another win for the comic book movie kingpins that acts as a perfect entrée to next month's three hour epic Endgame, while at the same time showcasing that as we expected, the girls can certainly match it with the boys.
Taking its time to get going after a curiously so-so opening act, Captain Marvel is the type of event film that grows in confidence as it progresses, with Marvel wisely backing away from the one-time to be expected origin story tropes, as we instead find Brie Larson's Carol Danvers/Vers well and truly comfortable in her own skin on her home planet of Kree, waking up to fight Jude Law's Yon-Rogg and visiting the planet's A.I prime minister to talk shop.
While it's not until Danvers finds herself on Earth in the Blockbuster Video clad Los Angeles of the 90's that director duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's film really starts to offer up the thrills and heart that had been promised, yet thankfully from here on out, the story of Danvers and her quest to uncover her true origins and stop the evil Skrull race (led by another villainous Ben Mendelsohn as Talos) from uncovering a dangerous power source is a typically fun Marvel ride.
It helps a lot that Larson grows in confidence as the film wears on and like Gal Gadot before her in rival female heroine centred Wonder Woman, Larson is going to be a real hit with fans and girls in particular.
Full of sass, heart and smarts, there's no doubt Marvel have been planning for Danvers appearance for a long time and her seemingly game changing role in the next Avengers is absolutely welcome on the back of these efforts and she's a worthy new hero for fans to adore with her pitch perfect mix of emotions and powers.
Larson seems the perfect fit for the role of Danvers and her interplay with Samuel L. Jackson as a much younger (and two eyed) Nick Fury is a particular win for the film, even if the duo are outplayed in the chemistry stakes by Jackson and his feline friend Goose, who it must be said steals the entire show whenever his on screen.
Outside of Larson, some fine support from Goose and Mendelsohn, whose Talos is more layered and complex than first appearances would suggest, Captain Marvel thankfully delivers a particularly enjoyable final act, that takes the film into slightly different territory than the typical comic book staple of mass carnage and destruction on an epic scale, making things more human focused and in ways more intimate.
The enjoyable finale showcases why Marvel chose more indie friendly directors like Boden and Fleck, offering the chance for the studio to show new perspectives and deliver in ways they've yet to do. With so many films under their belt and only more on the way, these type of gentle shifts are paramount to the continuing success of the world dominating brand.
Final Say -
Continuing on an unprecedented run of successful big-screen outings, Captain Marvel is yet another win for Disney and the comic book heavyweights. Featuring an on-song Brie Larson, a new feline icon and a perfectly shaped lead in to Endgame, Marvel fans are in for another cinematic treat.
3 ½ Mallrats scripts out of 5