Captain Not-so-Marvellous

Rating: 5/10 (8 March 2019)

Greetings all,
If ever there were more a middling film than Black Panther this is it. Don't get me wrong I did not hate BP I was just in disbelief at the overwhelming hype surrounding it.
Conversely here, the underwhelming nature of it's pre-release has paid it a disservice. Because it's better than that. But it is, however disappointing, a very mediocre affair. I have had such love for Carol Danvers in the comic books it is a great shame that's not transferable here.
Let's start with the negatives. I find the main problem to be a majorly convoluted backstory shoehorned into such a short space of time. Along with this we get characters deviating from their comic counterparts which never sits well with me. Larson, who has given perfectly serviceable performances in films like Room and Free Fire is verging on charismatic-less which I attribute solely to the direction. This is compounded somewhat with nostalgic humour, some of which feels forced, that often undermines the situation. For a Marvel movie the set pieces are few and far between and what is delivered is either over in a flash or muddled to the point of dispensable.
All that being said there are some things to love here. Goose the cat in particular is garnering well deserved praise. The special effects and production value are solid although I can't quite get used to that costume design of hers. Introduction of Captain Marvel, the Kree and the Skrulls into the MCU expands the universe. And most will enjoy the de-aged Shield operatives.
Ultimately it leaves you wanting with it's odd pacing, muddled-yet-brief action sequences, overly complex character history and unnecessary gags.
One thing in particular that excites me more than anything now though is how Captain Marvel will be handled and integrated under the direction of the Russo brothers in Avengers: Endgame as they have consistently proven themselves!