Captain Marvel is a fantastic addition to an impressive catalogue

Rating: 9/10 (8 March 2019)

Captain Marvel is jam packed with action and is a delight to watch. The humour comes thick and fast but never feels forced or prevents the narrative from including a lot of genuinely touching moments.
As a fan of the Captain Marvel comics it was a little nerve-wracking waiting to see how the MCU would handle such a layered, powerful character with a back story more tangled than most. Would the Carol I know be the same on screen? After seeing the movie, any worries I had evaporated faster than you can say "Lt Trouble".
Brie Larson did an incredible job of bringing Carol to life and was an absolute joy to watch. The whole cast gave stellar performances, from Sam Jackson's cat-loving S.H.I.E.L.D agent to Lashana Lynch's awesome air force pilot. Clark Gregg's return was brief but impactful and Annette Bening shone in her most mysterious role yet.
People who haven't seen the other MCU movies or read any of the comics needn't worry, there were plenty of subtle references, cameos and easter eggs included but there was no prior viewing or reading required.
Then there's the soundtrack, which has to be one of the best movie soundtracks ever! The film-makers made some bold decisions of where to use some of the iconic, grungier tracks of the 90s and for me every single one of them paid off. The 90s references don't end there either, and anyone who remembers the period will feel a few pangs of nostalgia throughout and find themselves remembering things they didn't realise they ever forgot (which is very fitting considering the plot) but it's never leaned on too heavily.
Unfortunately Captain Marvel is held back in the same way so many origin stories are. Having to introduce new races to the MCU and explain how a hero gets their powers is always going to take up valuable screen time. Carol's life before her powers is a fascinating one and I was left wanting to see more. But this is a super hero movie after all and so the focus will always have to be on that aspect of her life.
Overall the movie is incredibly fun to watch. Perfectly cast, with amazing effects and a plot that impressively manages to be both familiar and unpredictable.