"Captain Marvel" movie review: Watch it or skip it?

Rating: 7/10 (15 March 2019)

What's up muthaclucks! So, I just finished watching Captain Marvel and I have to say it wasn't too bad. Before the movie starts, a new Marvel intro is played which features a collage of virtually every cameo Stan Lee starred in, which was a nice homage to the man who started it all. At the end of the intro, the whole theater was clapping and making noise which added to the excitement and anticipation.
The movie starts off with some good action scenes, but right off the bat I didn't know if I was going to like it based on how some of the alien characters looked. They just looked very strange and fake. What I mean by that is that when I see alien characters like Thanos, Groot, or Hulk, I forget that I'm watching a movie and I actually believe that the characters I'm seeing are real. That was not the case here and to be honest, it was a little distracting. But the aliens did end up winning me over by the end of the movie due to their numerous scenes full of humorous dialogue.
The fight scenes were good, but there were no memorable moments that stood out. It was just generic superhero fighting that I didn't feel invested in. There was just not enough of a story for me to care about these fight scenes. What also didn't help these fight scenes were the corny one liners the main character would say amid the fighting. Also, the main character went from just barely being able to hang with her enemies to becoming an absolute destroyer. It was just not believable that suddenly, she could wreck everyone and destroy whole ships at will.
The scenes that made the whole movie worth it were any that included Samuel L. Jackson. The chemistry he had with the cast was incredible in that he brings humor that doesn't feel forced to every scene. I don't know if that's what they were going for, but this movie felt more like a comedy instead of a serious build up to Avengers: Endgame. As for the story, there just wasn't much there. The plot twist did nothing for me, and the reason our hero is fighting didn't really move me. At the end of the movie I felt like something was missing. The movie was two hours long, but it felt like it could've been a little bit longer for the sake of developing the characters into something we could emotionally invest in.
Some other enjoyable aspects of the movie were all of the 90's nostalgia scenes. From the soundtrack, to the wardrobe, and to the scenes with businesses which were all the rage back in the day but no longer exists. It was a great feeling that brought back many memories. Those scenes didn't feel forced and were tied in with humor and a good soundtrack seamlessly to the movie.
My conclusion, this was a fun movie to watch. The funny scenes were good, the fight scenes were average, and the storyline was not something you felt emotionally invested in. The dramatic scenes felt forced, like they were just trying too hard and speaking in a way that normal people don't speak. If you want to know the origin story of Captain Marvel who is going to play a huge role in Avengers: Endgame, watch it. If you want to laugh for a few hours and don't care much for a story or serious acting, watch it. but just don't expect it to be as good as the last Avengers movie, it doesn't even come close. If you don't care about Marvel movies I would go ahead and skip this. Am I glad I watched it? Yes. Would I buy this when it comes out? No. All in all, I give this movie a 7.5 out of 10.
Don't forget to stick around after the movie is over, there is a mid-credits scene that is relevant to Avengers: Endgame. After that there is one more scene after the final credits roll that doesn't really have anything important but does provide a good laugh.
FINAL SCORE: 7.5/10