A Solid, If Not Spectacular MCU Entry

Rating: 8/10 (9 March 2019)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been an impressive run of films, whether you have loved every one of them or not. In my opinion, ranging from mediocre to fantastic, this franchise has had its ups and downs like any, but nothing has really been a huge misstep, as producer Kevin Feige has been steering this ship in a safe direction from start to finish. Captain Marvel is the latest introduction to a character in this franchise and while it may not rank among the best films this franchise has had to offer thus far, it's a welcome addition to the family, so to speak.
Following Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) as she discovers her past and learns who she used to be on Earth, a relationship forms between her and a few familiar faces from Shield, mainly in Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). With a war between the two races of Kree and Skrulls, Carol finds herself caught in the middle of it all, while also discovering her past along the way. Filled with enough energy to keep you engaged from start to finish, this is a breezy addition to the franchise as a whole. Sadly, I don't feel that this film explored any of the characters enough and it really did feel like a stepping stone for a larger story to be told in the future.
Feeling very much like the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with movies like Thor or Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain Marvel has a very solid introduction to this universe, but there's a lot of room to improve. Brie Larson delivers a solid performance here and I look forward to seeing more from this character in future instalments, but I wasn't blown away by any means. Aside from an interesting backstory, she really isn't given anything to do and almost seems unbeatable, which is kind of a draw-back for future stakes that may arise. Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson's chemistry is easily the biggest highlight of this film and will probably keep even the uninterested fans entertained.
Captain Marvel gets off to a very messy start throughout the first 20 minutes. It finds its footing very fast, but I must admit that I was very worried when the movie first began. The way her past is quickly thrown in and jumbled around to set-up the rest of the film felt a little rushed, but the movie does slow down to a nice pace. It's not that I have a lot to complain about here, but there truly wasn't anything that wowed me about this film, which was disappointing, considering it's the final film that leads into the culmination of the last ten years with Avengers: Endgame.
In the end, Captain Marvel doesn't do a whole lot to dazzle, but it works very well as a standalone origin for this character. I enjoyed myself quite a bit, but this formula has been done over and over again throughout the course of these 21 films and although the formula works, I feel something new has to be done once Avengers: Endgame brings this first segment of this universe to a close. I had a lot of fun with Captain Marvel, but it's by no means a great movie. I definitely recommend it to fans of this franchise (who will be the most impacted from it) and to those who are simply looking for a fun superhero flick. Captain Marvel delivered for me, but there was a lot that could have been improved upon.