As a Marvel fan, it pains me to say that Wonder Woman did it ten times better

Rating: 5/10 (15 March 2019)

A few minutes into Captain Marvel, it becomes painfully obvious that the main raison d'Ãªtre of this movie is to redress the lack of adequate female representation in the early MCU films and draw level with the DCEU, whose biggest success to date was Wonder Woman.
It was bad enough that Marvel Studios waited until DC/Warner tested the waters and proved that it was possible for a woman-led superhero movie to become a worldwide box office hit. But this pandering, forced-progressive script only makes things worse. The plot constantly seems to nudge the viewer and blurt out "Look! Female empowerment! We did good here, right? Self-actualization! This is what you wanted, yes? Look, social commentary on current events! Are we progressive enough now?"
This isn't to say that Captain Marvel is a terrible movie. It does have its moments and even made me laugh a few times. Mainly thanks to Samuel L. Jackson, who, unlike Brie Larson, seems to thoroughly enjoy himself and isn't just phoning it in. It's just that the writers were so terribly eager to please and finally deliver the powerful superheroine who can trade blows with the likes of Thor and Iron Man, a heroine who is not just a sidekick or eye candy or a potential love interest for our boys in spandex and leather, that their efforts feel hamfisted and unbearably preachy even to members of the choir.