Glossy action cannot cover up a dull story.

Rating: 5/10 (27 June 2019)

I've held back on reviewing Captain Marvel, I wanted to let the film sink in and allow myself to come to a proper conclusion on my thoughts. One thing I will make clear from the very beginning. I wanted to enjoy this film. I rooted for Brie Larson (she was my top pick for the role of Captain Marvel). Marvel Studios have overall done a very satisfying job not just in adapting their comic book characters but also crafting very enjoyable films in the process. Unfortunately Captain Marvel is a dull mess with a weak story, an uninteresting hero and weak villains. The film succeeds in the humour department, the film has clever jokes and funny lines, especially between Carol (Brie Larson) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Praise needs to be given to the special effects team that managed to digitally deage Jackson in order to make him seem like a younger version of Nick Fury. This is the first time where the special effects didn't bother me. Usually the actor looks unnatural, as if they are wearing a digital mask. Jackson however, just appears younger, there is nothing that seemed out of place. The rest of the special effects also work spectacularly well (of course, its Marvel). The sets are futuristic, convincing and bring across the Utopian world of the main character. The action scenes are exciting, well shot and easy to follow. But this felt like a Phase 1 Marvel film to me. A film mainly required as set up for Avengers: Endgame, I find this to be extremely unfortunate because this character deserves better. Carol Danvers doesn't seemingly go through an arc, her worldview is never challenged which doesn't trigger a growth within her character. The strongest superhero films built an emphasis on a flawed main character whose experiences and mistakes shape his or her journey (think Spider-Man 2, The Dark Knight, Iron Man or Wonder Woman). Larson's character travels to Earth and is confronted with our way of life, which lead to some of the funniest scenes in the film. She is a fish out of water and perhaps doesn't see humanity the way we do. However, what does she take away? How will this impact her personality in the future? The character felt poorly written and I never had the impression I was watching a human being on screen. Her character felt constructed and not like a tangible and complex person. Larson tries her best with the role but the limited material drags her performance down to simply being a badass superhero with a sense of wit. Larson is a fantastic actress with an awesome range. She possesses so many more skills as an actress and the film doesn't allow her to express them. I hope that in future sequels the character can ripen up and grow on me more. There is certainly potential there, however a more independent and creative voice I feel needs to be present in order for the films to change their focus (i.e. Richard Donner, Tim Burton, Christopher Nolan, Sam Raimi, Taika Waititi or James Gunn).