Likeable, dynamic superhero story with feminist panache

Rating: 7/10 (16 March 2019)

Brie Larson fully embodies the protagonist as a Kree warrior in this energetic addition to the MCU film legacy. She and Samuel L. Jackson (as a younger Nick Fury) face the challenging task of warding off an invasion of Earth by the Skrulls, a species adept at blending in with whatever population it seeks to infiltrate and subsume.
The film takes place in California in 1995 and therefore has plenty of joyful mementos from that era. Larson brings her trademark onscreen charisma, and Jackson gives one of his most enjoyable performances in years. Ben Mendelsohn shines as the Skrull warrior who has found his way to Earth. Jude Law is quite authoritative as Larson's longtime Kree mentor. The film is at its best when it covers themes of divided loyalties and coming to terms with one's own discoveries, surprisingly well laid out in a popcorn blockbuster movie. The theme of female empowerment is omnipresent but it lingers on less so than other things this film did right.
Perhaps because I came in with such low expectations, this turned out to be quite the pleasant surprise. It won't likely go down as an iconic trailblazer or a future classic. But for those who like a big-time superhero blockbuster experience, this one delivers. Recommended.