Captian Marvel: The Newest Avenger

Captain Marvel tells the story of Carol Danvers, a fighter pilot in the army, who got in a crash and was saved by an alien race known as the Kree. The Kree infused their alien blood into her human body due to her newly known power. She crash-lands on Earth six years later as a result of an ambush by the Skrull army. The Skrulls are shape-shifters who tried to take Danvers as part of an intergalactic war with the Kree. The Skrulls are now threatening Earth…or are they? You’ll have to watch for the big twist that will catch many by surprise.

After watching, I can confirm Captain Marvel is a great movie. The only issue is that it is out of time. What does this mean? The movie fits in with older MCU movies, such as Iron Man and Thor, rather than the newer ones, like Thor: Ragnarok and Spider-Man: Homecoming. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been on an arc since the beginning in 2008. Slowly but surely, it has risen in popularity and has more emphasis on the comedic side of characters. Captain Marvel was simply not that. This didn’t change the fact, however, that it was a great movie. As always, I will look at the main components to a movie: CGI, actor choice, and plot.

First, CGI. The animations and graphics in this movie were very well done. Captain Marvel’s power causes a photon blast to come out of her hand. When her hand is “charging” it glows and has really cool effects around it. The animators did a really good job with making it look surprisingly natural. Another instant which I noticed the CGI at its peak was when she would fly in space. Since there is no gravity in space, everything must float (her hair, loose articles of clothing, limbs when relaxed, etc.). This was very well shown in the movie to the point where it looked like they were really in space.

The casting was also very strong. Some characters were returning members, (Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury) most of the characters and actors were new. Marvel decided to cast Jude Law as Yon-Rogg, Carol Danvers’ mentor, and Brie Larson as Captain Marvel herself. These choices where brilliant because of how their personalities fit their look. Larson has a look that is charming and  cocky, and she carries out this attitude for Danvers. Law has a look of defiance and distrust which is very well-suited for his character. Luke Asby, Lafayette High School Junior and avid Marvel fan, agrees. “Marvel always chooses the right actor for their movies, just like Iron Man,” he commented after seeing the film. He went on to say that this actor will be “another one on the list of perfect matches”.

Captain Marvel had a good overall plot with a twist that keeps you on your feet. Introducing the Skrulls is a great idea for the MCU and was a great decision for Marvel. The idea that anyone could be a Skrull will keep us guessing for many movies to come. Ryan Srivastava, a Marvel fan and theorist, says that the story “fills plot holes from Captain America to Iron Man, but it also starts new plots that will continue to interest fans.” The only other thing I would add is that you need to see this movie before Avengers: Endgame. Many fans understand (and you should too) the necessity of the movie as an origin story of possibly the most important character in Avengers: Endgame.

It’s plain to see that the movie was a big hit, but what is the final rating? The basis that I judge movies on is Theater, RedBox, or Netflix. (Theater=essential to see now and in theaters; RedBox=worth money but it can wait; Netflix=no rush, not worth spending $.) Captain Marvel is worthy of a Theater rating due to the necessity to the overall story line to the MCU and the lack of time to wait before Avengers: Endgame releases in April. Dylan Williams, yet another big Marvel fan says “it’s definitely a great movie and was worth spending money to see in theaters.”  After seeing the movie in a theater, he commented that the audience was “one of the most interactive audiences I’ve sat with and that made it so much better.” It’s obvious that this movie is one for the books and will continue to hold up the MCU’s legacy of greatness.