I was a little nervous going into this just because the Kree-Skrull war has never been something I cared about in the comics. It’s just a conflict I’ve always found boring. Which is really to say I find the Kree a black hole of boringness, because on their own I think the Skrulls can be very interesting. (The Super Skrull is great, who doesn’t love that guy?)
And while Carol Danvers is a character I like, so much of my feelings about her is tied up in her incredibly messy comics history and the way in which she kind of transcended all that when she took the Captain Marvel monicker. The original Captain Marvel mostly just existed so Marvel could hold onto the Marvel trademark in a world where the Shazam! Captain Marvel also exists. The only memorable thing he did was die of cancer. So it wasn’t obvious what this version of Captain Marvel was going to be.
What she is is Marvel’s Superman. Not only because she’s unbelievably strong and powerful, but also because her defining characteristic is inspiring joy in those around her. That the movie gets there, and the character interactions we get along the way, particularly between her and Fury are why this movie ultimately works. Her backstory is a mess and the extraterrestrial conflict isn’t particularly compelling, but Captain Marvel is just a source of fun and joy.
Also the movie never actually asks you to care about the Kree really, that would have been a deal breaker frankly.
One of my big points about Superhero movies is that Hollywood still really hasn’t figured out how to make them. Captain Marvel is a mark of their slow improvement, even if it is a pretty average one of these movies. The banter and joyous energy we get from Captain Marvel herself during the fights is much closer to how good fights in comics actually work than the fights in the live action movies that came before. It’s no Spider-Verse, but seeing a Super Hero enjoying fighting is a key part of what makes these stories fun.
The 90s brand references are dumb and distracting, and there’s nothing too notable here, but Captain Marvel is fun mess. I enjoyed it.
Thank You For Your Time.
