An Astonishing Ray of Sunlight
In the genre of superhero films I am happy to report that with diversity comes maturity. Recent superhero films such as Wonder Woman and Black Panther have very respectable storylines and characters built with substance. These films have been ground breaking. They have opened the doorways for those actors who stood in the shadows not wanting to play a role in predictable mainstream superhero films. Brie Larson’s, Captain Marvel is an astonishing ray of sunlight the superhero genre is lucky to have.
In 1995 on the Kree Empire’s capital planet, extra-terrestrial warrior Vers (Brie Larson) and her mentor Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) are in the middle of fighting the skrulls, alien shapeshifters the Kree has been fighting for centuries. When Vers is captured during a mission, she manages to escape to earth where with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) she discovers evidence of her past life as Carol Denvers, a U.S. air pilot who was presumed dead in 1989. As the skrulls hunt her down, she and Fury attempt to put the pieces together of how Carol Denvers become Vers.
The sound editing, mixing and visual effects of Captain Marvel are impressive. I am sure that it was not an easy feat to pull them altogether in the way that delivered the overall satisfying outcome that was met with a rousing applause in the theater where I saw the movie. I found myself caring about the characters and the storyline and this made the action enjoyable to me. Trust me, this usually never happens when I watch a superhero film.
Larson’s physical training shows us that she is not someone you want to underestimate. Watching her performance is like climbing stairs you never want to reach the top of. Larson breaks down every wall the film places in front of her and she grows stronger because of it. The concept that she can go from her Oscar winning performance in Room to something as big and mainstream as Captain Marvel gives me such hope for the future. All actors should be able to find opportunities to stretch themselves in different roles. Larson’s performance is just another example that it can be so.
Samuel L. Jackson’s performance in Captain Marvel is in my opinion the best performance he ever gave as Nick Fury. He’s such an iconic character but the focus on The Avengers often leaves him out. Given that Captain Marvel focuses on one hero in particular, Fury’s platform is wider and he takes advantage of that in a very entertaining way. You really see who he was as a person before the corruption of The Avengers films hardened him.
The supporting performances of Jude Law and Annette Bening’s characters are very manipulative as they had me fooled from the start. The point behind their performances is not about being good or evil. It’s about not being what they seem and the film’s build up to its multiple revelations is so essential to the storyline and it was very well crafted.
The score is an epic battle cry of entertainment as superhero films are a genre where the music has to grip the audiences just as much as the action does and Captain Marvel’s score gives Brie Larson the attention she deserves.
Captain Marvel definitely has that 90’s vibe to it. I found the atmosphere of the 90’s to follow the characters wherever they go. Timing is everything in action films and Captain Marvel’s timing doesn’t need any kind of watch.
The rare beauty of a film like Captain Marvel is that despite being part of one the biggest film series of our time, it’s a film that can stand up strongly on its own. A film like Captain Marvel needs a leader to do that and Brie Larson was chosen perfectly to be that leader. I haven't seen all the Avengers films. Yet, I understood everything going on. That says a lot about what Larson is able to do as an actor. By making me care about her, I was able to know everything without having seen all the Avengers films before this.
In my experience as an audience, when women are the head of superhero films, a meaningful and worthwhile quality is brought to the table that other films of the genre don’t always bring.
Overall, Captain Marvel has captured my full attention from beginning to end and despite it only being March, I just might suggest it should get some Oscars just as Black Panther did. On that note, Black Panther and Captain Marvel are definitely different films but the topic of diversity they bring up is an important one and I for one strongly look forward to Brie Larson’s future as Captain Marvel.