BY IAN VAN ORDEN
Marvelously mediocre
MANAGING EDITOR
Thé next installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
has exploded into theaters. The final installrneht before
the conclusion to lastyear’ s “ Avengers: Infinity War,”
“ Captain Marvel” serves as an introduction to the
character before her appearance in the upcoming sequel,
“Avengers: Endgame.” ,
Based on Marvel’ sm o st popular female superhero,
“ Captain M arvel” introduces the character Carol
Danvers, who spent most of her comic book history as
the superhero Ms. Marvel, though since her character’s
introduction in the 1960s, she has also been known as
Binary and Warbird.
After inheriting the name of Captain Marvel in 2012,
a new era began.
Though the movie is based somewhat on the comic
characters historical origins, m any aspects of her
backstory are changed for her appearance in the MCU.\
Captain Marvel’s origins have always been considered
to be convoluted at best by comic book fans, so some of
these changes act to simplify Danver’s history for the
silver screen.
Though many of the changes form an interesting arc
on screen, some longtime fans of the character, as well
as the original holder of the Captain Marvel title, maÿ
find the changes, off putting, considering M ar-Veil’s -
(the original Captain Marvel) popularity.
In an unusual move for the MCU, “Captain Marvel” is
set in the 1990s, becoming only the second film , after
“ Captain America: The First Avenger,” to take.place
before the events of the most current MCU film . Due to
this choice, the movie is filled with ‘90s nostalgia, from
the early moments o f the film which feature a destructive
entrance in a Blockbuster Video to mentions of 80s and
‘90s cultural icons such as the Fonz or the Gameboy.
The movie also features appearances by de-aged
versions of Samuel L. Jackson, and Clark Gregg as Nick
Fury and Phil Coulson respectively. The effects used
to complete their transformations is remarkably well
done, a prime example of how far the technology has
come since it’s early use in movies such as “ Terminator
Salvation” and “ Iron: Legacy.”
. The action and CGI presented iti the film is to the level
that fans of the MCU have come to expect, featuring
the usual explosive action sequences. Captain Marvel’s
costume design has also received quite a bit o f positive
feedback, Obviously heavily influenced by the current
comic design.
Though she portrays her character adequately, Brie
Larson failed to captivate with her performance, despite
the praise she has received from other critics. Instead,
the actors that should draw the most praise are Jackson,
who is able to believably portray a'younger version of
the character fans have come to know and love, and
newcomer Annette Bening, who portrays both Dr. Wendy
Lawson, a character who is more than what she initially
seems, as well as the Kree Supreme Intelligence.
Though fillin g very different roles, with Jackson
supplying much of the movies comedy and Bening’s
charactersfilling more serious, plot relevant roles, both
excel wonderfully.
Marvel
Overall, “ Captain Marvel” is an admirable, enjoyable
experience tb the MCU,1 but fails to move beyond any of
the accomplishments of the other movies of the long-
running franchise. It is worth watching, if only for the
setup to next month’s“ Avengers” outing, but is unlikely
to become a series favorite.
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