“Captain Marvel” is a must-see movie that looks, feels and sounds beautiful on the silver screen with laughs and tension at all the right moments. Don’t stress though — I’m going to keep this review as spoiler-free as humanly possible.
You would think after 10 long years and 21 movies, the superhero fatigue would be starting to set in, but Marvel knocks it out of the park again, this time with a badass superwoman from the intergalactic space version of Seal Team Six.
While a very well-written script and a delightful soundtrack ended up being my favorite parts of the movie, the acting done by an incredible cast made the movie into the shining star it is.
Brie Larson nails the lead of Carol Danvers, a.k.a. Captain Marvel, bringing
Larson has a commanding screen presence that demands you keep your eyes glued to the screen for every second lest you miss a moment of it. Despite having no memories of her past, Carol Danvers knows who she is and kicks some serious alien butt without ever wavering.
Her strength and wit play nicely against the Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson, we’ve all come to know and love over the past 10 years of the Marvel Comics Universe (MCU) as the two fall into what essentially becomes one of the best sci-fi/buddy-cop films I’ve seen in quite some time.
Those who have seen “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” might not recognize Commander Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) as he’s had a serious alien makeover; but, rest assured, his acting chops come through as he plays one of the most complex and interesting characters in the movie, the Skrull General “Talos.”
Lashana Lynch also managed to tear at my heartstrings with her captivating performance as Carol Danver’s best friend Maria Rambeau, whose moments on the screen will either move you or confirm that your heart is made of stone.
Yet somehow, despite all of this excellent acting and a phenomenal script, every one of these actors is outshined by an orange cat named Goose. Goose stole my heart the second he appeared on the screen, because in a movie about Air Force pilots, how could you not have a “Top Gun” reference?
But Goose wasn’t done. Watching Nick Fury, the soon to be fearsome Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., cuddle this adorable feline as it followed him around the movie was absolutely delightful. Even better was watching aliens act terrified of what Fury said was just a common housecat.
Now it wouldn’t be a Marvel movie without Easter eggs hinting at the future and referencing the past of the MCU and oh boy, did it have some Easter eggs.
I’m not going to just list them out here, but I will say that I think this movie had more Easter egg moments crammed into it than possibly any Marvel movie before it. This makes a lot of sense when you take into account the fact that the movie was set in 1995, 13 years before “The Incredible Hulk” and “Iron Man” take place.
Young Jackson and 90s fashion included, the movie found plenty of other ways to capitalize on the fact that it was set in the mid 90s, including dropping Larson through the ceiling of a long extinct relic of the past, Blockbuster Video.
No Marvel movie would be complete without a Stan Lee cameo, but the tribute in this movie is one that will truly warm hearts and even had the entire audience in my theater breaking into applause.
This movie, like that tribute, felt right. It hit all the right notes and never felt forced or rushed and there was never a point in the two hour and five minute runtime that I felt like the movie dragged. It kept me entertained and emotionally invested throughout the course of the movie and even had audience members letting out loud cheers at the crescendo of the story.
This movie will capture your attention and hold onto it tight, making every second worth your time.
