The following article may contain spoilers from the film Captain Marvel.
Probably one of the most anticipated Marvel movies of this year, Captain Marvel finally came in full swing. The lack of female representation in superhero movies has been overwhelming in the past.
However, in recent years we are experiencing an influx of that much needed representation with monumental figures like Black Widow and Black Panther’s “Dora Milaje.” With the earthshattering success of DC’s blockbuster Wonder Woman, Marvel understood the threshold it had to meet with Captain Marvel.
The importance of Captain Marvel, or Carol Danvers, is far more deeply rooted than you’d initially think. If you haven’t read the comics but you follow the movies, plenty of things will come as a surprise to you. (There’s no shame from me, I’ve only ever read DC comics!)
If you’ve watched Avengers: Infinity War, as you should have, you know that the credits reveal Captain Marvel as the next step and last hope to saving the universe. Doctor Strange said it himself; there is only one outcome out of 14 million possibilities that result in the universe being saved from the wrath of Thanos.
Whether or not you’ve indulged in the comics, there’s something majestic about seeing our favorite superheroes come to life and spring into action. Captain Marvel is a film that answers plenty of blanks, including how Carol is integral to upcoming, eerily titled The Avenger’s: Endgame plot.
Carol Susan Jane Danvers lived much of her life as human, headstrong on the journey towards her career in the United State Air Force. While her time there, she is unaware that her colleague, Dr. Wendy Lawson is actually a Kree superhero known as Mar-Vell, a female Kree scientist.
Although she was introduced late into the movie’s universe, her origins trace back to a time before the Avengers. The movie is written from the angle of learning about her human past along with her, as she has no recollection of who she was before she became part of the Kree, a militaristic alien race.
Marvel could’ve severed the film half its time and called it a day, and to some degree it should have. Captain Marvel spends plenty of time telling a story that is executed as lackluster.
The film is simply filler; it is a stepping stone that facilitates the introduction of Captain Marvel, but it doesn’t encourage us to connect with her.
Movies that tackle illustrating cohesive storylines that pertain to regain memories of an amnesiac character weren’t unheard of.
The film is designed to be a feminist work of art, but I personally have to admit that I’ve seen much better. Brie Larson or the directors are at fault for painting Carol with overly proper posture; rigid and stern as a faux disguise for “power”. Carol is written without vulnerabilities, making her difficult to relate to.
The film required more emotional energy like that of the fall-and-get-backup montage that demonstrated Carol’s persistence and perseverance throughout her life. Carol’s emotionless demeanor is falsely associated with strength, which can perpetrate mixed messages to whom the film was catered to: young girls.
What’s most disturbing is the missed opportunities of Carol’s character. Captain Marvel fails to take advantage of keeping Carol as a fish-out-of-water character, not living up to her potential. Whether this dynamic could’ve been used as leverage for humor or revealing more about Carol’s alien nature, it was left on a shelf to collect dust.
Captain Marvel introduces themes like that of 90s nostalgia and sisterhood, but it misses its one-of-a-kind style.
The film treats fighting scenes as if they exists for the sole purpose of passing time. Even the cinematography fails to have a style worth gazing over.
Occasionally, the audience received a strong female lead that packs a punch and isn’t afraid to have fun. The chemistry between Carol and Fury is the best thing about the film.
The mid-nineties tracklist is composed of throwback bops like TLC’s “Waterfalls”, Nirvana’s “Come As You Are”, and No Doubt’s “Just a Girl”. When “I’m Only Happy When it Rains” by Garbage played, I whispered “hell yes”. Captain Marvel, set in 1995, features these nostalgic hints, but still fails to truly immerse and catapult us 24 years ago.
Thinking back, Marvel should’ve reconsidered an alternative lead for the role; Larson, as committed as she was, was not connected to Carol and it was evident.
Regardless of the low points in the film, Captain Marvel is still entertaining. Even when the flashbacks are incohesive, the remainder of the plot is easy for newcomers to comprehend.
The audience can still have a good time, and are guaranteed a chuckle here and there. Carol, even when stiff, narrates the life of a lost superhero that tackles betrayal and shatters all obstacles in her way. Young girls will come out of the film inspired and that’s the most important thing.
Alma Tovar
Features Editor