Hello everybody! Welcome to MC Tuesday, where we talk about a movie from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If you are not familiar with MC Tuesday, I spent the first half of 2018 watching MCU movies. I also did pre-Disney movies like Blade, a TV show, and even a documentary. If you have not read any of those posts, you can click here and it will take you to the MC Tuesday page, with the last post being Ant-Man and Wasp.
Now, we are back for Captain Marvel starring Brie Larson. Honestly, I could not remember who Brie Larson was. But I checked out her IMDb and she played Tara’s daughter in United States of Tara (great show). What’s more impressive is that she played the iconic Envy Adams in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role as Nick Fury, but before he was Director Fury. The movie also stars Jude Law and Annette Benning.
The movie is written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Enough introductions, let’s get into what I liked and disliked about the movie. I’m keeping it spoiler-free since it is relatively new.
Nostalgia
Captain Marvel takes place in the 90’s. I was a teenager in the 90’s, so it was fun to relive that time. There was a great deal of attention paid to showing us we were in the 90’s. There are payphones, Nine Inch Nail t-shirts, and some of our favorite 90’s songs, not to mention a Blockbuster.
With that being said, after a while it felt that the nostalgia was overwhelming. It went from fond memories of the 90’s, to the 90’s throwing up all over us.
First Act Pacing
Marvel movies are tricky. The good ones have a balance between progressing the overall Marvel story and giving us the cool action and special effects.
Captain Marvel is an origin story, which is even trickier. I think that’s why the first part of the movie was so slowly paced. They are trying to give us some back story before thrusting us into the good stuff.
There’s action in the first part, but it wasn’t exciting. The dialogue was bland, and some of the lines that are supposed to be funny, weren’t that funny. And this is coming from someone who laughs at everything.
Where’s the Villain?
My favorite Marvel movies have dynamic villains. Thor and the Avengers have Loki, Guardians of the Galaxy and Infinity War have the prolific Thanos and his minions.
Captain Marvel really doesn’t give us a solid villain. Sure, there are villainous moments, but they do not equate to an interesting villain. By the end, I didn’t care about the bad guy one way or the other. It is truly difficult to explain this sentiment without spoiling the movie, so I’ll just leave it at this.
After Act One…
The second half of the movie felt like the actual movie. We get some fantastic Captain Marvel moments. The quieter parts where she is learning about herself are sweet. The action and intensity of the battle are entertaining.
My favorite parts of the movie involved the cat Goose. Goose gives us these surprising moments that made me smile.
One tiny issue is that some of the special effects take me out of the movie. It just looked extremely computer generated. But, they are minor and only lasted for a second. I’m probably the only one in the theater that noticed.
The Stingers
The stingers do not really give us a lot to work with, so you can leave once the credits start. The first connects us to Endgame but not in an extraordinary way. The second features Goose in a forgettable moment.
Overall
My buddy Ben asked out of 10 “kapows”, what would I give Captain Marvel. I’d give it seven kapows. The second half of the movie gave me the story and action I wanted and Goose was absolutely awesome.
The writing in the first half was very dull, along with the action sequences. This movie is not The Incredible Hulk or Ant-Man bad, but it’s not Infinity War or Black Panther good.
If you ever watched anime (actually anything but it is abundant in anime), you may be familiar with filler episodes. These episodes may not be the main story, but they get us there.
That’s the type of feeling Captain Marvel gives me, a filler movie. We needed it to introduce another player for Endgame. But, in the grand scheme of things, it’s not a standout movie. In that way, it is similar to the Ant-Man sequel. We needed it to put Ant-Man in a certain place at a certain time. It makes sense for these two movies to fall between Infinity War and Endgame, our main story.
Wrapping it Up
Well, that’s it for Captain Marvel. What did you think of the movie? Let me know! MC Tuesday will return next month for Avengers: Endgame, followed by Spiderman: Far From Home in July.
Tomorrow, I will finally bring my thoughts on Ace Attorney season 2, episodes 20 and 21. Spoiler alert: I have serious issues with Ace Attorney! Later this week, we will continue our look at Mob Psycho 100. I will see you later!
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