Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel could have simply been an average Marvel movie—an appetizer for Avengers: Endgame—and that would have been enough. But instead, it has some fun tweaking the Marvel formula in inventive ways. The result is easily the best standalone film of the MCU’s third phase (which began after Age of Ultron).

The biggest changeup is the structure, which reveals story pieces out of chronological order. Rather than a stale straight origin story, the film instead presents its narrative as a bit of puzzle. This makes for a captivating introduction to this corner of the Marvel universe for casual viewers, and for those well-versed in the comics lore, it still is an entertaining trip with a few genuine surprises.

All I’ll say is that Brie Larson plays the title character, a galactic warrior fighting on the side of the Kree (the blue-skinned aliens we saw in Guardians of the Galaxy). In the midst of a conflict with the shapeshifting Skrulls, she ends up on Earth in the mid-1990s. Teaming with a young(er) S.H.I.E.L.D. agent named Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), she races against the Skrull Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) to find an experimental piece of space flight technology designed by a U.S. Air Force scientist (Annette Bening).

Mendelsohn chews the scenery exquisitely, and his recent persona as the go-to bad guy for nerd blockbusters cleverly plays into the plot. Other franchise newcomers like Jude Law and Lashana Lynch are effective in supporting roles, as are a few returning faces (most obviously the digitally de-aged Jackson, who is a characteristic hoot as the greener, less battle-hardened Fury). But this is Larson’s show, no doubt. She carries every moment she’s onscreen as expertly as any of the Marvel heroes who have been doing this since Phase One, showing icy resolve, disarming sincerity, and an expert handle on the patented Marvel humor, often all within the same scene. And yeah, she gets a few girl power lines in to rebuke those who were piling on this movie before it even came out.

There are some exciting action sequences in this one, but the most enjoyable element is how it uses its humor. The 90s references are numerous and hilarious (and I'm definitely biased, but the era-appropriate soundtrack plays a hell of a lot better that the boomer rock of Guardians). Certain blanks in the franchise continuity are filled in in uproariously funny ways. It even seeps into the action, namely a shapeshifting fistfight/car chase involving a commuter train that’s alternately side-splitting and actually pretty good. Though not as explicitly parodic or fourth wall-breaking as Deadpool, this is arguably the most self-aware Marvel film, and more fun for that (and if you thought the last cameo by the late Stan Lee couldn’t be topped…). But, it never gets too carried away with itself, and stays grounded enough that there’s still some pathos to the proceedings.

After Infinity War, rumors are flying about the ultimate fate of characters in Endgame, but everyone seems to agree that it will be the end of the road for at least some of the Phase One players. If Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel is given the task of carrying on the Marvel mantle, I’d say the franchise is in good hands.