Captain Marvel
Rating: 5/5
Worth Watching? Yes
Source: Cinema

The story follows Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe's most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Let me start the review by saying this: I am not a massive fan of Marvel films. Comics? Yes. Movies? No. But my husband wanted to see Captain Marvel, so I reluctantly dragged myself to the cinema with the promise of nachos and Jude Law. I had not really been expecting much when we made our way into the theatre - but I left incredibly surprised.

There had been a lot of controversy just as the film was being released, around Brie Larson, and I wasn't really sure what to make of it; and wanted to know if all the negative reviews from middle-aged white men were just a coincidence...

I think one of the funniest comments in a review that I saw was, "the film is loaded with anti-male imagery, footage, and dialogue..", which then went on to justify that sentence with reasons such as Nick Fury is shown washing dishes, and Carol is hit on by a man. You're right, reviewer - what a man-bashing, completely unbelievable film...

The whole review amused me as they've missed the entire point of the film. It's not about "all men being evil"; ironically, it's about a woman following her dream and being told she isn't good enough, but getting off her arse every time she's kicked down and showing the world what can be done. Is there anything more empowering for young girls today to be able to see a badass female superhero who they can relate to? Anyway, now that rant is over, let's get on with the review.

I felt this film was a long time coming - seriously, why have we not had a female-led superhero in the MCU already? When we first meet Carol, she's part of an alien race known as the Kree, and is an incredibly powerful soldier. She is unaware of her life before the Kree, and is unsure as to why she feels so familiar with planet C-53 (Earth), when she crashes onto it. Teaming up with Nick Fury, Carol sets out to regain her memories, and to find out what all the snippets of her memories really mean.

The relationship between Fury and Carol is possibly my favourite from the film. It's believable, and most of Carol's light-hearted moments are shared with him. With Fury, it's refreshing to see a more wide-eyed, innocent version of a character we all know, and love.

Two characters that really stole the show in my opinion were Yon-Rogg, and Talos. Jude Law's portrayal of Yon-Rogg really was a pleasant surprise. Being a huge Law fan, I'd never seen him in a role like this before (no spoilers!), and it was great to see him excel in something so different. Mendelsohn's portrayal of Skrull leader, Talos, was absolutely fantastic - who knew you could feel so much empathy for an alien? 

I'm not going to share who the villain was (for people who haven't seen the film), but what I found most striking was how manipulative they were. Villains in superhero movies are usually quite obviously evil, and display their villainy physically. With mind-games, and brainwashing - it all feels much more sinister, and a great take on a new type of villain.

As for Captain Marvel herself, the more time that has passed since watching the film, the more my love for her has grown. Usually female superheroes are feminine, and overtly sexy - it's incredibly refreshing to see a film where the female is more casual, and I'm a huge fan of her costume (minus the hat!). She is exactly the kind of superhero I'd want any children in my life looking up to - just because she's so normal underneath all of her superpowers. Although more serious than most Marvel superheroes, I really liked that side of it, as my problem with most Marvel films is forced humour - which I'm not a huge fan of. I think Larson was the perfect fit for Carol, and pulled it off brilliantly.

Goose the "cat" is definitely worth a mention, and provided me with the most laughs throughout the film. I don't want to spoil too much, but definitely keep an eye out for him...

There were a few unexpected surprises, and great twists. I really enjoyed the narrative, and the dialogue - although the first half of the film is quite slow. In all, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The casting was fantastic, the story was great, and the soundtrack was phenomenal. If a badass, female superhero movie, with great music, is what you're after - I would highly recommend this.