Carol Danvers/Vers/Captain Marvel
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See what critics and audiences think of Captain Marvel, the MCU's latest hero with an origin story. Find out the trailer, cast, director, and more information about the 2019 sci-fi action film.
- (553)
- Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
- PG-13
- Brie Larson
Mar 8, 2011 · A mixed review of the first female-led Marvel film, praising its humor, action and Nick Fury, but criticizing its character development and retro style. Lemire argues that Brie Larson deserved more than a fine and forgettable superhero origin story.
- Carol Danvers' debut puts a fresh spin on Marvel's Phase One origin story formula.
- Captain Marvel Photos
- Verdict
- Captain Marvel Review
- IGN Recommends
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
By Meg Downey
Updated: Apr 21, 2020 5:35 am
Posted: Mar 15, 2019 11:00 am
When you're done here, be sure to also check out how people are responding to Thor and Captain Marvel's meeting in the Avengers: Endgame trailer, the best Easter Eggs in Captain Marvel, our breakdown of the new Endgame trailer, our explainer piece on the Avengers' new white suits, and our speculation on Hawkeye's daughter.
The MCU's newest hero, Captain Marvel, has entered the fray literally swinging, with a cosmic-flavored origin story that feels like a much-needed fresh approach to the classic Marvel Phase One formula. With a soundtrack packed full of vintage ‘90s earworms and a delightfully unselfconscious sense of humor, Captain Marvel pulls off a satisfying introduction to the hero who may be our Avengers: Endgame trump card.
The bulk of Captain Marvel's standard two-hour runtime is focused on Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), and begins with her as a human far from Earth trying to figure out just who (and what) she is. She's been living among the alien Kree for years and has earned herself a position on an elite commando unit under the leadership of Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) – but she has no memory of her life before. In public, Carol is a take-no-prisoners soldier wanting to prove herself worthy to her comrades-in-arms – but in private, she's not so certain. This duality keeps the memory-loss tropes to a minimum. She never feels properly lost or floundering, just frustrated that she's up against a problem she can't use her Kree-granted powers to punch her way out of. Though she certainly gives the impression that if she could brute force her own memories into the proper order, she definitely would, which is absolutely delightful.
Larson's performance and chemistry with Jackson is the obvious highlight in a strong supporting cast. Larson manages to capture a fiery but playful sense of humor in her character that deftly avoids the tropes associated with naive, superpowered outsiders making "first contact" with humans. Make no mistake, Carol's superpowers have nothing to do with empathy or warmth – her strength is completely derived from a perfect Molotov cocktail of spite and stubbornness, which is an absolute joy to watch unfold. Carol Danvers is as unapologetically brash and bold as a hero could be, even when it gets her into trouble, and it's oh so satisfying.
On the flip side, Carol's dynamic with her human friend, Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch), provides the emotional core. Lynch manages to ground the movie with a serious and poignant throughline and perfect counterbalance to Carol's brash heroics and her sometimes slapstick buddy-cop relationship with Fury.
Captain Marvel manages to take the best ideas of early MCU origin stories like Iron Man and Thor and use them to form something that feels both familiar and fresh. It can be a bit on-the-nose at times, and occasionally has to fast-track its exposition in ways that can feel slightly clunky, but what it lacks in grace it makes up for in charm. Brie L...
Review scoring
great
Captain Marvel's big screen debut puts a fresh spin on Marvel's Phase One origin story formula.
Meg Downey
IGN praises Brie Larson's performance and the film's humor, but criticizes the plot's predictability and the nostalgia's jarring tone. Read the full review to find out how Captain Marvel introduces the MCU's newest hero and her powers.
- Meg Downey
Mar 8, 2019 · Metacritic aggregates reviews from critics and users for Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel, a 1990s sci-fi adventure starring Brie Larson. See the Metascore, User Score, and mixed opinions from various sources.
- (56)
- Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
- PG-13
Mar 5, 2019 · I will never hate a movie with an orange cat. The plot of “Captain Marvel,” for some reason, is another secret I’m supposed to keep. Which is fine. In spite of what some unhinged fans on social...
- Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Read critics' and audience's opinions on the 2019 Marvel movie starring Brie Larson as Carol Danvers. See the ratings, scores, and comments for Captain Marvel on Rotten Tomatoes.
Read what people thought of the Marvel superhero movie starring Brie Larson as Carol Danvers. See the ratings, comments, spoilers and opinions of IMDb users who watched the film in different languages and countries.
