Captain Marvel (2019)

[Lordmandeep]

A very by the number origin story that lacks the heart and drama that exists in Thor and Captain America as characters.

 

Now I do find that having these female characters being so overly powerful really reduces the tension and drama of the film especially in the climax as with Wonder Woman. However Wonder Woman showed a lot more character and a lot more vulnerability therefore she was more interesting.

 

There is no denying the fact that for onece DC did a much better job then marvel here.

 

The only reason why I agreed this film a b level film is because I really dig the stuff around Nick Fury and how he got his eye patch and how The Avengers Initiative started and frankly the tie-ins to The Avengers storyline.

 

7/10

 

 

Edited March 11, 2019 by Lordmandeep

[DeeCee]

This is a semi review which I also just posted in the spoiler thread. Mostly my thoughts on the film and how it fits into the MCU as a whole. 

 

MCU films simply aren’t traditional standalone films and should not be treated as such.  They don’t exist in a vacuum.  They are part of a larger whole. Elements of the film payoff internally within the movie, elements will payoff in future films and elements of the film will have payoffs in previous films. 

 

This is the film makers intention. It’s not an accident. It’s not a mistake. This is what is intended. If you go into an MCU film expecting something different then the error is on you not the filmmakers. 

 

Does it always work? No. Iron Man 2 is an example of where there was to much of the greater mythology and not enough focus on the “standalone” film. 

 

For me personally, Captain Marvel works on all three levels, as an internally consistent, enjoyable and interesting film, as a payoff for previous films (Fury’s eye as an example) and as a foreshadowing of things to come. 

 

I liked that they played with the structure of an origin film. The audience discovers her origin as she herself is discovering it. At the start of the film both the audience and the character are both in the dark as to who she really is.  Basically her origin has already happened and the film is about rediscovering it. 

 

For the audience the payoff at the end is twofold when she breaks free of the Kree control and realises her true powers. There’s the internal progression within the film of her realisation of who she is and where she came from but there is also an unspoken (and unknown within the film) elephant in the room, Thanos. 

 

I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that every single person in every single session of Captain Marvel has watched Infinity War.  They know that Thanos is unmatched and the payoff everyone gets as Captain Marvel displays almost unmatched power is that out there in the future is Thanos. 

 

This is just my opinion. You can choose to view a film anyway you wish but for me I feel you’re missing something if after 21 films and counting you continue to go into an MCU film expecting something different. 

 

[A bit of background to my thinking.  I’ve never read the comics and pretty much had no idea about the character before watching the film. I pretty much think of the MCU as a hybrid film/mythology based TV series on a big budget. I just think we can exist in a world with regular films, hybrid film universes like the MCU and quality TV with each having equal value and merit. And when it does come to TV series I much prefer ongoing mythology type shows rather then procedurals or shows with mostly standalone episodes. This is probably what predisposes me to like the MCU style of film.]

 

[Avatree]

way better than the usual marvel films. i say that despite having a shite "twist" villain which I began the film eye rolling because the second Jude Law shows up on screen you know hes the villain.

 

think it's down to better writing of characters, Captain Marvel is a much more interesting story.

 it drags in places, needed to have bits chopped off, but enjoyed it lots. I was absolutely rooting for Carol. More than I can say for thor 3, black panther etc

 

CGI nick fury is incredible, none of the other CGI is but whatever. some bits quite distracting like CGI cat looked awful

[cheesypoofs]

I really loved this film. I want sure about the first 20 minutes or so, but once Carol crashes through the Blockbuster, it really picks up from there. 

[Jake Gittes]

Marvel isn't doing itself any favors by bringing Skrulls and their abilities to the forefront in something that itself behaves even more like a simulation of a movie than usual. Certainly it's very Skrull-like to e.g. lay "Just a Girl" on top of yet another hopelessly generic second-unit-directed action scene and apparently believe you made it this cool and fun set-piece (even though the scene and the song don't actually meaningfully connect for a second), or go back to the '90s with a distinctly 2019 smart-alecky attitude, or go so far as to fuck up a simple soulful conversation by doing it in choppy shot-reverse shot instead of a single shot that would actually let it breathe, which it's all but screaming for. Exactly how much direct work did Boden and Fleck manage to do on this thing at all?

 

There are engaging performances, some right-on messaging, and pleasant stray bits of space opera, but people like Larson and Mendelsohn deserve a movie where they aren't the only sources of life. And watching the first post-credits scene, I was outright embarrassed for Johansson, Evans, Ruffalo having to get together and be reduced to saying shit like "The thing doesn't glow anymore" "What thing" "You know that thing we have in that room" when everything that had to be conveyed here could have so clearly been conveyed - and far more effectively, too - with no dialogue and even no actors. How can you understand and translate comics to film well enough to have such unprecedentedly consistent success, yet so callously disregard their larger-than-life aspect even at its simplest?

[Avatree]

4 hours ago, Jake Gittes said:

Marvel isn't doing itself any favors by bringing Skrulls and their abilities to the forefront in something that itself behaves even more like a simulation of a movie than usual. Certainly it's very Skrull-like to e.g. lay "Just a Girl" on top of yet another hopelessly generic second-unit-directed action scene and apparently believe you made it this cool and fun set-piece (even though the scene and the song don't actually meaningfully connect for a second), or go back to the '90s with a distinctly 2019 smart-alecky attitude, or go so far as to fuck up a simple soulful conversation by doing it in choppy shot-reverse shot instead of a single shot that would actually let it breathe, which it's all but screaming for. Exactly how much direct work did Boden and Fleck manage to do on this thing at all?

 

There are engaging performances, some right-on messaging, and pleasant stray bits of space opera, but people like Larson and Mendelsohn deserve a movie where they aren't the only sources of life. And watching the first post-credits scene, I was outright embarrassed for Johansson, Evans, Ruffalo having to get together and be reduced to saying shit like "The thing doesn't glow anymore" "What thing" "You know that thing we have in that room" when everything that had to be conveyed here could have so clearly been conveyed - and far more effectively, too - with no dialogue and even no actors. How can you understand and translate comics to film well enough to have such unprecedentedly consistent success, yet so callously disregard their larger-than-life aspect even at its simplest?

i agree that credits scene was dumb. They have the tracker in a sealed room with a ton of tech analysing it, and none of them seem to be aware of it?

[Fancyarcher]

My review.

 

https://dailyuv.com/profile/2232/976560

[EarlyDeadlinePredictions]

Enjoyed it for the most part but definitely dragged a bit in some places. Seemed like they tried to cram too much plot and characters into 2 hours. 

 

Best parts were with Brie and SLJ teaming up and their chemistry/banter. Also like Carol and Maria's relationship. Talos was a lot more comedic as a "villain" considering his look and presence in the trailers but Ben Mendelsohn made it work really well. Soundtrack was nice except maybe the last fight scene on the ship which felt off a bit. The supreme intelligence sequences were neat. Would've liked more of those. Enjoyed most of the visuals/CGI especially the work on de-aging SLJ.

 

Jude Law was ok but the other Starforce members were underdeveloped so it took away some of the weight of their eventual/obvious betrayal. Ronan and Coulson were just fanservice which was fine I suppose.

 

7.5/10 B

 

Also looking forward to how Carol interacts with the other Avengers. 

Edited April 3, 2019 by EarlyDeadlinePredictions

[dxmatrixdt]

96 - Captain Marvel - i was trying to detail a 97 with this, but i couldn't find it in myself to go above a 96.5.  i watched it from an internet link, so maybe next time i purchase this, and the 'real digital' experience will help inflate the grading of the final edit

Spoiler

95 – Captain 3: Civil War

95 – Avengers 2: Ultron

95 – Captain 2: Winter Soldier

95 – Dr. Strange

95 – Iron Man

95 – Guardians of the Galaxy 2

95 – Guardians of the Galaxy

95 – Black Panther

95 – Avengers: Infinity War

94 – Thor: Ragnarok

94 – Spiderman: Homecoming

94 – Captain America

94 – Iron Man 3

94 – The Avengers

93 – Thor

93 – Thor: The Dark World

93 – The Incredible Hulk

93 – Ant-Man and the Wasp

93 – Ant-Man

92 – Iron Man 2

 

Edited June 17, 2019 by Slave Animal Rights

[IndustriousAngel]

7/10, B+ - okay in most of its SF aspects but I didn't like the handling of the Skrulls at all ... the Skrull/Kree war was a pivotal point in the space-centered Marvel comics; you shouldn't throw all those possibilities out of the window by removing the Skrulls as a threat. Also, the transition from ruthless hunter to whiny refugee was not only hyperfast but actually grating.