In Captain Marvel, Brie Larson Expertly Pilots a Low-Octane Vehicle

Review by Curt Holman

Directing a huge franchise film like Captain Marvel poses such a challenge, it might seem like an almost superhuman task — even for two people.

The filmmaking team of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, known for character-based indie films like Half-Nelson, took the helm of the 21st film of Marvel Cinematic Universe with considerable weight on their shoulders. They had to present the origin story of the female superhero with a complicated background (originally named Ms. Marvel after her 1970s debut), while balancing the lore from decades of comics and the continuity of 20 previous films. And given that Captain Marvel takes place in the mid-1990s, it has the kind of narrative ceiling that constricts many prequels.

Plus, as the first MCU movie with solo female protagonist, Captain Marvel faces high expectations. Wonder Woman, Black Panther and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse arrived like landmarks of cinematic inclusion, so the bar is high, while toxic, sexist fans have been actively trying to sabotage the film.

Captain Marvel’s $150 million opening weekend satisfyingly shows up the haters, but it’s still disappointing that the film itself proves to be just okay, a second-tier Marvel film around the level of Doctor Strange or Ant-Man. Rather than put their own stamp on the series, Boden and Fleck seem swallowed by Marvel Studios’ machine. But they bring out terrific performances from their leads, particularly Best Actress Oscar winner Brie Larson in the title role.

We’re introduced to Larson as “Vers” (pronounced like “General Veers” from Star Wars), who’s part of an elite strike force of alien warriors called the Kree. From early on, Larson infuses the role with confidence and a sly sense of humor—the actor and creators resist temptation to present the kind of “strong female character” clichés of self-conscious swagger. Whether confronted by hostile alien Skrulls or nonplussed human beings, Larson usually seems bemused and “chill,” and instantly makes a great addition to the MCU.

Working with her slick commanding officer (Jude Law), Vers struggles with amnesia, being unable to remember most of her early life. In an early scene, the Skrulls capture Vers and probe her memories, which suggest that she grew up as a girl facing repeated discouragement from men on Planet C-53, which we recognize as Earth. The creatively presented montage reveals her backstory in a fresh way and has a great payoff at the film’s climax.

Vers learns that the Skrulls are seeking human Professor Wendy Lawson (Annette Bening), and she resolves to find her first, hoping to thwart the hostile aliens’ plans and maybe unlock her own secrets. She arrives on Earth by literally crashing through the roof of a Blockbuster Video, one of the film’s many nods to outdated 1990s culture and, perhaps, a meta-commentary on women crashing into a male-dominated genre.

Her arrival draws the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), who initially scoffs at the idea of shape-shifting alien Skrulls until he can’t deny the evidence of his own two eyes. (Yes, this is when he had two of them.) Casting the pair as mismatched buddies is a fun gimmick, allowing an established MCU character to pass the baton to a new one, while giving Jackson the chance to offer his loosest, funniest performance in the series. And the film’s de-aging effects are scarcely visible on him (perhaps they relied on practical makeup?), while Clark Gregg’s cameo gets stranded in the uncanny valley as “rookie” agent Colson.

Also terrific is Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, the characters’ Skrull adversary, who alternates between a human appearance and his green, pointy-eared form. (The Skrull makeup is a little reminiscent of the Dark Elves from Thor: The Dark World.) Mendelsohn enlivens his scenes of alien menace with comedic understatement.

But too often, Captain Marvel feels like it’s ticking boxes, delivering the MCU’s patented jokes and Easter eggs. The callbacks (call-aheads?) to future continuity start to elicit groans, while the needle-drops of ’90s pop songs seem rote and arbitrary compared to the “Awesome Mix” of Guardians of the Galaxy. Plus, it has some of the worst lighting of any Marvel movie, with big fights taking place on fog-choked planets and in dim cargo holds. Surely the action choreography took some work to stage, so could we at least see what’s happening?

In a way, Captain Marvel flips the weaknesses of Doctor Strange or Ant-Man and the Wasp, which had unforgettable visuals but iffy character arcs. Captain Marvel’s spotty storytelling doesn’t seriously hinder our investment in the heroine’s empowering journey. And ultimately, a flawed film that truly inspires some people has more significance than an expertly-crafted one that moves no one.

Captain Marvel. B-. Starring Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson. Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Rated PG-13. 124 minutes.