[Review] Captain Marvel: A Series Prequel 10 Years Too Late
After a grueling seven-month wait, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's new film, Captain Marvel, has finally been released. Is Marvel Studios' first female superhero movie truly groundbreaking?
Captain Marvel is the 21st installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and its first female superhero film. Many viewers were curious how this movie would emphasize the "female superhero" aspect and bring a fresh perspective to the series. Indeed, the film is filled with feminist undertones and features "female moments" almost absent from the previous 20 films in the series. However, it still doesn't seem to deliver a groundbreaking change to the franchise. The movie is set in 1995, telling the story of Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) who, after losing her memory, becomes a powerful warrior for the Kree empire, serving them in their fight against the shape-shifting Skrull race lurking throughout the cosmos. Later, in an accident, Carol Danvers returns to Earth, encounters a then-low-level S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), and uncovers her true past.
The film uses the relationship between Carol Danvers and the Kree to metaphorically represent a woman living in a male-dominated world, as she rediscovers her identity and establishes her worth through a series of events. At the beginning of the story, Carol Danvers, having lost her memory, is exploited by the Kree, given the identity of a Kree warrior, and required to follow their orders and fulfill their needs. Later, after regaining her memories, she decides to switch allegiances, declaring that she can define her own life, identity, and worth, refusing to let others interfere. The most crucial part of these memories is her growth experience, detailing how she recovered from setbacks, how she supported other women when she was weak, and how she faced male limitations and condescension. In the film's final sequence, Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), knowing that Carol Danvers' power is too immense for him to defeat her fairly, attempts to persuade her to abide by his rules. But Carol Danvers disregards his demands, telling him she doesn't need to prove her worth to him, and her actions also signify that she doesn't need to follow his rules; she can freely use her abilities. This ending might seem a bit anti-climactic, but on one hand, it satirizes male authoritarianism, and on the other, it emphasizes female power.
The film's depiction of the Skrulls is another pleasant surprise. The production team intentionally misled the audience during promotions, making us perceive them as villains, but ultimately, they prove to be more emotionally resonant than other characters. The Skrulls' plight in the film will likely remind many viewers of immigrants and refugees in the real world. The film's narrative deliberately explores the Kree perspective first, then shifts to the Skrull perspective, seemingly presenting both right-wing and left-wing viewpoints, which is very relevant to the current social and political climate. A major reason the Skrulls resonate with the audience is undoubtedly due to Ben Mendelsohn's excellent performance as the Skrull leader, Talos. For most of the film, he's covered in heavy alien makeup, yet his eyes alone are enough to move the audience and elicit their sympathy, making it no exaggeration to call him the film's MVP. Moreover, Talos has many comedic moments in the film, delivering many of the film's key laughs, making him one of Marvel's more memorable "villains."
As an Academy Award winner, Brie Larson's portrayal of Captain Marvel effectively showcases the character's strength, moments of confusion, and vulnerability, making her a major highlight of the film. This role also perfectly aligns with her real-life identity as a feminist, and I believe her performance will encourage more women to stand up and fight for equal treatment, just as Captain Marvel encourages her friend Maria Rambeau's (Lashana Lynch) daughter, Monica Rambeau (Akira Akbar), in the film. Samuel L. Jackson has been present since the first MCU film, Iron Man, 11 years ago, and this time, we finally learn more about Nick Fury's backstory, and he finally gets more opportunities to shine. Samuel L. Jackson is already 70 this year, and the film uses excellent special effects to revert his appearance to how he looked over twenty years ago, in the 1990s. When he first appeared, I still found his appearance unfamiliar, feeling the special effects weren't quite realistic enough. But as the film progressed, I was almost entirely convinced by the special effects, admiring how the production team achieved such realism, bringing back the Samuel L. Jackson of Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown era with cinematic magic.
As the first female superhero movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, expectations were perhaps for the film to be as bold and progressive in its messaging as last year's Black Panther, and to feature iconic and feminist scenes like DC's first female superhero film, Wonder Woman. However, some of the film's messages are delivered bluntly through dialogue, and its scenes often lack profound impact, making the entire film feel like a rather unremarkable entry in the MCU, not as groundbreaking or iconic as Black Panther. Moreover, I have often praised Marvel in the past for experimenting with different genres and styles in different films, providing a refreshing experience. However, this time, Captain Marvel seems to merely draw from various existing styles, lacking a distinct personal touch. Although the film incorporates elements and music from 1990s action films, they are used sparingly, and the musical elements are not as memorable as in Guardians of the Galaxy. Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck have previously focused on smaller, character-driven films, and the scene between Carol Danvers and her friend Maria Rambeau on the grass in Captain Marvel seems to be the most indicative of their style, but unfortunately, it is far too brief. Marvel has been criticized in the past for being male-centric, releasing its first female hero film later than DC. This time, Captain Marvel presented a great opportunity for them to rectify this, but ultimately, they made it rather unremarkable, wasting the opportunity.
As Marvel's final film before Avengers: Endgame, many viewers expected Captain Marvel to lay important groundwork for the blockbuster hitting theaters next month. However, rather than setting up Avengers: Endgame, the film seems to merely fill in some plot gaps for the series, including the reason for Nick Fury losing his eye, and how the Tesseract ended up in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hands. It looks more like a prequel to the MCU. Furthermore, as the first female superhero film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while it features some of the female elements mentioned above, it generally still adheres to the series' customary plot formula. This is particularly true for the protagonist discovering that the enemy is someone they have always trusted, a trope that seems to have appeared multiple times in previous works, including the series' first film, Iron Man. This makes me wonder why this film and this female superhero only premiered in the series' 12th year, becoming its 21st installment, instead of being released earlier. Perhaps it's because Captain Marvel's character and abilities are too crucial to Avengers: Endgame and too groundbreaking, powerful enough to alter the future development of the series. In contrast, I am more excited to see how this female superhero film changes the trajectory of Marvel and even the landscape of other superhero movies. The Black Widow film is rumored to be released next year; will it be able to further drive this reform?