Captain Marvel is directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck and it follows Carol Danvers on a quest of self-discovery as she recollects her past and realizes her potential as one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Meanwhile the Skrulls and the Kree are at war, affecting Earth in the process. The movie stars Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Lashana Lynch and Jude Law.

Like most people or at least a very big group of people, I was unimpressed by the trailers and I was not really excited for this movie. I didn’t know a lot about Captain Marvel, only her name and look. The movie looked dull and familiar from the trailers. Even though I love Marvel to death, I don’t let my inner fan take over and defend Marvel at every step they take. For example I didn’t really care for Ant-Man and the Wasp or Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Fortunately Captain Marvel does not fall under that category.

My expectations were low but deep down I was still slightly optimistic that the trailer were bad and that they didn’t do the movie any justice. Thankfully that was the case as Captain Marvel offers a fun, nostalgic and entertaining experience which stands out from the rest of the MCU. I would rank this movie slightly higher than Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger in terms of quality and entertainment value. The moment were Carol stands up one more time as the powerful Captain Marvel (it’s in the trailer not a spoiler) was an inspiring moment worth cheering for.

One thing I am going to quickly mention is the stupid controversy. I like Brie Larson, I know what she said and even though she phrased it badly, I can see where she’s coming from. I’ve seen interviews of her and she genuinely seems like a kind, charismatic and fun person. A lot of people say her performance is weak and emotionless. I understand why they would think that but for the most part, I don’t blame her, I know she is a great actress, she even has an Oscar to prove it. The script had some really weird lines and it lacked in character. The only way I can describe Carol is brave and determined but I could’ve only seen the trailer and told you that. They do hint that she can lead with her heart more than with her mind but that sub-plot was forgotten.

The cast including Larson do a great job. Samuel L. Jackson is once again funny and immensely likeable. His chemistry with Larson was one of the movie’s strongest aspects. Jude Law plays a role we’ve seen hundreds of times but I do like how they left his character so I am interested to see what will happen. Goose the Cat stole the show, he got the most laughs from my screening, I hope and pray that he survived the snap. Who surprised me was Annette Bening who gave the best performance even though her role was really short. I loved how she had fun with it and made distinctions. I can’t go further due to spoilers.

As for Ben Mendelsohn, he is great as the leader of the Skrulls, he actually delivered a majority of the laughs. Also speaking of the Skrulls, by the end of the movie I was so confused by the difference between Skrulls and Kree. I think I know now. I just hope they don’t over-complicate the mythology of the MCU, we still have the Fantastic 4 and the X-Men to go. The final battle is a bit anti-climactic in my opinion, it is a grander battle compared to the other battle scenes in the movie but I think they made Carol a bit too powerful. It was awesome seeing her destroy ships with ease but there weren’t any stakes.

For me the movie really took off when Carol lands on Earth. I didn’t really care for the space scenes, the action scenes weren’t really exciting, they were average. The movie is at it’s strongest when the scenes are down to earth and personal. I love the self-discovery plotline, it sort of brought up a buddy cop like feeling to Carol and Fury’s friendship. I really wish we could have gotten to see more of the Air Force and Carol’s time there with Maria. If they focused less on the space scenes and gave way to more scenes with younger versions of Carol I feel like it would have benefited the movie in terms of emotion because the movie does lack it.

Overall Captain Marvel is an above average addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe which is impressive in and of itself considering this is the twenty-first movie. The performances are good, the special effects will impress anyone, the nostalgia adds to the entertainment value making this movie a fun and different movie for the MCU albeit a bit predictable. I do love that it’s a success, powerful women need to be recognized. Captain Marvel is definitely a right step in that direction.

RATING: B-