The Captain Marvel User Review Thread (TAG SPOILERS!!!)

Saw the movie tonight. Pretty good. I was surprised by how much of it is very much a hang out vibe. The best I've seen Jackson in a long time. He Larson have good chemistry. There's a bit of a lack of energy to the precedings. Hard to really explain. I wasn't bored by any means but there's a certain lack of momentum. It extends even to how the music is used.

I was disappointed in the music overall. There's been a lot of talk and speculation about what would end up on the soundtrack. This really could have been like 90s music Awesome Mix. INstead there's not enough to really be worthwhile and so when there are songs it seems almost out of place.

Overall this movie isn't anything we haven't seen 20 times before. Action is pretty Marvel bland, eneegy beams and quick cuts. The Skrulls are cool. Ben Mendelson does very good work.

 

Pretty good eh?
That is all that I needed to hear.

 

Alrighty, I'm not going to be popular but here it is.

This film feels like it has no idea exactly what type of story it should be telling. The first hour, hour fifteen minutes, might very well be the most convoluted yet simultaneously boring passage of cinema Marvel has ever put to film, and I say that as someone who tried sitting through Ant-Man a second time. For all the crap I've given Marvel movies in the past about playing it safe at the very least those films, as vanilla as they are, had a narrative that was structurally sound. Captain Marvel is the first movie from the MCU that feels like it's without someone steering the wheel. What ever Feige's goal was with this character comes across short, not just for the overall story but the character herself.

Whatever quips Brie Larson brings doesn't override the fact there's very little about Carol Danvers that's actually interesting, she suffers from Superman syndrome where she's overpowered, a lot of said abilities aren't really explained or expanded on, so you're left with a character that is more of a concept. We have a vague idea of what she can do and who she is, but there's always this distance that exists, and no amount of Larson acting sassy can overcome that. I can't go so far to say she was miscast, I just don't think there was enough material there for a genuinely good character to emerge. You're not drawn to her like you are with Wonder Woman. In fact there were times throughout where the film seemingly forgets it was suppose to be a superhero movie and that she was suppose to be the hero, which is truly bizarre coming from a studio that has always put focus on the hero first. I genuinely don't think Marvel had a solid idea of what exactly they wanted to do with this character, it almost feels more like an obligation, and so the end result is this generic concoction that with a worse actress would have been outright terrible.

The first hour of this film is without doubt the worst 60 mins of film Marvel have produced. There is so much information that doesn't go anywhere interesting, and no solid foundations for where the movie is going. It genuinely feels like this was made for people who know the backstory already, which makes the narrative get off to the worst possible start. Elements in the first act that come back in act three are so poorly established you kinda wonder whether they used the draft script by mistake. And on top of that, there are just some straight cringe worth 'girl power' pandering moments in this film that ironically feel like something that would have appeared in a 90's movie. So many weird and haphazard choices are made that by the time you get to the brief period in the film where there is actual focus none of it really matters. In fact I'm convinced the whole first hour of this film could be cut out and no-one would even notice.

A lot of phase one films were the epitome of vanilla, but Captain Marvel is the epitome of mediocrity. A movie that feels more like it was made for the sake of it rather than being a necessary piece to the MCU puzzle, because I don't feel like there was a solid idea of what to do here. Whatever few moments of actually quality it has is overshot by a story that doesn't know quite what it's saying or what direction it's heading, action sequences that feel dated and at times pointless, and a character that wasn't developed well. It is not an outright terrible movie, it has adequate moments and Larson isn't as dull and disinterested as she looked in the promotional material, but this is by far Marvel's worst movie.

5/10

 

Seen it today. Pretty, pretty, pretty good. It's not on par with the best MCU entries (the Russo ones, Avengers, Black Panther, Iron Man or Ragnarok) but it's a fun ride exploring mostly the mystery of how Carol Danvers became Captain Marvel. The action was exciting (saw it in 4DX), the sfx top notch. Right now I'd give it a 9/10 but it felt a little long at some points so maybe on a second viewing it'd more of an 8.

 

I saw it last night and loved it. It was a solid Marvel movie with a good amount of humor and heart. Was it anything new? Not really. The first half hour or so had me pretty sceptical but once it picked up, I was all in. Talos was a standout surprisingly funny character, and Brie Larson’s captain sassy pants was perfect.

Also best Stan Lee cameo and the opening tribute to him almost made me cry.

I felt good after watching this movie. Can’t wait to see it again.

 

Just saw it. Overall it's pretty mediocre, standard but I enjoyed it pretty much throughout. It's total filler and a bit of a wasted potential IMO, and I totally get the mixed to bad reviews, but the movie was entertaining enough to me. If you take it out of the grand scheme of the MCU and the expectations post IW and pre Endgame that that entails, CM plays like that kind of movie you could rent in the 90's and have a blast with it.

I was skeptical about Larson from the trailers but she owns the role and she's an absolute blast. From the get-go with her first interaction with Jude Law I was sold. I sure want to see more of her to know the character a bit better (she hasn't gone through her sacrifice/humility part yet ala Cap, Thor and Iron Man). The supporting cast is top-notch. Samuel L Jackson is cool, love the Rambeaus and Ben Mendelsohn is a riot and the obvious highlight (like previously stated in the various reactions), even though I guessed the direction they were gonna take the Skrulls since the first trailer (if you follow the pattern of recent MCU movie it was SOOOO OBVIOUS this is what they were going to make). So no surprises to me overall

Spoiler

(except maybe for the Annette Bening thing but it felt a little flat, like yeah ok fine whatever)

. The fan service is piss-poor IMO like the way they explain things or tie them in with prior MCU movies. It's lazy and in one instance outright bad. Goose the cat was overhyped and I didn't care much for it. I wish we could have gotten more StarForce and more life on Hala before the plot kicks in

Spoiler

(we briefly see Law and Larson riding what looks to be a subway full of Kree people and wanted more of that. More world-building, let me see more of what Hala's all about)

The structure of the film is a bit off, for a reason sure but I don't think it really works. Still I was entertained and not bored, but I don't think the story was really compelling (don't know if regular audience will feel invested). Danvers barely struggles (despite a half-assed attempt at the end) and she's way too powerful to my liking at the end. There's no real dramatic tension, sense of urgency and it all feels like a walk in the park. Lots of concepts that they don't take advantage of to give a more exciting movie experience, like the Skrulls shape-shifting shenanigans for instance. The action is alright, nothing breathtaking and epic but fun. Although the climax is rushed like a mother... Because of how powerful she is. It feels a bit anti-climatic

Spoiler

(RONAN you coward!)

So yeah, they should have marketed this movie as pure mindless retro fun, instead this big epic landmark event they tried to push because this movie ain't that AT ALL. Maybe the reception and overall narrative surrounding it would have been better. It's a cool introduction to the character but not really a movie you'd want to revisit.

 

Just saw this, it was boring and the first post credits scene somehow, funnily enough even managed to lower my anticipation for Avengers: Endgame.

Spoiler

Everything dealing with the aftermath of the Decimation should've been kept for Endgame and Endgame only. The scene itself is just silly and definitely not worth risking what I and probably more fans feel after seeing it. So they found Fury's pager and are studying it intensely, then Marvel just walks in through the kitchen like that asking "Where's Fury?"

I thought they would have here story and where she was at the moment of the Decimation kinda play a part in Endgame and then give her an awesome entry like Thor got in IF.

The movie itself is just kind of boring, shrug-and eyeroll inducing. The 'girlpower' moments where literally in every scene Carol was in, and it was not subtle at all, and trust me it needed to be. A lot of times you'll think "Is this a movie or an ad campaign for female empowerment?" It was so well done in Wonder Woman and then this movie comes and just bashes you over the head with it.

This movie is pretty much "Heyy! remember the 90's? and Girls can do all the things boys can and sometimes even better (Which I definitely agree with, but still, there was like 0 finesse to it all)"

The action is really boring, Marvel herself is boring, the plot and the way it's presented is kinda boring, the soundtrack is boring and my general feeling is that this is just a huge step backwards for Marvel as a whole, where they could've delivered something extraordinary and made the (two month?) wait for Endgame excruciating. At least it should've served that purpose if it's not gonna be remarkable in and of itself. To be soured on the Marvel brand so close to the release of Endgame is not something I thought could happen.

I had one LOL moment when they were at Rambeau's place trying to listen to the black box recording, when the Skrull rolls his eyes at windows 95 the loading bar.

Other than that I feel this movie was a total waste of time.

5/10

 

Sounds like it’s going to get a lot of mixed reactions.

 

Ultra Nolanite, regardless of how you feel about the first post credit scene,
Please use spoiler tags when describing it.
Some of us don't want to know until we see the film.

 

As usual, barring a few exceptions, I found myself finding more joy in a movie that the general consensus pins as a mid-tier MCU entry than in a lot of the top-tier players. And in that instance I feel that they stuck the landing impeccably. Now if you were expecting a cultural landmark or something that would propel Captain Marvel’s name past Wonder Woman’s in term of pop culture recognition, the movie clearly isn’t that. It’s a joyful experience populated with engaging main characters that has something to say about identity, empowerment and conflict (even if it gets a little clumsy at times). It’s an important entry in the narrative of the larger MCU, in and off itself a noteworthy film that I hope will be judged on its merits and not on the pop culture phenomenon it could/should have been ... or even might become.

 

Saw it today. Pretty good, not quite great. I'd rate it maybe 8½/10. The first hour is slow and feel like a 90's action movie (on purpose?), but the plot threads created during it, pay off towards the end. Second hour is definitely fun. I do feel it could've used more world building and more background on Carol, I don't think the flashbacks were enough. Brie Larson was just fine, really gets going in the end when she remembers or understands who she is. Great chemistry between her and Sam MF Jackson and also with Lashana Lynch. Mendelsohn was great, more on Talos in the spoiler part. Everyone filled their part. Goose really does steal the show on a couple of occasions, like Groot in GOTG and Hulk on Loki, the type that makes the audience burst out in laughter. I think some of the music choices could've been better or different but music taste is a never-ending argument. Stan Lee tribute in the beginning was what I expected and was still moving, and yes there's a cameo.

Spoilery stuff:

Spoiler

Talos and the Skrulls not being the actual bad guys was not quite expected, good job of hiding that. Though anyone who watches Agents Of Shield knows what they are already. Really good performance by Mendelsohn on that front.

Binary mode wasn't explored or talked about in this one really yet. She has a power inhibitor which gets destroyed in discussion with the Supreme Inteligence and even though you've seen part of the scene in the trailers, I still got goosebumps. She lets loose as a character as well after that and Brie does a good job of expressing that. I really should not have watched as many tv spots or trailers as I did, because a lot of stuff would have been more impressive seeing for the first time. I also don't really agree with Grace whoselastnameshallnotbementioned, about this being "kinda feminist", to me that moment at the end with the Supreme Intelligence came off more about being HUMAN than a woman. Then again, I'm Finnish, we're one of the most progressive and gender equality stats topping countries in the world and do not feel any need to look for sjws or feminism everywhere and especially waste out free time whining about them online. We still have our balls unlike these white "men" in America who are being laughed at more and more over here.

Goose showing what a flerken does, really got the audience going.

First post-credit scene: I could almost hear an uuuh" in the theater and Carol showed up and asked "Where's Fury and we Finns don't make noise (Avenger is still the only time that I've heard applause during and or after a movie.

The second, though I have seen in real life a cat vomiting, it's still not a great sight, even if it's just the Tesseract in this one.

I fully recommend seeing it, the first post-credit scene will only raise the hype for Endgame.

 

Sorry I fixed it now.

 

Just watched it and to say that I'm disappointed would be an understatement. No, the movie is not bad by any means (it's perfectly watchable), but it's about as mediocre as Ant-Man and the Wasp. The story is entirely forgettable and the only character that kind of worked for me is Fury (for obvious reasons).

As for Larson, I love her but I think she approached the role with the wrong mindset. There's nothing memorable about her performance. Right now for me she's in the same situation as Boseman... if they replaced them I wouldn't care.

Oh, and

Spoiler

the Skrulls are good guys? Are you freaking serious? Fury lost his eye to the goddamn cat? I just... what. What was even the point of that.

My rating: 5.5-6/10. The movie wasn't worth the wait and it wasn't even worth the controversy. Carol Danvers deserved better.

No offense but you're joking, right? We must have watched a completely different movie because honestly, there was more girl power stuff in the freaking marketing than in the movie itself. The movie is completely innocuous in that regard.

EDIT: I guess I should add that my audience (which consisted mostly of teenage boys and parents with their young girls) loved the movie. Heck, they even clapped at the end, which is something that doesn't often happen here.

 

The audience in my screening was maybe 50-50 or 50-60 (Finns will get that reference) and no clapping (because we're Finnish) but people laughed at all the funny parts and stayed for the post-credits scenes. No girl power marketing over here nor was there any signs of it in the movie. I really have to question if the people who think they saw "girl power" were watching the same movie. Or let's just put the cat on the table, why the hell would anyone ruin their movie going experience by willfully searching for political messages or other completely frivolous stuff? Insert Ryan Reynolds "But why?" gif here.

 

I have no idea. If anything, one of my biggest issues with the movie is that there's not enough of that stuff.

Spoiler

Her father is barely in it. He's literally the reason Carol (the comic version) became the person she is; his outdated views on women are what prompted her to enlist in the Air Force to pay for her studies... yet none of that is in the movie.

So much ado about nothing. Seriously, this movie is way less "political" than Wonder Woman. It's not even a contest.

 

Watched it last night. Overall it was good. Not great. Brie Larson was good and definitely had no problem with her acting or even smiling. This definitely wasn't a film with an agenda.

Brie and SLJ worked great together. The Star-Force were also good for their limited screentime. Ronan and Coulson were OK but didn't have much to do.

I have 3 major gripes with the film.

1. The Skrulls portrayal in the 3rd act was just downright disappointing and wasted. In fact they had so much potential they failed to utilize them properly throughout the majority of the film. Ben Mendelhson was good but I can hardly call him a great villain.

Also the promise of a Kree/Skrull War wasn't ever realized. Though I wonder if this will be explored in the next film.

2. The flashbacks weren't used effectively enough to let us know more about Carol as a human being.

Spoiler

The fact the film hardly mentions her father, let alone tells us she has a brother that she never seeks out or remembers. The Life of Captain Marvel comic had a scene where her and Steve are at their father's grave. That was more poignant than anything in this

3. Nick Fury losing his eye the way he does is going to annoy some Marvel fans. I didn't like it.

Spoiler

Yes, it's the cat

First end credit scene was good.

Spoiler

Though I wish the Russos would stop feeling the need to give needless cosmetic changes to costumes. Her gold shoulder pads looked dumb. Her costume looks great already

Overall a 7/10. Really wish I could've given it more.

 

Yeah, that's why I thought her background should've been more developed.

 

Hey I'm not claiming it was well executed girl power stuff.

 

I applaud you for not holding back JMC.

 

That's your opinion and it's fine, but honestly I just don't get it. At no point does the movie make a big deal about Carol's gender.

And on one hand I find that refreshing, but on the other... well, it sure is weird that her old comics from the 70s were more openly "political" than the movie is.

 

I mean the whole big moment is about being human, not a girl. Ok, the use of "I'm just a girl" was maybe a little too tongue in cheek but meh.

 

Just saw it. I liked it, thought it was good but could have been better. They went for the more standard generic Marvel movie formula a bit too much imo, which is fine but it hurt Carol's story a bit. Overall an enjoyable movie. Almost in my top 10 of MCU films, just almost.

 

What do you mean by at times it forgets to be a superhero movie, or that she suppose to be a hero?