No Spoiler Review of Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster!
The newest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is yet another amazing superhero brought to life, straight out of the comic books of old. This newest movie though does something that has yet to be done in Marvel: a female superhero with her own movie!
You may have heard the hype on the TV or on social media and wondered: is it legit? Does the movie really pull it off? Is it worth seeing?
The answer to all three of those questions is a resounding YES.
I’m not one to assign a message to a movie very often. Sometime I just like to watch so that I can enjoy the entertainment, but Captain Marvel really does take things to a new height. (See what I did there?) Not only does it break down barriers of female superheroes, but it does it in such a way that you don’t even know it’s happening.
It’s not overt, it’s not an ‘in your face’ message, but merely a fact. Carol Danvers’ story is complicated and multi-faceted and told so well that you go from the “hmmm” moment straight to “she is like no other superhero gone before her” without even a blink.
There’s so much being said on social about how it’s merely a vehicle to show that women can be heroes, and while Captain Marvel (and her friend and fellow pilot, Maria, played by Lashana Lynch) is a female hero, there’s so much more to the movie than that. It’s not just an excuse to talk about female empowerment, but it is a good portrayal of the story from the comics while meshing it with the fact that no matter what happens, we stand up. We keep going.
We go higher, further, faster, metaphorically if not literally.
The story of how Carol Danvers becomes Captain Marvel is not clear at the beginning of the movie, but by the time Captain Marvel comes to an end, you understand why Nick Fury was paging Danvers when he turned into dust. It’s quite a ride of past versus present, earth versus the universe, Skrulls versus humans and more, and it moves fast. We learn Carol’s past, in bits and pieces that come together beautiful, and we envy her friendship with Maria.
We also admire her grit and her spunk, from falling down in the dirt playing sports as a kid, to flying through the sky to take on the bad guys.
Captain Marvel is just shy of two hours long, and it’s packed with action as well as humor. Those of us who remember the 90s will appreciate the Blockbuster appearance and the spectacular sound track. Seeing a young Coulson and Fury, learning of their origins in the pre-Avengers world, is a lot of fun.
Take my word for it and go see it when it comes out on Friday, March 8. It’s an enjoyable movie and a must-see if you’re a Marvel fan who plans on seeing Avengers: End Game.
Just don’t ask me about Fury’s eye. You’re going to need to see the movie to learn that.
