Captain Marvel

This review may contain spoilers!

This has to be the best Marvel solo film that I've seen since Spider-Man: Homecoming. I would give Captain Marvel an 8.5/10.

Captain Marvel is the 21st entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and takes us all the way back to the 90s and the tense struggle between the Kree and the Skrull, alien races bringing their war to a little dustball called Earth. The main protagonist is Carol Danvers, an amnesiac ultra-powerful Kree soldier who has a familiar bond to Earth and discovers that she doesn't have to serve anyone in their war; rather she has the power in herself to end one. I cannot praise this film enough, there hasn't really been a solo protagonist who has had such charisma, humour, strength and raw emotion in a short while now. Carol wrestling with her lost memory and her immense power while fighting someone else's war is the type of struggle that is really engaging to watch, I think this is best personified by the mentor/opponent relationship that exists between Carol and Yon-Rogg. Once Carol journeys to Earth I think it's so important watching her interact with it in so alien a way at first, then seeing her gradually come to reconnect with it through forming a friendship with Fury and reuniting with Maria and Monica was such a powerful journey. The Skrulls could have been the usual 'who can you trust?' type villain but I thought it was a genius twist making them nomadic refugees; there was so much more potential realised by following this storyline. Yet despite the great twists and journeys the plot takes you on the strength of this film will forever come from Carol. The scene in which she is forced to confront the Supreme Intelligence and finds the strength to break free and seize her own power is why I will return to this film over and over again; not only that but seeing her achieve her power and have such fun after unlocking it makes Carol so very human. The cinematography used in this film looks so dynamic; the space environments have a much more intense landscape than anything I'd seen in Guardians or the like, while action sequences flow perfectly. The special effects are fantastic throughout; I loved the design of the Kree ships and cities, but most of all I really loved seeing Carol radiating with her power - it was a unique design that I feel like I'd never really associated with another Marvel character before. The score for the film is an immediate sci-fi epic; a very energetic, grandiose musical display that leaves you feeling charged throughout.

Brie Larson, who played Carol Danvers, just seems to be having the time of her life throughout this film; there are a number of things I could rave about Larson's performance but I think she just grounded Carol as this strong woman who knows her own power and won't let anyone else define that for her. Samuel L. Jackson, who played Nick Fury, is very entertaining as his younger, less experienced self; Jackson has a by the book edge at first, but quickly transitions into his quick-thinking one-liner self.  Jude Law, who played Yon-Rogg, is this very self-sure Kree commander who is focused on his own sense of control over his team, which includes Carol; Law descends from a very noble figure to a deceptive, impotent tormentor who desperately still wants to have power over Larson's Carol. Annette Bening, who played Dr. Wendy Lawson and the Supreme Intelligence, is a very guarded yet resolute figure who seems a strong point of inspiration for Larson's Carol; yet when seeing Bening as the Supreme Intelligence you get this complete psychological tormentor who is the embodiment of the restraints put upon Carol this entire film. Lashana Lynch, who played Maria Rambeau, has the hugely emotional bond with Larson and Akbar; I'm convinced that this relationship is the most significant thing to come of Carol returning to Earth and both actresses do such a great job in sharing loss and then joy over rekindled friendships. Clark Gregg, who played Agent Coulson, has always been this figure of hope in the Marvel Universe and he takes up that mantle here again; Gregg playing a much younger agent is so interesting in how he bends the rules to aid and trust in his friend, Fury. Rune Temte, Gemma Chan, Algenis Perez Soto and Djimon Hounsou, who played Bron-Char, Minn-Erva, Att-Lass and Korath respectively, could very easily have been treated as background muscle throughout this film; yet I loved how this team got to function as individual roles with in a unit and share a bond that actually felt real. Akira Akbar, who played Monica Rambeau, is one of the most charming child performers I have watched this year; Akbar has this whole scene where she gets to reunite with Larson's Carol and guide her through her old memories in such a moving way.

However, the best performance came from Ben Mendelsohn, who played Talos. At first this seems like this really pervasive role, an ominous individual who has imprisoned our hero and sifts through her memories. He certainly has the smug sense of humour that is characteristic of so many antagonists but there is something about him that sets us on edge. As the film progresses you come to see Talos as a relentless, determined figure who will use his powers to provide any edge to achieve his goals. But it isn't until the rather witty revelation that Talos isn't actually bad that the pieces really fall into place. Mendelsohn is portraying a desperate freedom fighter who craves escape and his family more than any sort of victory over the Kree. The moment in which we see Mendelsohn's Talos reconnect with his family melts your heart and solidifies this character as my favourite to emerge from this incredible film.

The film does slow things down quite a bit in the second act when everything transitions to Earth, a lot of this is because the nature of the story changes a fair bit and also because new characters are introduced. But it is a jarring change one in which the shift could have been processed in a far smoother way. The soundtrack for the film has some nice tracks but there doesn't really seem like a cohesive reason for why certain songs are placed where; it genuinely feels like someone had some idea of songs they quite liked and placed them in helter skelter.

Lee Pace, who played Ronan, was quite a boring return of a classic Marvel villain; Pace felt quite monotonous in his portrayal of the role and you certainly did feel the same degree of threat from him as you did when he was in Guardians.