Random Thoughts: Captain Marvel, Or This Is Marvel's Wonder Woman

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"Thanos? Bring it."

•First of all, I've only seen this once, and I came out of the theatre with very little to take home with me. This is one of those very rare films which I practically forgot as soon as I exited the cinema. Is it because I may have been a bit sleepy? Maybe. But again, that's very rare. Even Brie Larson's pretty mug was forgettable.

•As a "girl power" film, it of course makes sense that this film was released to coincide with International Women's Day, which is on the 8th of March. I guess you could classify Captain Marvel as a feminist movie, and an enjoyable one at that. Although DC beat Marvel to the punch with the critically-acclaimed Wonder Woman, this film is a step in the right direction. So, good job, Marvel, and may you release more films about superheroines.

•The songs used were great, of course, especially for kids who grew up in the 90s. However, I am of the opinion that the music used was great on its own, but not as a soundtrack. The way the music was used in Captain Marvel was a far cry from how James Gunn used his 80s soundtrack in Guardians of the Galaxy (both Volumes I and II), which was more cinematic. The Guardians of the Galaxy music not only set the time the films were set in, but they also set the mood, and were somehow connected to Star-Lord's journey. Captain Marvel's song catalogue, on the other hand, felt like it was just there to set the milieu.

•I've been more of a Marvel fan than a DC one, and that was since grade school. Sadly, I was not a fan of Captain Marvel as a character. The only thing I remember was that Captain Marvel in the comics was a male. I'm basing my memory off a Marvel trading card, and I have to admit, my memory may be hazy. Anyway, whether or not Captain Marvel was originally a male or female is moot: the fact that Marvel Studios decided that the superhero who bears the studio's name, and the superhero rumoured to be the only one who can whoop Thanos's ass, would be female, that's a big step in the fight for gender equality in Hollywood.

•Honestly, I found the plot a bit confusing. But then again, I've only seen it once, and I was a bit sleepy. Anyway, the film was set in the 90s, right? But then Carol Danvers was having flashbacks of a different life, which kind of looked like it was a life in the 90s. So what is it, really? I think I need to watch this again, at least before Avengers: Endgame hits the theatres.

•Now let's talk about Samuel L. Jackson. The modern-day Nick Fury is a bad-ass, and he even looks the part, with his eyepatch and slightly toned down Pulp Fiction swagger. Then we find out how he got the scar. Scratched by a cat. I guess people just assumed he got it fighting some super villain, then he just kept silent and let people go on thinking that.

•And speaking of cats, that ginger feline kind of stole the show. The name Goose, I think, is a Top Gun reference, because of the whole fighter pilot vibe they got going. And the whole tentacle-shooting-from-the-mouth thing makes the cat look like it came straight out of Men In Black. Anyway, I think Goose is more than just comic relief. He may have a bigger part to play in Avengers: Endgame. Wouldn't it be cool if it was actually Goose that defeats Thanos?

•Yes, we know this movie is about girl power, but is there also a queer angle to it? I've heard opinions that Carol Danvers and her Air Force BFF Maria, played by Lashana Lynch, are lesbian lovers. Honestly, I didn't get that vibe, although my gaydar has never been accurate. If the lesbian angle was intentional, it wasn't obvious. And if it was obvious, it doesn't really matter. They're close friends, and whether or not they're lovers doesn't matter.

•And of course, no Marvel movie is complete without special effects. Marvel has been setting the standard for popcorn flicks even before the MCU was introduced. With these kinds of storytelling, world-building is crucial, and with world-building comes believability, because what good is an alternate world if it's not believable?

Variety

Men do not generally give up their seats to powerful women.

Captain Marvel. USA. 2019.



Original rating: 6.6/10
Gemma Chan: +0.2
Gemma Chan in blue makeup: -0.1
Unrecognisable Ben Mendelsohn: +0.1
Unrecognisable Lee Pace: +0.1
Recognisable Djimon Hounsou: -0.1
Jude Law plot twist: -0.1
Annette Bening: +0.1
Clark Gregg: +0.2
Final rating: 7/10