Captain Marvel: Another Victory for the MCU and More

Captain Marvel toy figure that I purchased as part of a set of Marvel Comics figures a few years ago.

I'm still mystified by the harsh criticism of MARVEL/Disney's Captain Marvel movie by guys who haven't even seen it. The complaints that I've heard or read usually revolve around distaste for the casting choice of the title character and that somehow the movie represents a threat to some imagined natural order of comic super hero order.

One description of 'Captain Marvel' casts it as 'mildly progressive'. If this so-called 'mildly progressive' movie causes such an uproar from the incel/mysogynist trolls, imagine what the manic hue and cry from them will be if the good Captain becomes more 'interesting'.  

But even though I'm more of a DC Comics fan, I have enjoyed every movie I've seen over the past decade that features the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So I was intent on seeing their latest offering.

The movie won me over on all counts. The story crafting was compelling, the performances were spot on and the surprises and even 'subversion' of notions I held about how I understood the Marvel universe were refreshing and expansive. I am all the more thrilled, after seeing Captain Marvel, to see the Avengers: End Game movie which promises to usher in a new decade of entertaining MCU feature films.

I found Brie Larson's version of Captain Marvel was authentic and winsome. Far from undermining the trope of the super hero, she elevated and expanded it.

My 20-something daughter, who saw and enjoyed the movie with me, told me afterward, "I needed a good girl-power movie." I replied, "It wasn't only a girl-power movie. It was a human-power movie." I felt that the trials and limitations that Carol Danvers' Captain Marvel stood against were inflicted by an antagonistic systematic oppression that used male dominance as just one of its tools. But by overcoming that oppression and limitiations, she scored a victory for all humanity. You might not feel that same inspirational resonance if you see the movie. But I guarantee that you'll enjoy the ride. All in all it was a very fun flick and is worth the watch.