Captain Marvel Thoughts · 4:56pm Apr 14th, 2020
Okay, so I finally got around to watching what is supposedly the most controversial film in all of the MCU. My thoughts?
First off, and this is a hot take I know but... Those who say they're 'defending' against SJWs and the like are just as bad as the monsters they claim to fight. If anything, they're the toxic ones, not Brie. I remember every bit of shit thrown around in the leadup to this film, it got old real quick. Annnnnnnnyways, my thoughts on the actual film itself.
It's... yeah, it has a few problems. It's quite possibly the single dullest film in the entire series, largely due to the script. I've heard a few complaints about how Brie Larson couldn't emote. ....well, you can blame the script for that one, actually. It doesn't allow her to emote. Granted, it can be sorta excused due to Danvers being a soldier which does require nerves of steel so there are a few moments I'll let slide.
Also, Yon-Rogg has to be the single dullest villain in all of superhero movies. He has what, barely 20 minutes of screentime? Now granted, the list of characters that could take a fully-powered Captain Marvel in a straight fight is... well, it's a short list. However, that doesn't excuse Yon-Rogg and Starforce barely getting any characterization at all. They're just sorta, eh, they're there but they largely exist as living props. Someone for Carol to beat up. Their history with Carol and their personalities are barely explored. Actually, the same goes for Captain Mar-Vell. It's basically death via origin story for her. Yes, her. I don't mind the gender flip per say, it's just... well, Mar-Vell doesn't really get much to do which annoys me even further.
Now, apologies for this, but I do sorta get the feeling that this movie was made to introduce Captain Marvel into the MCU and not much else. It feels like a refined Phase One film in a lot of respects, and maybe if this film had been made much earlier -thanks Perlmutter!- it might be excuseable. However, not so much these days. Granted, it does feel like a back to basics in some respects, and after the insanity of some of the Phase 3 films I don't actually mind that.
On the plus side, they did do a lot of things right for as many things as they did wrong. For example, the extent taken to re-create the 90s is done exceedingly well, I do feel as if I'm in California in that time period from the music to the location scouting. ...I wonder what it says about me if I can remember exactly a Blockbuster video is? Also, the de-aging done to Jackson and Gregg is simply amazing. Words cannot do this justice.
Other pluses include some of the characters, like Talos. Yeah, in the comics the Skrulls are just as bad as the Kree. But saying they're all horrible and war-mongering is probably... unrealistic to say the least. Showing a lighter shade to the Skrulls was an actually fairly ingenious move. Now, Carol herself. Yeah, there are some missteps with her past, by seemingly making every male out to get her. It does feel a bit too more power to the female sex at times, and fairly embarrassing to watch as a guy. And as I said before, Carol can't emote at times due to a combination of the script and her training. Mind you, she does have a fairly biting wit and is sorta a dork so points to her there. It's just... she's sorta bland at times.
Granted, if any of you remember the massive mishandling of her in the comics including her many origin stories... well, I will give props to the movie for managing to clean that mess up a bit. ...even if Earth's Mightiest Heroes did the job better.
Also, Goose is nice. Goose is nice. The explanation behind Fury's eye is so hilariously anti-climactic. And they gave us this simply beautiful shot, which I think is quite possibly one of the best shots in all of the MCU.
So final thoughts? It's not a great film but it's not horrible either. It's harmless, and it honestly tries. It's just more of a popcorn flick rather than a truly great MCU entry. Still, if you manage to find something to love about it, more power to you. It's just... well, it could have been better.
I think a lot of the hate for this movie was also directed at the character of Captain Marvel. Her actions in the comics was far more HYDRA then Avenger or what we expect out of our service men and women. Also it also brought forward the dislike of how Shazam lost his original name and people liking him more then Carol.
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Okay, yeah, that's fair. She's always been hugely mishandled comic wise. It's sad when 2 hours of screen time in one movie can do her better than decades of comics. ...granted, you could say the same about Tony Stark or Ant-Man.
And yeah, the way Marvel handled Shazam was a bit of a dick move, but I think Shazam works for the character better, and let's be honest Marvel is fairly generic as names go given there's at least three or 4 Captain Marvels in comics. Shazam's more unique as a name.
Another issue, which we had talked about yesterday... feels a little too late to introduce something new. By this point, Infinity War had come, and everyone was excited to see that continuation and finish come to the overall story.
Ant-Man and the Wasp I think bridged a lot better because it actually developed characters that were already existing at the time, and even explained what was going on with said characters since they were out. Now if they had introduced Carol Danvers a long time ago, back in the late 2000s, early 2010s with the rest of the Avengers, including having a stronger script, and better acting direction so Brie don't come off as a piece of driftwood, maaaaaaybe she'd have better reception but as it stands... *hiss* yeahhhhh... kind of meh.
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Well with Ant-Man they went with the one the fans of the comics like, Scott. If you look at the history of Ant-Man most of the people who have used that moniker have not been heroic or have massive psychological issues.
Tony was for a majority of his existence just a “B” level hero in the comics. His first movie catapulted him into the major leagues. Heck with the exception of Captain America and Hulk most if not all of the other Avengers where a collection of the minor heroes with occasionally a big name among them. For years at Marvel it was all X-Men, Spider-Man, and the Fantastic Four. For most of the 80’s it was only the last two.
I'm glad to see a reasonable and well-articulated opinion on this movie. I saw it with my dad and we really liked it a lot. I felt that it worked best when it was a kind of buddy-cop movie, with Brie and Sam L. Jackson together. Talos was a great character and he really added a lot to the movie. I do agree, that the movie's female empowerment message is about as subtle as a baseball bat to the face, but y'know what? There *are* women out there who absolutely loved this movie - especially when Carol just zaps Yon-Rogg and doesn't rise to his bait. So good on the movie for that, I say.
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I know that Joss Whedon wanted to introduce Carol back in Age of Ultron but she was cut for one reason or other. (Budget, pacing reasons, or maybe just because of Ike Perlmutter, I dunno.) So yeah, it could have been better off if they'd had the luck to bring her in earlier in the MCU, but really, I feel that this movie wasn't BAD about how they did it... certainly a lot worse than it COULD have been. (And nowhere near as bad as the haters make it out to be. *eyeroll*)
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Yeah, I mean, to be fair the only good time the original Ant-Man was portrayed was in surprise surprise Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes. It helped that they took away some of his dickish qualities, and replaced them with more admirable ones or brought his more heroic traits to the forefront.
And granted, Tony was a B-Lister for a long time, Robert Downey's take just brought him back to prominence.
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Oh yeah, this movie wasn't subtle at all. But it was at it's best when it was a 90s buddy cop movie, though I will admit the ending battle was the closest we'll ever have to a good live-action Dragon Ball. And I do know a few women who like this movie and do admit it has its flaws, the ending one of them. But making the Skrulls into more than just a planet of conquerors, as I said it was a good move. As realistically, they're not all the same.
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Wholeheartedly agree, I thought it was a brilliant twist upon the source material and one that was executed really well. Not gonna lie, I got a little misty-eyed at seeing Talos reunite with his family. Such a lovely moment.
And as you said, realistically, not all of them are gonna be sneaky bastards, so props to the movie for that as well.
I did like the movie, but yeah, not the greatest, do agree the main character was just, kind of flat. You could tell there was some emotion trying to show through, but not enough to not let Goose be more fun to watch. I wouldn't call it a bad movie at all, but nothing more then mid-teir, average MCU. Some great ideas, but not that great at selling the main character (Having her just casually commit grand theft motorcycle and blow up a bar owners jukebox just to show off to Fury doesn't win her points either)
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Or Miles Morales....
Except it's not his name, it's the name of the wizard who gave him the powers, and it's kind of ridiculous to have a hero who can't even say his own name without turning back into a little kid.
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To be truthful Hank is hampered by one event that the universe holds over him, even though several heroes have done far worse, and the writers have just continually just done their best to ruin the man.
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Yeah, but I mean you hit your wife you're going to wind up known for it no matter what else you do. It kinda sticks out, and for good reason no matter what lead up to it.
I think that's a fair review of the movie as a whole. It's not terrible, it's not great. It's got bad moments but it's also got good moments. I still have a lot of issues with Captain Marvel as a character as... I find her a bit of a jerk, but also understand why she's thee way she is so... eh... i dunno. It doesn't help that Wonder Woman did it better than Captain Marvel and we only have these two films to compare. Maybe when Black Widow finally comes out we can actually discuss if there is a "right" way to do a "female superhero movie" *shrug*.
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Yet no one hold Scott Summers accountable for leaving his wife and child when his old flame returned from the dead. Or the time he had a psychic affair while he was married to his second wife. Heck I think even Reed Richards has hit Sue. There is a bit of a blind spot for some of these heroes.
I know late, been off the site and got a lot of back log to sift through.
Just wanted to say its nice to see some one being reasonable.
Saw the movie in theaters and honestly loved it. I loved the mystery as im not famailir with the character so i don't know the answer to the mystery of who she is so it was fun uncovering it.
The Skull were shown to be sympathetic but it was made clear they have no issue with civilians getting killed in the war if it means they win or escape so they aren't portayed as saints but desperate enough to sacrafice others who arent their own.
I also loved the callback with jow Fury tested the director to find out he was replaced being used as the signal the guard had been replaced.
Overall i liked the movie and can overlook its flaws to just sit back and enjoy the show.
YES! YES! THANK YOU! I've been rewatching A:EMH the past couple days, and I'm enjoying the hell out of it all over again. Saddening to think of how it was discontinued to make way for the inferior 'Avengers Assemble'.
I agree. I definitely think the commentato'sphere had a field day with every drip of news, rumors, and scandal surrounding the movie. Granted, Larson didn't exactly help the situation, and the movie didn't exactly do anything to BTFO the haters, but the whole thing was definitely overblown.
Re: Brie emoting.
While I would agree the script is to blame for a number of issues with the movie, there is a fair amount of blame I am willing to place on the shoulders of Brie Larson. And this is a problem I would also levy against Henry Cavil and Stephen Amell, their lack of emoting, so she's not alone in this department. Now, I liked her (enough) in Kong: Skull Island, and I've heard that she's supposed to be an award winning actress, but you couldn't tell that by what we saw. Which is a shame for everyone involved.
What a fucking waste of Jude Law. Imagine having an actor of his caliber, and pissing him away on such a shit part. This is as bad as Doctor Strange having Mads Mikkelson for the throw-away villain of Kaecilius. Who? exactly.
I also feel like they overpowered Carol Danvers in this. Now that's not to say that Ms. Marvel can't reach those power levels, but not as her default state. It gives her nowhere to go.
I liked the concept of the Starforce, I would have liked to see more out of them, but... oh well.
Yeah, I didn't mind that aspect, it was an interesting way to distinguish this film from the others, and give us a fun taste of the pre-Iron Man world.
Yeah, the twist on the Skrull was very interesting, a very bold choice. Which we're still to see the fruits of. Maybe it's all a trick, who knows.
I would have re-written this movie entirely. I say that as someone who very much liked Ms. Marvel in the before time, in the long-long ago. Yes, I know her as Ms. Marvel because that's how I was introduced to her, I don't give a shit about the naming rights ping-ponging back and forth with DC. I first met Carol Danvers in the Ultimates comics, than later on in her own comics (616 I think) where the story was that her powers were giving her cancer, and the more she used them the worse it got. I thought that was pretty interesting. Then, as we know, her portrayal in Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes was excellent; endearing and likable. Unlike our live-action version.
Ultimately, as someone who was genuinely looking forward to a cool portrayal of Carol Danvers, I was disappointed. I think the movie's plot was mediocre at best, and Brie Larson was miscast for the role.
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I would actually be for stuff like that being brought up. Marvel heroes aren't the same aspirational type as the DC heroes, so giving Cyclops, Reed Richards, et all some shitty character moments would actually make them much more interesting, and give them things to overcome, without destroying their character legacies. As a comparable example, when Peter Parker let the armed robber go, saying "not my fucking problem, bruh." (I'm paraphrasing), that was a defining moment in his life, and a crucial part of his journey to being a hero.
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The problem is that to us many of their acts are not very heroic and yet they get celebrated for it. In DC the League has a no kill policy but some heroes have crossed it and they are called out for it but there is always a reason behind it.
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I agree.
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Yes, just yes. Everything aside from the Surter plotline is handled next to perfectly, right down to the theme. May we talk about the theme? Before Alan's iconic theme, there was this.
...they really should have found a way to sneak this into Endgame. But yeah, EMH Carol is the best version of her. It's not a high benchmark, really, but it's true. Jennifer Hale nailed it.
OH GOD YES I'M NOT ALONE IN THINKING STEPHEN AMELL CAN'T EMOTE! Like, I saw Arrow even before it became a soap opera and he... just can't. But yeah, the whole lead up to the movie was a mess.
Yeah, it was... ugh. Jude Law deserved better. Mind you, Carol being at Binary levels of speed and strength was... well, kinda cool, and it lead to quite possibly the best Dragon Ball Z sequence in live-action really. Oh come now, you can't tell me I'm wrong.
Yeah, maybe some of them are as terrible as their comic counterparts, and we'll see a version of the iconic Secret Invasion. Who knows, eh?
I think Surter was being set up as the big bad for the next season, but then they got word that the show was being axed, so they threw something together with Galactus as a big finish. There was also the prospect of Red Skull, Loki, Annihilus, and Dr. Doom returning. Plus, aside from having a cameo from Wolverine, showing pictures of Beast, Cyclops, Magneto, & Wanda, the X-Men were mentioned by name, so there was the prospect of the show exploring those characters too. Sadly, we will never know what might have come of the Marvel Animated Universe.
And I like Amell generally speaking, especially in light of his forays into pro wrestling that I thought he did an impressive job with.
Yeah, it was cool. But I think what would have been cooler, would have been her having to fight Ronan the Accuser, before Yon Rogg could... let's say escape. Or more intriguing yet, SUFFER ANY KIND OF HURDLE OR OBSTACLE AT ALL TO OVERCOME. Instead she just removed the implant in her neck, that she could have done AT ANY POINT. I don't even think she took a substantial hit until Thanos smashed her with the Power Stone.
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Yeah, it was basically this.
I didn't even know he did wrestling. I mean, I don't follow that sort of thing so I wouldn't care but...
With any luck, the inevitable sequel will have Yon-Rogg as Magnetron or someone that can stand up to Carol.