Captain Marvel: Spoiler-Free Review

Captain Marvel is the newest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie gives audiences the origin story of Carol Danvers, soon to be known as Captain Marvel. As with most MCU movies, the movie is based on the comic books, but is not an exact retelling of those storylines. We meet Carol Danvers while she is training with the Kree, a highly advanced alien race. She has been recovering from a traumatic experience that she cannot remember, and she is ready to find her place and prove her worth.

Danvers soon finds herself on a rescue mission that leads her to an unexpected and unremembered planet, Earth. But why does Earth feel so familiar, and what secrets does it hold about Danvers’ past? I won’t ruin the movie for you by slipping spoilers into this review, but know that Earth holds the key to everything Danvers is looking for.

Captain Marvel, like most origin stories, does not provide any huge revelations that will change the course of the MCU. Rather, the movie contains several important pieces of information, backstories, and familiar faces that you do not want to miss. One important kernel of information you will glean from this movie is how Nick Fury lost his eye, and it is a great story!

I had never heard of the character Captain Marvel before I saw the first movie teasers. Once I found out the character was female, I was intrigued, and I hit Google looking for the character’s story. I was soon up to my ears in information about Carol Danvers and I liked what I was reading. As a strong female and mom to an even stronger daughter, I admit to craving strong female heroes. I love Marvel women including Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, and the Wasp, but they seem very incidental. DC has Wonder Woman, a powerful and likeable hero, and now Marvel has Captain Marvel.

This focus on girl power has some up in arms. I have read some of my favorite male writers deriding the movie without seeing it. They are angry that Brie Larson dared to ask for a little more diversity in her media experiences. Some are even saying they won’t see the movie because of this female-focus. I challenge them to set all those thoughts aside and go see Captain Marvel with an open mind. This movie does celebrate a female hero, but it is not done in a way that is degrading or disrespectful to men. This is a character we can all enjoy and cheer for. She is strong, funny, sarcastic, smart, and completely relatable. Take your daughters, take your sons, just go see this movie.

Captain Marvel has a very distinct feel that reminds me of Star Wars. Much of the movie is spent in space and the visuals are pretty amazing. There are a handful of swear words (no f-bombs) and some violence, but it is pretty mild compared to some other MCU movies. Overall, this is a fun film you can take the family to.

Rating: PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief suggestive language

Running time: 124 minutes

Scene after the credits: Yes! There is a scene from the next Avengers movie mid-credits, and a funny scene at the end of the credits.

I attended a media screening of the film to facilitate my review. All opinions are mine.