“Captain Marvel” was never allowed to be just another superhero movie. From its place as the first female-led Marvel film to its leading lady’s disdain for male movie critics, every discussion about the film has focused on its relation to feminism.
This is unfortunate, since some conservatives have decided to boycott the film for being social justice warrior propaganda. Spoiler alert: It’s not. The film fits comfortably into the Marvel canon, and, yes, its female characters do make the ordinary film just a little bit more interesting.
At just more than two hours long, “Captain Marvel” is about double the length it needs to be. The film could have glossed over the first hour with a Star Wars-esque title sequence without losing anything. But it picks up when Captain Marvel, alter ego Carol Danvers, finally reconnects with an old friend.
As a friend to fellow Air Force pilot Maria and her daughter, Monica, Danvers (Brie Larson) finally has more script to rely on than rushed explainers and forced one-liners as she propels from space to Earth. Larson won Best Actress for her role in “Room,” but the charisma clearly doesn’t cut across genres. She shone in “The Glass Castle” as well, but when it comes to action-comedy, she flails.
As Captain Marvel, Larson is at her best when she’s letting 11-year-old Monica change the colors on her suit, and at her worst when she’s spouting quippy lines that some screenwriter should have known would sound forced even from such a seasoned actress.
Danvers’ friendship with Maria and Monica gives the film its greatest emotional weight, as she leaves for a battle and Monica gazes after her with admiration in her eyes. It’s an image that the film’s creators hope will resonate with all the young girls in the audience, and it’s not a bad one.
The film takes a few more pains than “Wonder Woman” to remind us that it’s a feminist win. It officially released on Friday, International Women’s Day, and flashbacks show men belittling Danvers throughout her life, one telling her to give up on the Air Force. (There’s a reason it’s called a cockpit, he says.)
But the film steers clear from most posturing, and it fills in some backstory for the “Avengers” films. Marvel fans will appreciate that the late Stan Lee still has a cameo, and the film finally explains the origins of the names “Marvel” and “Avengers” — and Nick Fury’s eye patch.
At the end of the movie, Danvers tells a villain, “I have nothing to prove to you.” It feels like a wink from the producers, a hint that Captain Marvel doesn’t have to prove that she can sell tickets despite being a woman. But no one ever thought that, especially after the success of “Wonder Woman.”
The latest Marvel installation may be worth filling a lazy Saturday afternoon, though it’s no more than filler. I’d take any young girl to see it, but it could have been so much better. “Captain Marvel” is afraid it’s not proving itself.
