REVIEW: "Captain Marvel"

Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Comedy
Directed by: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck
Written by: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck and Geneva Robertson-Dworet
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn, Lashana Lynch, Annette Bening, Djimon Hounson, Lee Pace, Gemma Chan and Clark Gregg
In Theaters: March 8, 2019 (wide)

Set in the 90's, Captain Marvel is full of nostalgia and women power - it's not inventive, it's not a cinematic marvel, but it's a very entertaining movie from the worst perspetive.

I had some doubts about Brie Larson's capability to led a superhero movie not only because she has never done something in the action genre before, but also because I thought it wasn't just her "kind of charisma" - but I was wrong. In fact, the Oscar-winning Larson makes for an engaging heroine. Don't get me wrong: it's not Larson's best performance ever, but she's fine and she has great chemistry with Samuel L. Jackson.

This leads us to another strong point of the movie: Samuel L. Jackson. Most of MCU fans can say Nick Fury is underused as a character, but in Captain Marvel we've got a lot of "Nick"'s showtime and it's nice to see the actor is getting old, but he manages to keep the same strong screen presence he's known for.

About getting old: fantastic visual effects that de-age Samuel L. Jackson so we can see a young Nick Fury of the 90's. The CGI work is strong and it matches perfectly with the makeup & hair department when it comes to create a character. Of course the energy blasts and all the lighting around Carol Danvers' superpowers get the Most Showy Visuals of the Movie trophy, end of sentence.

The plot is the basic one for a origins story and it evolves an identity crisis, the good guy/bad guy confrontation, heartfelt moments and a plot twist - nothing new, but audiences don't expect to get surprised when they watch a MCU movie (and when they get surprise, they almost cry like in Avengers: Infinity War). So, nothing brilliant, but that's okay. There are other aspects of the movie that are underused: from a 90's soundtrack to a stellar supporting cast composed by names like Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn or Annette Bening that don't have enough room to develop their characters in spite of their talent. The action scenes are good, but not spectacular.

So, the best about Captain Marvel? Larson & Jackson's chemistry, the visual effects and the feminist message that will inspire a generation of young girls to grow up and turn into strong and independent women who want to do great things. And the very best of the movie: Goose, the cat! Can't say why, but you'll understand once you watch the movie!

RATING: 3,5 / 5

Oscar potential categories:

Best Visual Effects
Best Makeup & Hair

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