The Thing Is... Captain Marvel
is perfectly fine
Marvel has built itself a reputation for better or worse. Watching one of the MCU films elicits certain expectations from the audience, and Captain Marvel is no different. Having said that, Captain Marvel was perfectly adequate as a film. It had a handful of interesting moments, sprinklings of the Marvel-brand of humour that is synonymous with these movies, and the typical high octane action scenes that are to be expected.
The effects are well executed, the actors do their best, and the story takes on a neat blend of the amnesiac-self-discovery and the fish-out-of-water plot. There are a couple of twists in the movie that, while not particularly mind-blowing, are well-executed. And there are a few hilarious moments of 90s nostalgia that made everyone chuckle. Carol Danvers is unapologetic in her strength and ability, and it's another flavour of a female hero, that is a welcome addition to the fold.
Nothing really falls flat in the film. Everything feels polished and finely-tuned, from the dialogue to the set design to the characterizations. And therein lies the flaw; the movie felt a little too cookie-cutter.
There wasn't a moment I could point to as truly epic and memorable, or a character that I felt emotionally invested in. Nor did I feel anxious or tense at any point in the movie. I felt safe throughout, because the movie is safe, through and through. By the time we reach the third-act, the movie felt so completely devoid of tension, that I found myself feeling slightly bored by the action scenes, waiting instead for the quieter scenes that would follow to wrap up the story.
Captain Marvel is definitely an entertaining and well-executed movie. And for hard-core Marvel fans, it's a must watch, simply for it's interconnectivity with the Avengers film to follow. Marvel really tries its best to push Carol Danvers as an integral and valuable character to the MCU, and at times it might feel a little forced, but I can't fault them for trying. The film is not a misstep by any means, and there is potential for a truly spectacular sequel in the future. The thing is, Captain Marvel is a glowing example of a movie that is just perfectly fine; nothing more, nothing less.