Captain Marvel joins the fray

The latest addition to the Marvel franchise, Captain Marvel, directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Afleck, blasted into the box office, earning about $760 million worldwide.The movie has a lot of heart, and is sure to leave many young girls inspired and dreaming of shooting photon blasts from their fists, just as Captain Marvel, Marvel’s newest heroine (played by Brie Larson), does so many times throughout the movie. Captain Marvel utilizes an intricate backstory to keep its audience engaged, but balances it with several action filled combat scenes, making it a hit with everyone in the family.

Captain Marvel is the story of a Kree warrior caught in an ongoing battle to save her people from the Skrulls, shapeshifting aliens obsessed with power and taking over. After a crash landing on Earth, Captain Marvel begins having recurring visions of herself in a life that belongs to someone else. With the help of Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson), Captain marvel navigates life on Earth to get back to her people and the battle, discovering new parts of herself and her powers along the way.

The latest installment of the Avengers franchise, Avengers: Infinity War, foreshadowed the appearance of Captain Marvel in Avengers: Endgame, set to be released this April. Prior to that, and then the release of Captain Marvel, the character had not been introduced yet, calling for quite a bit of backstory to explain where Captain Marvel came from. This aspect of storytelling is a rare one in Marvel movies, which are all typically centered around combat and fighting scenes rather than a strong storyline. The detail and intricacy of the plot is a refreshing change, and engages the audience more than an abundance of violence and fighting would.

However the movie is not completely void of action, and balances its dialogue with numerous combat scenes in which Captain Marvel is busy shooting photon blasts from her fists, and her comrades are shooting enemies with futuristic guns or engaged in high speed aviator chases. The film also incorporates a humorous aspect, with its characters Captain Marvel and Maria Rambeau, (played by Lashana Lynch) who tend to crack lots of jokes and make smart-alec comments.

As a whole, Captain Marvel is a satisfying movie that should inspire every viewer. It is the origin story of a great heroine who will most likely play a large role in upcoming Marvel movies.

Running time: 125 minutes

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