Captain Marvel

No one does superhero origin stories quite like Marvel and in it’s newest release Captain Marvel continues that mastery blend of intrigue, emotion and wonder that somehow and someway intertwines beautifully with the rest of these stand alone marvel hero films.

We’re introduced to Captain Marvel as Vers (Brie Larson), an alien from the Kree race that is blessed with superior power and technology and is entrenched in war with the Skrulls, a race of lizard-looking shape shifters. Ironically enough Vers, like her foe, is not who she appears to be as she too struggles with her own identify, often having dreams of a life she doesn’t know on a planet she believes she’s never been to.

There’s a constant theme of deception throughout this film. Physical deception from enemies, friends and even oneself, and true to the powerful message of the film… once we realize who we are and the self imposed limitations we put on ourselves, the capability to explore one’s true potential is extraordinary.

In the case of Vers, who awoken on this alien planet, within an alien race six years prior, it’s not only figuring out who she is but what and who have been holding her back.

After being captured by the Skrulls who probe her memories for clues to the whereabouts of light-speed technology placed on Earth, she escapes, crash landing on Earth where she is introduced to Agent Fury sometime in the early 1990s.

This is Agent Fury’s first encounter with any extraterrestrial being and in a sense this is his origin film as well. The two work very well off one another as Jackson brings his charismatic charm and Larson with her emotional strength and incredible power, brewing just below the surface.

Fury instantly recognizes the importance of making her an ally and the two set forth to not only find this foreign technology but also piece together Vers missing identity as she quickly learns that she not only once had a life on Earth but was born human.

There’s some tactical oversights in the film that come to mind as the Skrulls, once out to kill Vers suddenly stop and try reasoning with her for help being the biggest one is the  but it is moot, as this film, directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, still succeeds in so many ways.

The action is good, the mystery revolving around Vers origin and what she’s actually fighting for are revealed cleverly and most importantly the audience is able to see her true and full potential as Captain Marvel because with this film and her debut, the bigger story can now move forward.

The MCU is finally set for the epic conclusion millions across the planet have been waiting to see after the dramatic conclusion of Avengers: Infinity War. An ending that left half of the universe’s population wiped out with a snap of the mighty Thanos’ fingers and a bewildered and quickly disappearing Fury paging a cryptic SOS that only one other person would understand… Captain Marvel.

It’s time for the Endgame.