“Captain Marvel”
Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Cast: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Annette Bening
Though both “Captain Marvel” and DC’s “Wonder Woman” stirred many hearts and minds, the latter Marvel blockbuster garnered far more of a controversial response while it banked over a billion dollars in revenue. As directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (both a professional and personal couple), the film initially received mixed to negative responses from geek web reviewers — who are mostly male; they thought the film would fail for a variety of murky, reactionary reasons.
Nonetheless, it has been both a success, and frankly, a huge progression for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Noted for their earlier humanistic indie films, the Boden/Fleck directorial duo infuse this telling of Vers — a Kree warrior with a dark, confused history drawn to Earth in order to discover the secrets behind her origin — with complex emotional conflicts. These issues emerge at a slower pace than earlier Marvel machinations — much to my appreciation. This film proves that not all these superhero films have to have the same kind of machine-gun editing often employed in earlier Disney/Marvel productions such as “Avengers: Infinity Wars.” Too often that editing style hides the fact that too many of these films have sketchy or little character development which is too often masked by snarky attitudes and stories loaded with insider twists. Great for fanboys, but not fine for anyone really trying to suspend disbelief and immerse oneself into this fantastic universe.
Through Carol Danvers — once Vers and soon-to-become Marvel — actress Brie Larson gives life to a character that hadn’t been as prominent in the Marvel comic book universe, but is now a significant figure in its cinematic one. Thanks to her sometimes nuanced (though other times smirky) rendition, she give life to a lustrous, powerful character who nonetheless expresses doubts and moral conflicts. Seemingly a fighter for the Kree civilization — powerful humanoids who dominate a faraway galactic empire seemingly at war with the evil Skrulls — Vers realizes that thing aren’t the way they seem to be.
As she ultimately realizes, it’s the Kree who are oppressors and the Skrulls are galactic refugees. Through this comic book-ified scenario, the movie provides a take on our global refugee crisis, one that was even addressed by New York’s recent St. Patrick’s Day Parade theme. As she sheds the gauzy haze of invented memories, Marvel realizes she was really Danvers and her powers came from a Kree renegade Mar-Vell (Annette Benning). In the ensuing effort to protect the Skrulls hiding on Earth, she battles her Kree mentor, Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), defeating and sending him back to the Kree in shame.
But this is more than just another Superhero tentpole; it’s a game changer and an event in what it both aspires to be and what it affirms. As with Tim Burton’s “Dumbo,” Disney has embraced auteurist filmmakers to make a mainstream movie which can embrace something more than a simple superhero superstructure. And by featuring characters/actors of differing genders and colors, it defies some expectations. Hopefully with Disney’s expanding its heroic universes, it will offer chances for such talents as Boden/Fleck to exploit further creative options in future films.