Film

“A Joyous Celebration Of Nostalgia.”: The (Pretty Mixed) ‘Captain Marvel’ Reviews Are Here

Critics can't decide if it's a dull disappointment, or a hilarious, empowering tale.

by Joseph Earp  6 March 2019
Captain Marvel reviews

Want more Junkee in your life? Sign up to our newsletter, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook so you always know where to find us.

Because the internet is a strange place that turns cultural objects into artefacts of a never-ending cultural war, the issue of whether or not Captain Marvel is good has been waged online with the passion and dedication that people used to reserve for their families.

Rather than simply being the new entry in a massive, decade-long entertainment takeover coordinated by Disney and Marvel, Captain Marvel is now a kind of litmus test. As far as a bevy of internet trolls are concerned, if you like it, you’re a pot-smoking hippy SJW, and if you hate it, you’re a stony-faced conservative who can’t stand true onscreen representation.

It’s basically the Ghostbusters debacle revamped for a new age — which is a shame, because the Ghostbusters debacle itself was a fucking drag in the first place.

But after literal months of online fire and fury (so much of it, in fact, that Rotten Tomatoes altered their policy on user-submitted reviews) the reviews for Captain Marvel are here.

And hey, guess what: they’re distinctly mixed.

The Good

For the most part, the good reviews have focused on the film’s sense of fun. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone has singled out its “riot-grrrl power” for particular attention, spinning it as a joyous celebration of nostalgia.

Elsewhere, Showbiz Junkies‘ Rebecca Murray praises the film for its humour, and for the onscreen rapport between Brie Larson’s titular Captain, and a digitally de-aged Samuel Jackson as a scrappy young Nick Fury.

Indeed, despite worries about the de-aging technology, a majority of critics reckon seeing a young, energetic Jackson is a large part of the film’s appeal — Travers argues watching him pal about with Goose the cat, the film’s other breakout star, provides much of its joy.

There’s also been a lot of focus on the soundtrack, which is full of empowered ’90s needle drops — No Doubt’s ‘I’m Just A Girl’ features, because of course it does.

Larson has also been heaped with praise for her performance. This is, after all, the role that she was clearly born to play, and even the film’s naysayers reckon that she shines. “Brie Larson is worth the price of admission,” writes Kristen Lopez of Culturess, while Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian cites her “fierce performance” as the film’s strength.

The Bad

While the good reviews veer closer to the centre of the critical aisle, highlighting the film’s pleasures while reserving some space for their issues with the pacing and the plot, the negative reviews go all out.

David Ehrlich of Indiewire calls the film one of “the most disappointing Marvel movies”, finding issue with its confused and disjointed first act, and drawing unfavourable comparisons to Star Trek and Wonder Woman.

Indeed, Wonder Woman is the sticking point for many critics. As far as Captain Marvel‘s detractors are concerned, DC’s surprise critical and commercial hit has rather beaten Marvel’s big-screen heroine to the punch; Lopez criticises the film for its political weakness in the face of Wonder Woman‘s overt feminism.

There’s also the sense for some that the film is merely setting up chess pieces for a more exciting game to come later, a criticism similarly directed at early Marvel entries like Thor and the first Captain America. Larson’s Captain spends much of the film as an amnesiac, and for some critics, that means her hero’s journey feels weirdly muted and low-key.

“More movies ahead,” is how Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post ends her review.

Ultimately, Captain Marvel seems like neither a critical hit nor a critical flop, despite how desperately the trolls are already trying to spin the consensus. Exactly how audiences respond to the flick remains to be seen — but one thing’s for sure, either way, the box office receipts will undoubtedly play a huge part in the culture war that soaks up our every single second. So, ya know, get ready.

Captain Marvel releases in Australian cinemas this Thursday March 7.