CAPTAIN MARVEL starring Brie Larson (3/8/19) 5 5

[theCapraAegagrus]

I saw it on Thursday and Friday. Liked it a little better 2nd time around, but it's still just a solid 4/5 for me.

It has a lackluster 3rd Act and some questionable storytelling. Middle of the pack MCU film.

Edit: Despite the "meh" trailers for her acting/character, Brie Larson did a good job.

Spoiler

It infuriates me that the writers put such a fantastic twist on the Skrulls being victims, but failed to come up with a meaningful situation for Fury to lose his eye. insufficiently_thoughtful_persons.

 

Edited March 12, 2019 by TwoPiece

[fantastic_four]

3 minutes ago, TwoPiece said:

Middle of the pack MCU film.

The MCU has been generally so high in the overall pack of superhero films that being in the middle of that pack is rather distinguished company.

[Prince Namor]

Can't wait to see it a second time with my son this weekend.

[theCapraAegagrus]

17 minutes ago, fantastic_four said:

The MCU has been generally so high in the overall pack of superhero films that being in the middle of that pack is rather distinguished company.

Kind of a let down considering how important the character is, allegedly, to the success of the heroes finishing Phase 3.

Spoiler

Being the product of a McGuffin without giving the audience an example of how her powers work or the full scope of what powers she even has doesn't give us any understanding of how she's more powerful than a God with a God's weapon... That's a product of the "questionable storytelling" that a I mentioned.

 

[fantastic_four]

She's NOT more powerful than Thanos with the Gauntlet, she's just more powerful than all of the existing Marvel heroes...so while she's helpful, I don't get that she's a key to defeating the gauntlet.  The thing about the Gauntlet is that whatever you do with it can be later un-done with the Gauntlet again since it controls time, and I'm guessing they end up defeating him the same way Thor almost did in Infinity War, by virtue of a surprise attack.  I agree that they didn't explain her powers well enough though, I can only assume they're the same as Binary in the comics, except that I'm left confused by how she didn't melt Yon-Rogg the two times she blasted him full-on.  I'm guessing she can vary the temperature of her energy up and down, but I don't entirely understand how lower levels of her energy blasts translate into force that bashes walls, destroys things, or knocks people down.

Edited March 12, 2019 by fantastic_four

[Prince Namor]

13 minutes ago, fantastic_four said:

She's NOT more powerful than Thanos with the Gauntlet, she's just more powerful than all of the existing Marvel heroes...so while she's helpful, I don't get that she's a key to defeating the gauntlet. 

 

Those who don't like the powerful female superhero's are automatically assuming that she is going to show up and easily defeat Thanos. As you put it, she's a 'key' to defeating Thanos - someone cosmically powered who can go toe to toe with him (along with Thor), while the big brain's figure out a way to really take him down. Ultimately, it'll be Strange and Stark (the two white guys) who truly finish him off, so all of the He Man Woman Haters out there can relax.

13 minutes ago, fantastic_four said:

The thing about the Gauntlet is that whatever you do with it can be later un-done with the Gauntlet again since it controls time, and I'm guessing they end up defeating him the same way Thor almost did in Infinity War, by virtue of a surprise attack.  I agree that they didn't explain her powers well enough though, I can only assume they're the same as Binary in the comics, except that I'm left confused by how she didn't melt Yon-Rogg the two times she blasted him full-on.

1

This is mostly a generational thing. As an older long time follower of action-adventure superhero stories, we know that not everything is revelealed immediately upon the introduction to a character. Today's online, geek know it all is frustrated by this. Where's the Wikipedia page with every ounce of information or the character guide with the character specs or 12 episodes immediately ready to download on Netflix?

"It's a girl!! She might actually beat Thanos!!! How can we live with that???"

Most of Superman's powers were revealed over his first 10 YEARS, and then changed and retconned and rebooted, etc.... we just don't know everything about her powers yet, but, yeah the Binary comparison is probably a perfect one.

13 minutes ago, fantastic_four said:

  I'm guessing she can vary the temperature of her energy up and down, but I don't entirely understand how lower levels of her energy blasts translate into force that bashes walls, destroys things, or knocks people down.

It's a force. Predetermined in its velocity. Like a punch. You can be punched hard or tapped softly. Just to a  greater degree.

[Callaway29]

Brie just earned some points with me...

 

[Prince Namor]

2 minutes ago, Callaway29 said:

Brie just earned some points with me...

 

That's freakin' awesome.

[theCapraAegagrus]

The problem is that we haven't been shown what her powers are or how they even work. We know what Thor can do and why. If Captain Marvel is a bigger "key" than Thor, as far as brute strength/power goes, then it poses a problem. I don't think that people have a problem with a super-powered female as you keep suggesting.

A God with a God's weapon almost killed Thanos were it not for his need to have that "told you so" moment.

Hopefully Feige was just misleading us, again, when he said she's the "most powerful hero in the MCU". Some people have biological reasons, training, and war experience that should outweigh the strength of a hero who is otherwise nothing special beyond happenstance.

[fantastic_four]

12 minutes ago, Chuck Gower said:

Quote

  I'm guessing she can vary the temperature of her energy up and down, but I don't entirely understand how lower levels of her energy blasts translate into force that bashes walls, destroys things, or knocks people down.

It's a force. Predetermined in its velocity. Like a punch. You can be punched hard or tapped softly. Just to a  greater degree.

Like Cyclops.  That's what it definitely looked like, but that's not at all like the comic Binary, then...and not at all like the Binary that flew through that Kree ship like a hot knife melting through butter.  The comic Binary channeled the energy of a white hole through her body, so her blasts were plasma.  I don't know if her plasma is comprised of the same elements our own sun is made of, but if we assume it is then it's helium heated to at least 800 degrees fahrenheit, although most of our sun's plasma is many thousands of degrees above that.

I'm guessing Chris Claremont didn't think the physics of her powers through entirely, but who knows, maybe he did.  We at least need to know if it's heat or if it's force.  In the comics, it looked like she shot super-high energy plasma, so heat.  In this movie it looked like force, then later like heat.

Edited March 12, 2019 by fantastic_four

[Bosco685]

I'll admit it. I finally saw it yesterday.

Overall rating: I go from 3.0 to 3.25/5.0 as I reflect on certain parts of the film.

Very cool to see the Skrulls portrayed so solidly. It brings my Fantastic Four boyhood dreams to life going back and reading those early issues. But there was enough not there for me, it threw me off from truly feeling satisfied with it all. Especially the Nick Fury backstory on his eye.

The mid-credits scene...

Spoiler

Now that I could go back and read some of these article revealing details too soon, a few pointed out this was shot by the Russo Brothers. So does that mean Endgame starts off from this scene where Carol links up with the remaining Avengers? It will be interesting.

Maybe...maybe I will go back again to see it. It sounds like some in the middle with their rating changed slightly with a second viewing. There are just too many movies coming up soon, though.

[Prince Namor]

2 minutes ago, fantastic_four said:

Like Cyclops.  That's what it definitely looked like, but that's not at all like the comic Binary, then...and not at all like the Binary that flew through that Kree ship like a hot knife melting through butter.  The comic Binary channeled the energy of a white hole through her body, so her blasts were plasma.  I don't know if her plasma is comprised of the same elements our own sun is made of, but if we assume it is then it's helium heated to at least 800 degrees fahrenheit, although most of our sun's plasma is many thousands of degrees above that.

I think she says in the movie it's a photon blast.

[fantastic_four]

1 minute ago, Bosco685 said:

Very cool to see the Skrulls portrayed so solidly. It brings my Fantastic Four boyhood dreams to life going back and reading those early issues.

I think I used to know this, but I forget--are there two different types of skrulls in the comic, smart ones and dumb ones, with both looking very different?  The movie showed those short, goofy-looking skrulls who weren't talking and look like the ones on the cover of Fantastic Four #2, and then there were the taller ones that talked and seemed more intelligent.

[theCapraAegagrus]

1 minute ago, Bosco685 said:

I'll admit it. I finally saw it yesterday.

Overall rating: I go from 3.0 to 3.25/5.0 as I reflect on certain parts of the film.

Very cool to see the Skrulls portrayed so solidly. It brings my Fantastic Four boyhood dreams to life going back and reading those early issues. But there was enough not there for me, it threw me off from truly feeling satisfied with it all. Especially the Nick Fury backstory on his eye.

The mid-credits scene...

  Reveal hidden contents

Now that I could go back and read some of these article revealing details too soon, a few pointed out this was shot by the Russo Brothers. So does that mean Endgame starts off from this scene where Carol links up with the remaining Avengers? It will be interesting.

Maybe...maybe I will go back again to see it. It sounds like some in the middle with their rating changed slightly with a second viewing. There are just too many movies coming up soon, though.

It's a little better 2nd time around. The Stan Lee tribute hits a little harder, though. I'd bring a tissue.

The 3rd Act is also more of a letdown, though, too. It was kind of a weird experience. All of the good/great stuff, along with the bad, felt magnified. The writing was really inconsistent. It reminds me of Wonder Woman, which was 2 hours of fantastic storytelling and development, with a final showdown that just sabotages itself.

[Bosco685]

I need to go back and watch Infinity War. Especially that credit scene with Nick Fury and the pager.

Spoiler

I guess the Avengers had a tracker on the vehicle and were able to recover the pager. Did Fury drop it right by the vehicle when he experienced The Decimation, or was he running away from the vehicle?

I guess it does seem reasonable they would scout out the entire local area and come across this pager. Though wouldn't it be mixed in with the vehicles colliding into one another from people disappearing?

 

[Bosco685]

4 minutes ago, TwoPiece said:

It's a little better 2nd time around. The Stan Lee tribute hits a little harder, though. I'd bring a tissue.

The 3rd Act is also more of a letdown, though, too. It was kind of a weird experience. All of the good/great stuff, along with the bad, felt magnified. The writing was really inconsistent. It reminds me of Wonder Woman, which was 2 hours of fantastic storytelling and development, with a final showdown that just sabotages itself.

I thought that was really cool! And even his appearance...

Spoiler

...reading the -script from Mall Rats. That is too funny. Her look at him with a slight smile was touching.

 

[Prince Namor]

8 minutes ago, TwoPiece said:

The problem is that we haven't been shown what her powers are or how they even work.

 

Why? Back when Captain Marvel had to lead the Avengers against Thanos in his first story arc (Capt. Marvel 25-33) because the Avengers weren't powerful enough to do it on their own, I didn't really understand CM's powers. He shot blasts through his hands and was cosmically aware, but it was never really explained to us how this Kree Warrior was somehow able to go toe to toe with a GOD.

And then when Adam Warlock has to step in and save the day in Infinity Gauntlet because all of earth's superheroes fail... I really never could figure out all of HIS powers or whatever either. He had that soul gem that could suck a soul out of people, but... go toe to toe with a monster possessing the Infinity Gauntlet? 

I guess they eventually explained it all because, no one seems to complain about it now, except... well except when it's now a female superhero...

8 minutes ago, TwoPiece said:

We know what Thor can do and why. If Captain Marvel is a bigger "key" than

Thor, as far as brute strength/power goes, then it poses a problem. I don't think that people have a problem with a super-powered female as you keep suggesting.

 

Apparently, they do. You MUST have an explanation for her powers. Why? I don't really understand the full extent of Thor's abilities either. How'd HE go toe to toe with a monster in possession of the Infinity Gauntlet? HE doesn't have the power of the cosmos in his hands.

8 minutes ago, TwoPiece said:

A God with a God's weapon almost killed Thanos were it not for his need to have that "told you so" moment.

 

Thanos as a God in the comics has already been proven beatable. He knows the Gauntlet is far more powerful than any God.

8 minutes ago, TwoPiece said:

Hopefully Feige was just misleading us, again, when he said she's the "most powerful hero in the MCU". Some people have biological reasons,

1

like the Y chromosome?

8 minutes ago, TwoPiece said:

training, and war experience that should outweigh the strength of a hero who is otherwise nothing special beyond happenstance.

like the Hulk? Isn't he one of the strongest? or Billy Batson? Shazam is one of the strongest. Or Rick Jones becoming the original Captain Marvel? Where was the outrage over that happenstance? Suddenly the weakest male becoming one of the more powerful heroes was ok... 

[Bosco685]

9 minutes ago, fantastic_four said:

I think I used to know this, but I forget--are there two different types of skrulls in the comic, smart ones and dumb ones, with both looking very different?  The movie showed those short, goofy-looking skrulls who weren't talking and look like the ones on the cover of Fantastic Four #2, and then there were the taller ones that talked and seemed more intelligent.

I had never seen a solid quick summary of the Skrull origins like this. Someone captured all the details across The Incredible Hulk #120, Rom Space Knight #50 and Blackwulf #2.

Quote

Celestials perform genetic experiments on the reptilian ancestors of the Skrulls, resulting in three branches of Skrulls: The Prime, the Deviants and the Eternals. Eventually the three branches battle with one another, and the Deviant branch – due to possessing the innate ability to shapeshift – were triumphant, and wiped out all members of the other two races until only two were left: the Skrull Eternal, Kly'bn, and Prime Skrull of the original non-Deviant Skrull race. Kly'bn implored them to spare his life, as killing him would kill part of their heritage. The Deviants' leader, Sl'gur't, eventually fell in love with Kly'bn, with the two eventually becoming the gods of the Skrull pantheon. Taking the name Prime Skrull, the last original Skrull escaped to Earth in the 20th century and later became a member of the Underground Legion. From that point, the Skrulls began to expand their territory. The Deviant branch later split into two more groups, the modern Skrulls and an anomaly called the Dire Wraiths.

 

The Skrulls originate from the planet of Skrullos, and were originally a mercantile civilization, primarily interested in free trade and willing to share their technology with all races they deemed worthy. When they encountered a new race, they simply transformed themselves to resemble that race. The Skrull empire that resulted from these contacts was based on free trade and mutual cooperation.

 

[fantastic_four]

9 minutes ago, Bosco685 said:

I need to go back and watch Infinity War. Especially that credit scene with Nick Fury and the pager.

  Hide contents

I guess the Avengers had a tracker on the vehicle and were able to recover the pager. Did Fury drop it right by the vehicle when he experienced The Decimation, or was he running away from the vehicle?

I guess it does seem reasonable they would scout out the entire local area and come across this pager. Though wouldn't it be mixed in with the vehicles colliding into one another from people disappearing?

 

I'm not burying this in spoiler tags since Infinity War came out a year ago--I re-watched Infinity War last week, and he dropped it right behind the vehicle.  I don't know how they found it, they just did.  I doubt one of the heroes found it, but I buy that SHIELD agents found it while looking for Fury and the Avengers got it from them.

[theCapraAegagrus]

5 minutes ago, Chuck Gower said:

Why? Back when Captain Marvel had to lead the Avengers against Thanos in his first story arc (Capt. Marvel 25-33) because the Avengers weren't powerful enough to do it on their own, I didn't really understand CM's powers. He shot blasts through his hands and was cosmically aware, but it was never really explained to us how this Kree Warrior was somehow able to go toe to toe with a GOD.

And then when Adam Warlock has to step in and save the day in Infinity Gauntlet because all of earth's superheroes fail... I really never could figure out all of HIS powers or whatever either. He had that soul gem that could suck a soul out of people, but... go toe to toe with a monster possessing the Infinity Gauntlet? 

I guess they eventually explained it all because, no one seems to complain about it now, except... well except when it's now a female superhero...

Apparently, they do. You MUST have an explanation for her powers. Why? I don't really understand the full extent of Thor's abilities either. How'd HE go toe to toe with a monster in possession of the Infinity Gauntlet? HE doesn't have the power of the cosmos in his hands.

Thanos as a God in the comics has already been proven beatable. He knows the Gauntlet is far more powerful than any God.

like the Y chromosome?

like the Hulk? Isn't he one of the strongest? or Billy Batson? Shazam is one of the strongest. Or Rick Jones becoming the original Captain Marvel? Where was the outrage over that happenstance? Suddenly the weakest male becoming one of the more powerful heroes was ok... 

Why? Because they're bringing in a character after midnight who will allegedly tip the scales in the favor of our heroes? Why not? Is the better question. Otherwise it's just another McGuffin in the Phase of McGuffins for McGuffin sake. that would be the epitome of crappy storytelling.

Name me another character aside from Scarlett Witch who does not have transparency regarding their abilities. I'll wait.

I must have an explanation for anyone's powers. Female, male, or android. Especially one being brought in past midnight that will allegedly put antagonists on the winning side of conflict with "the most powerful being in the universe" that has the Infinity Gauntlet and all 6 stones.

There can only be so much suspension of belief for an immersive escapism experience.

You're easily the most "vocal" person here regarding her gender. You're creating a strawman to argue against. I'm not making that argument and neither is anyone else from what I can read.