A "Marvel" to behold

To think it was just last year that Marvel rolled out Black Panther, giving us a legit and awesome African-American superhero that broke tides against what superheroes could be like. Although DC comics may have beaten Marvel to the punch when it comes to bringing a  female superhero to the big screen, Marvel still has a lot to be proud of with their own lady in uniform in the form of Captain Marvel. Taking place in 1995 (yes, Marvel is finally putting dates on these films now) during an excursion with the Krull, an alien species at war with another race called the Kree, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) crash lands on Earth where she encounters a young Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) who helps her uncover her past history as well as the secrets leading up to how she got her powers and who she really is. However, the secrets to her past will also influence the ongoing war between the Krull and the Kree, which will bring to light who her true enemy really is. As far as origin stories go, Captain Marvel doesn't fray too much from the pattern we've seen before: hero doubts their potential, discovers their powers, called upon to act, etc. It's pretty much the routine we're used to seeing and while it's not too original, that's more or less the only flaw I found with the film; everything else about it is entertaining and well done. Larson pulls in a charismatic and genuinely likable performance as Ms. Marvel, drawing comparisons to that of Downey's Tony Stark. Whether she's dropping snappy jokes in the more quieter slower scenes or getting hands on when the action starts getting intense, Larson handles them all with ease and poise. Speaking of which, the action set pieces are also a marvel to look at (sorry, I had to put that in somewhere). The visual effects, as per Marvel's standards, are dazzling and colorful which makes me wonder how they continue to find new ways to make outer space look so empty yet vivid with detail. The film is also filled with several easter eggs and inside jokes, including a very, memorable tribute to Stan Lee which I won't spoil but believe me when I say it'll hit you hard. Overall, Captain Marvel was an enjoyable treat, feeling more like another exciting addition to the MCU roster instead of a stepping stone that only serves to build up the momentum leading into the forthcoming Avengers: Endgame despite what some of the trolls on the Internet are saying. Despite the familiar origin formula, Captain Marvel soars high and delivers a win for Marvel on adapting their first female superhero to the big screen and also giving her a proper introduction.