Recommendation: 4/5 Stars, SHOWTIME

Plot: “Carol Danvers becomes one of the universe's most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races.” -IMDB

Review: With a snap of the finger, the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe was changed. What had been building for 10-years, seemed to come crashing to the ground as for the first time a bad guy strolled away from the screen victorious in his quest. Like many other audience members, I sat in silence watching credits roll and baffled by what I had witnessed. Then a cut scene and a way out of this mess was introduced as the symbol for Captain Marvel rolled across a pager. There would be one more origin story to tell and this story would set the stage for an ending to one of the most ambitious events in the history of cinema.

“Captain Marvel” serves as a layered beginning giving us the origin stories for both Carol Danvers and Nick Fury. For Carol, her powers would be summoned thanks to a chance encounter with an alien race. For Nick, the stage is set for an attempt to gather Earth’s most powerful warriors in defense of something from the great beyond. The two cross paths by accident, but of course we know nothing happens by accident in these movies. Layering the origin stories in this way gives you a sense of scope for everything you know that lies ahead.

As we watch Carol become Captain Marvel, we also watch her transform. As roles reverse and she learns the truth about the alien race who groomed her, guilt washes over her as she wrestles with the filth of war. Truth gives power to a new mission and understanding. Tied together with Fury and friends by her side, she goes to war with revenge on her mind and we finally get a sense of her true power.

In the end, this isn’t the most memorable film in the MCU, but its importance should not be undersold. What comes next will be epic but what occurred in the theater as the lights flickered back on and people began making their ways for the exit mattered more. All around me were dads and daughters. Much like “Wonder Woman,” I couldn’t help but smile. Once again, little girls everywhere have someone on the big screen to admire. To me, that matters much more than the story that played out before me.

Be good to each other,

-Nathan

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