The 90’s is an era I feel like I am having to write about more and more. There is a glaring difference in how the 90’s are being portrayed in film today than the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s in previous years. There is a innate honesty about the 90’s in 2019, very flat without the inflated ego or idyllic gloss we used to place on “the good ol’ days”. Captain Marvel turns back the clock to visit the decade of my childhood, but I was pleasantly surprised that it was presented exactly as it was, spending no time at all to try and recreate a semi-charmed kind of backdrop. Its this frankness that permeates from every scene and interaction. Maybe this was inspired by the 90’s itself, glorified by the youth of the time as the decade of “keeping it real”, “telling it like it is”, mused about often with the rise of grunge. Or maybe in 2019, we are tired of rewriting history to fit our idealized version of it. Or possibly its because the full force of the digital fingerprint began with the unforgiving transparency of the internet. Are we still talking about a movie? Still, whichever reason you might subscribe to, Captain Marvel may be just a girl, or some kind of freak, but she isn’t about to take your shit. And neither is “Goose”.

In an effort to keep it real, i’ll be straight with you, Captain Marvel isn’t the best story out of the Marvel Studios camp, but it does offer more than enough in fun twists and paid fans some lip service. They decided to truncate most of Marvel’s origin story in favor of speeding things up, which ultimately feels like a good move. Brie Larson presents an even measured strength to Carol Danvers, even when she needs to present as angry or sad. There is a calmness just behind her eagerness that brings forth a bit of the military background Carol would have. She’s impatient and bold but still presents discipline. Danvers felt very real. Samuel L. Jackson under the effects of youth was hilarious to watch. I was reminded of his 90’s swagger from various roles like Pulp Fiction, Jurassic Park, and Die Hard: With A Vengeance. Ben Mendelsohn has this pitch perfect delivery, half cartoon villain and half witty spit fire, and still comes off as a strong presence. Jude Law was surprisingly big in this movie. You can’t look away from him when he is on the screen, possibly because he has the most ridiculous contacts on or simply because he is just a beautiful man, but he was a delight. Finally, Annette Bening plays a range in this film that is absolutely my favorite. The script lets her act a little wild at points and she runs with it. Everyone in this film is probably better than the film itself. Captain Marvel had to balance an origin story, being a somewhat of a prequel, and introducing a brand new character that will presumably turn the tide for the entire overarching story. This lack of freedom is noticeable, but it still manages to find its legs.

Even with the weight of all of Marvel on its shoulders, Captain Marvel still tries to make a modern statement in visiting the past. For one,
Anna Boden and
Ryan Fleck

recognize the difficulties women have to undertake just to be seen as remotely equal. But that sits co-pilot to another emerging issue all over the world. The pursuit of maintaining a dominant culture over those who refuse to assimilate. The winners always write history and largely two things have always been true in that regard. First, men steal discoveries that were rightly women, and second, the losers assimilate or die. In the film, instead of waiting for immigrants to come to show up on their shores, they decide to infiltrate and destroy entire groups of people who do not align with their way of life. Honestly, both things are glaringly loud throughout, but somehow it feels like background noise. I didn’t feel truly clued in to the weight of either concept until after I could truly digest the film. During the show, it just feels like a popcorn, space-action romp with a good sense of humor.

Captain Marvel is a rest stop on the road to the big show. One of those new rest stops with food trucks, fancy bathrooms, a tourist trap of some kind, and a doggie play zone. Basically, it pulls out all the bells and whistles, but it’s still just a stop on the way to the main show. It doesn’t have the edge of Iron Man, the quirky fun of Spider-Man: Homecoming, or the heart and pace of Wonder Woman, but it does pull its weight and create a brand new character you want to see more of. It also has a really deep message that comes to fruition after the credits roll. It also has dumb moments, the pace is off in certain places, and some moments feel prolonged, but it still has a soul. Maybe my mind will change in time, but you don’t need to see this on the big screen, it is plenty fine without it, despite all of the dazzling effects. See it for Brie Larson, for Captain Marvel, for Young Samuel L Jackson, and for spicy kitties who need party hats.

~* 7/10 *~

VERY MINOR SPOILER THAT EXPLAINS THE TITLE

P.S. A friend who works at a vet told us they don’t like to say anything that could sound like its mean, so if a cat is scared or likes to bite, they call it a “Spicy Kitty”. And if they can’t be calmed, they are given a muzzle they call a “Party Hat”. In the film, “Goose” has this happen to him. Voila.