Metacritic score: 64
Captain Marvel is an origin story for the final, vital character to join the Avengers. Set in the 1990s, the film tells the story of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), who is introduced as a Kree warrior but begins to discover, after a crash landing on earth in 1995, what her true identity is. And that has big implications for the future of the galaxy.
The best parts of Captain Marvel come near the end, when the storytelling gives way to some epic, eye-popping set pieces. But unfortunately, for most of its runtime Captain Marvel seems to be so interested in connecting the plot pieces and showing how Captain Marvel will help defeat Thanos (presumably in Avengers: Endgame, out April 26) that it forgets to give Carol much in the way of character development or heart. As Vox’s Alex Abad-Santos wrote in his review, “This lack of personality makes her feel more like an action figure or toy soldier than a superhero.” Still, it’s fun to see a woman at the center of a Marvel film, and those who are planning to see Endgame will want to see Captain Marvel first to fill in the back story.
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