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John McCann says ‘Captain Marvel’ is a steady addition to the superhero canon that holds its own amongst the Marvel collection…
Longer evenings and clocks going forward must only mean one thing — summer blockbuster season and a endless glut of superheroes at Tralee Omniplex.
This year’s Marvel machine begins with an origins feature of a different kind, with Brie Larson taking on the role of the first female Marvel headliner – a job she soars in (literally in parts!)
In this 21st outing into Marvel mania, Captain Marvel, an extra-terrestrial Kree warrior, finds herself caught in the middle of an intergalactic battle between her people and the Skrulls.
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Living on Earth in 1995, she keeps having fuzzy recurring memories of another life as U.S. Air Force pilot Carol Danvers.
With help from Nick Fury, Captain Marvel tries to uncover the secrets of her past while harnessing her special superpowers to end the war with the evil Skrulls.
Brie Larson as ‘Captain Marvel’.
As much as the eye roll has become the natural reaction to another entry in the world of cinematic superheros the truth is that most of them are actually of high quality and despite my best intentions to dislike, I find myself being won over by charismatic performances, witty one-liners and incredible effects and Captain Marvel has all these qualities in spades.
Brie Larson is exceptional in her role as Captain Marvel, depicting a heroine of poise, grace with added toughness and humour to really give light to yet another Marvel character.
Samuel L. Jackson finally gets some serious screen time as Nick Fury and his chemistry and banter with Larson are some of the finest moments in this film.
Jude Law and Ben Mendelsohn are the picks of a solid supporting cast that help this adventure feature fizz along at a solid yet entertaining pace.
It does take a short while to find its stride however with the beginning of the film feeling a little lethargic but ultimately required for the plot and when the action hits the earth’s core (again literally!) the feature really takes flight with director’s Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck following the tried and trusted formula of entertaining Marvel features yet adding their own touches to give Captain Marvel its own originality.
With plenty of plot twists, spectacular special effects and more than enough to tease the Marvel addict with promises of what lies ahead in the Avengers horizon, Captain Marvel is a blockbuster that will satisfy fans and not overly disappoint the non-believers.
3.5/5
• For more of John McCann’s movie reviews, check out his Facebook page here and website here
