Geekscape Reviews ‘Captain Marvel’ In ScreenX
Since the post credit scene of Avengers: Infinity War came and went, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been eagerly waiting for the arrival of Captain Marvel, (trolls notwithstanding). As one of the strongest beings in the universe, it’s clear that she’s going to be a centerpiece heading into the final battle against Thanos, but after more than a decade of origin stories, is this latest film one too many so late into the game? Thankfully, due to the chemistry between Brie Larson and Samuel L Jackson, the trademark MCU humor, and some genuinely surprising twists, Captain Marvel ends up being one of the better “first” films of the bunch. But is it better with the ScreenX format?
Rather than starting from the beginning and showing us how our hero got her powers, the film kicks off with the titular character having her abilities from the start. As part of an elite Kree squad caught in the middle of an intergalactic war with the shape-shifting Skrulls, Vers (Brie Larson), struggles with flashbacks of what appears to be another life. With the inability to control her powers due to her distress, her commander, Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), trains her to keep her emotions under control. However, when a mission goes awry and Vers is kidnapped by a Skrull militia, (led by the scene stealing Ben Mendelsohn), a rushed escape leads to Vers crash landing on Earth in 1995. After a run-in with S.H.I.E.L.D., Vers and Nick Fury are tasked with finding secret technology before the Skrulls do, which may hold the key to Vers’ missing memories as the former Carol Danvers.
Approaching the character’s origins in this way was a bold way to write the film. The audience is used to a certain formula, so placing Carol Danvers’ origin throughout the middle of the film was a slight subversion to the norm. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work as well as it could due to the first act of the film being dragged down by exposition and confusion. Ultimately, it was hard to care about Vers’ squad, or even Vers herself when we knew nothing about them. This lessened the tension of the attack that led to her capture and arrival on Earth. Thankfully, that completely turns around once the focus shifts to S.H.I.E.L.D., specifically Samuel L Jackson and his take on a younger, happier, far less cynical Nick Fury. Once him and Brie are onscreen together, the film flies by due to how much fun it is. Some of the 90’s call backs and “girl power” scenes are way too heavy handed, (a “smile” scene has no narrative importance other than an excuse for Carol to embarrass a sexist biker comes to mind,) but other than that, it comes into its own as a true crowd pleaser from beginning to end.
Speaking of relationships, these are the true backbone of Captain Marvel. Fury and Carol’s chemistry is the star of the show, but that doesn’t discount the relationships between Carol and her squad, with her former mentor in flashbacks, (brought to life by Annette Bening), or Maria, her best friend that she came up through the Air Force with, (played by Lashana Lynch). Especially on Earth, the movie takes the “show, not tell” approach to revealing Carol’s backstory. This makes the closing moments of the film feel earned as we slowly learn about who Vers really is as she does, creating a closeness with the character that we wouldn’t normally get if we were just watching her story as it happened. But most surprising was Talos, the leader of the Skrulls that are chasing Carol and Earth’s secret technology. Managing to be threatening, sympathetic and laugh-out-loud funny all within minutes, if there’s one thing to remember when walking out of the movie, it will be Mendelsohn’s performance.
We can’t talk about a big superhero blockbuster without talking about the fights and special effects. Unfortunately, these were some of the weaker areas of the film, with many of the hand-to-hand fights moving, shaking, and camera switching so much that it was hard to tell what was going on. Once Carol’s powers fully manifest and the special effects are on display, some of the initial shots of her glowing and ablaze are amazing to see in action. When she starts flying as she fights against air crafts, and the difference is jarring. CGI Carol looks out of place in these scenes to the point where they looked like a video screen at an amusement part more so than a film over a decade into a multi-billion dollar cinematic universe. In a movie that leans heavily on the cosmic aspect of the Marvel Universe, these sections in particular should have been jaw dropping. Instead, they were one of the films’ weakest areas.
Watching the film in ScreenX didn’t do much to alleviate these issues. As a newer type of screen technology, this format looks to further immerse the audience by having projections at the sides of the theater to create a feeling that the movie is happening around you. At the start, it really felt like we were on an unfamiliar world with the characters on screen. Then… nothing. For large chunks of the movie, the side projections would go completely blank, only firing back up during some of the more elaborate fight scenes, or in a large file room. Considering that most of the side projections were made up of the sides of the screen stretched out across the walls, it made the scenes where it was turned off feel particularly small when only the center of a scene was visible. When it comes to ScreenX in particular, it’s a good start to what can be a great way to immerse audiences in films more than they ever have been before, but it was clear that Captain Marvel wasn’t made with this format in mind. I can see it taking off if filmmakers would embrace the medium as they do with IMAX or 3D, but a half-hearted effort makes its shortcomings even more glaring.
Overall, Captain Marvel is one of the better “origin” films that Marvel Studios has produced. Fun, charming, and thrilling throughout, poor CGI and the slow opening act aren’t enough to detract from what ultimately amounts to a strong introduction that subverts expectations. Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson are fantastic together, which is a quality shared by most of the supporting cast. My only concern going forward is that with the 20 year gap between Endgame and this story, that we won’t be able to see these characters interact in the same way. Nevertheless, Captain Marvel is a worthy addition to the MCU as we assemble for the final page of a 10-plus year story arc.
