![]() ![]() ![]() “Filmmakers like Boden and Fleck, Ryan Coogler and Taika Waititi can put their own spin on a given story or hero, but at some point bolts or waves of orange or blue light will come shooting out of someone’s hands and someone else will be thrown backward and bounce off a wall. ’ But by the time I got to the end of ‘Captain Marvel’ - after watching Larson bash her way through phalanxes of wrinkled green aliens with her glowing fists, offer bathroom-mirror Post It-note words of encouragement to a little girl who beams at her adoringly, and hover in the air like Stan Lee’s version of the Blessed Virgin shimmering in the grotto before the future Saint Bernadette - I wasn’t thinking, Wow! Instead, I heard the voice of my own inner superhero, Peggy Lee, whispering in my ear: Is that all there is? The most heinous supervillain of all is Boredom.” ![]() Of course, in the broader context of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is all just a setup for Captain Marvel’s role in the upcoming ‘Avengers: Endgame. “Larson does get a few opportunities in ‘ Captain Marvel’ to be that regular, flawed-but-strong human - there just aren’t enough of them, and they’re hardly the focus of the movie. And that makes for a rouser of a journey.” Larson’s Vers is like someone trapped in a matrix - she has to shake off the dream of who she is to locate the superwoman she could be. ‘Captain Marvel’ is only the second major Hollywood movie to feature a female superhero at its center, but it’s a savvier and more high-flying fantasy than ‘Wonder Woman,’ because it’s the origin story as head game. ![]() Yet what you can’t help but notice, apart from the slithery bravura of her combat skills, is the feeling she brings to the fight. She plays a Kree warrior, known as Vers (pronounced veers ), who has been trained in the familiar comic-book-movie art of kicking cosmic butt (she specializes in leaping and flying martial-arts moves and the ability to deliver high-energy photon blasts). “In ‘Captain Marvel,’ Brie Larson radiates an ability that too many comic-book heroes never get the chance to show: the superpower of expression. What's more, as opposed to many of Marvel's heroes, she's remarkably normal, having no "super" qualities other than her intellect, courage, and determination, making her an even more likable female lead.“Captain Marvel” flies into theaters on March 8, and is expected to bring in between $115 million and $125 million in its opening weekend. Marvel does itself a real service by letting this beautiful, clever, self-reliant female operative crush the gender stereotypes of the time, even if it does come at the expense of a somewhat naive male clientele that's overly susceptible to her guile. There also are some laughs, mostly at the hands of the mild-mannered butler-turned-spy-associate, Jarvis.īut the series' best-selling point by far is Peggy herself, who in Atwell's hands is as able as a solo act as she ever was at Captain America's side. And speaking of action, there are plenty of sequences that involve explosions, shoot-outs, and some hand-to-hand fighting, but Peggy often heads off others with her considerable brains rather than her brawn. Obviously this will appeal to Marvel's faithful fan base most of all, but the efficiently written series gives just enough backstory to bring newbies up to speed in no time flat, inviting a wide pool of viewers and setting the scene for a scintillating action series. Marvel's Agent Carter brings a couple of supporting characters from the Captain America stories to the forefront in Carter and Howard Stark. This series' best-selling point by far is the character of Peggy Carter, who in Atwell's hands is as able as a solo act as she ever was at Captain America's side. ![]()
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