While many longtime fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe just assumed that the Brie Larson-starring Captain Marvel would be a slam dunk home run, critics haven’t necessarily been as kind, as most of the reviews that have begun to pour out from major players have been generally lukewarm … by Marvel standards, that is.
However, given that Captain Marvel is the only Marvel Cinematic Universe film standing between us and Avengers: Endgame, maybe “just okay” is a good thing, considering that Endgame is going to be so epic and emotional that it will likely be making grown men crying.
While most critics seem to agree that the Academy Award-winning Larson does her best with the script and the material that she’s given, the character ultimately comes off as stale and emotionless, while the action and CGI are apparently nothing to write home about.
All that said, because Captain Marvel is, in fact, a Marvel Studios movie, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and ultimately satisfies as a superhero flick.
But should you spend your hard earned dough to see it in theaters? Check out the reviews below to make up your mind for yourself.
Captain Marvel Review Round-Up: What Are The Critics Saying?
Rotten Tomatoes: “Packed with action, humor, and visual thrills, Captain Marvel introduces the MCU’s latest hero with an origin story that makes effective use of the franchise’s signature formula.”
New York Post: “An aimless superhero slog. Nearly every aspect of this film is half-baked. There is precious little texture or detail, ups and downs, or emotions of any kind in her [Larson’s] performance.”
The Hollywood Reporter: “It is the first Marvel Studios film to be built around a female superhero, and it is the least of the Marvel productions made since Kevin Feige took the reins and launched the brand into the stratosphere. The picture is not dull, exactly, just mundane, marked by unimaginative plotting, cut-rate villains, a bland visual style and a lack of elan in every department. Or put it this way: What Black Panther did for black representation in the superhero realm is not done for women in Captain Marvel.”
ScreenRant: “Captain Marvel is a must-see for superhero fans, especially those who have craved more female-led stories. The movie isn’t perfect and it falls into many of the same trappings as other MCU films, but it’s a strong installment and a good effort to innovate the origin story archetype.”
Den of Geek: “As far as MCU superhero introduction films go, it’s better than Doctor Strange and Ant-Man, somewhere in the same league as Thor, and doesn’t quite live up to the nuanced gravitas of Iron Man or Captain America: The First Avenger.”
Chicago Tribune: At its best, “Captain Marvel” is more like the first, slightly square Captain America movie, which was set in the 1940s and went about its business with retro assurance.
Entertainment Weekly: “The movie’s treatment of its source material is clever. Captain Marvel is Not Bad is the unthrilling point I’ve been circling here. But Not Bad is better than where we’re coming from.”
