Captain Marvel, in theaters Mar. 8, 2019

[mickyg]

So as mentioned, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and am planning to pony up to see it again with my two kiddos, as soon as next week.  But it certainly isn't flawless.  And I've got questions about it, even after reading all the stuff I specifically avoided prior to watching it.

Concerning Carol's powers:

...except I can't find the spoiler tags so I'll have to put off my question till I figure that out...

[seti88]

 

I have to disagree with chronocidal about the weakest point in the movie. That scene alone was worth the ticket price. I also think it’s a great teaser for what to expect for the upcoming avengers film and sets a high bar for all super hero depictions in movies to come, wether from marvel or dc or whatever.

For a moment during that scene where she was unleashed, i was thinking to myself...wow that would be an awesome scene especially for xmen's dark phoenix!
With fireclaws unleashed and what not....

oh well...probably going to be disappointed in the upcoming xmen show hahah...

Edited March 15, 2019 by seti88

[Chronocidal]

 

I don't understand why everyone hates on Thor 2 so much, I liked it more than the first one and I've thought all the Thor movies have been good (maybe I just like Chris Hemsworth too much? I don't know). I do however find it really easy to pick a worst mcu film, it's The Incredible Hulk.

I think people rag on it for how much of the movie focuses on Jane Foster, really, and ultimately winds up really not meaning anything to the larger MCU.  Hemsworth and Portman just never seemed to have any chemistry in the movies Jane was in, and I think the lack of a good dynamic between them did the entire MCU a disservice, seeing as how important that character is to the larger Marvel comic universe.

I've always enjoyed Thor 2, it's one of my favorites.  I personally love the development Loki and Thor get, and the plot may have been a little shallow, but I just think the entire mechanic of dimensional instability makes for a really entertaining final sequence, with a lot of amusing Portal-ish mechanics involved.

Also you're right.. I tend to forget about the Hulk movie entirely.  Possibly on purpose.  

 

I have to disagree with chronocidal about the weakest point in the movie. That scene alone was worth the ticket price. I also think it’s a great teaser for what to expect for the upcoming avengers film and sets a high bar for all super hero depictions in movies to come, wether from marvel or dc or whatever.

You're right about the scene being amazing, actually.  I was probably wrong to say that was a weak point of the movie, because it was a blast. 

What does concern me though is the implications for future movies, and how Danvers is going to fit into the exisiting MCU.  I remember it being said that she's probably the most powerful character in the MCU, and that much should be pretty obvious. 

 

She essentially jumped into orbit, punched a fleet of alien ICBMs into oblivion, headbutted a squadron of fighters into bits,

and then literally performed a human Daedalus Attack on an alien cruiser.  

 

That does indeed set a high bar, but I don't think that's a bar that needed raising, because her strength is the kind that can outright trivialize nearly every threat we've seen in every movie so far¹.  What concerns me is that we're going to see an escalation of power levels that starts looking like a DBZ screaming match, as the MCU has to develop stronger villains and more dire situations to match the strength of its protagonists.

It's basically the Jessica Fletcher situation, but with super powers.  Bring in a character who's great at solving murder mysteries, and someone is bound to wind up dead.  Bring in a character who can put their fist through a battlecruiser, and you're setting yourself up as a target for bigger baddies.

1- Thanos and Dormammu are the big exceptions to this, since they pose threats on a more cosmic level, and I am glad that they saved Captain Marvel for fighting Thanos, since it may very well take a character of her level to fix the snappening, but at the same time I wonder what sorts of enemies she's going to be up against in later movies.

 

Edited March 15, 2019 by Chronocidal

[Focslain]

 

That does indeed set a high bar, but I don't think that's a bar that needed raising, because her strength is the kind that can outright trivialize nearly every threat we've seen in every movie so far¹.  What concerns me is that we're going to see an escalation of power levels that starts looking like a DBZ screaming match, as the MCU has to develop stronger villains and more dire situations to match the strength of its protagonists.

It's basically the Jessica Fletcher situation, but with super powers.  Bring in a character who's great at solving murder mysteries, and someone is bound to wind up dead.  Bring in a character who can put their fist through a battlecruiser, and you're setting yourself up as a target for bigger baddies.

This is the same problem in DC with Superman to an extent.

As for future Captain Marvel movies they could explore the cosmic villains, take her off world and explore the larger galaxy like they started with GotG. 

[Big s]

That’s actually what I was expecting from a sequel. An off world story where she can go all out and only come back home to earth when necessary.

[derex3592]

Wife and I both liked it.  As many have said, not the strongest entry into the MCU, but better than some.  It was a fun ride. I laughed out loud several times at SLJ's lines with Goose. Bring on Endgame!!! I'm stoked to see her bring down Thanos a level or two! 

[sh9000]

 

 

[myk]

Movie was summarily a very "blah" experience to me,  but then again I don't see it as anything but introducing Carol Danvers for the April money shot in Endgame; I just wish they would've picked another actress for the role.  I mean....this woman is supposed to be the heroine who derives her power directly from the Tessaract and is somehow going to defeat Thanos and undo his deeds, yet they cast a woman who is so plain, so basic in her delivery and appearance that I could expect to run into her likeness as a waitress at a truck stop somewhere.   Carol Danvers needs to be fiery, unforgettable and beyond beautiful-GORGEOUS even, just as Gal Gadot was for Wonderwoman.  Instead they cast Brie Larson who comes off as the most basic girl you could ever meet.  Ah well....

Edited March 17, 2019 by myk

[sh9000]

https://www.target.com/p/captain-marvel-target-exclusive-4k-uhd-blu-ray-dvd-digital/-/A-54502514

https://www.target.com/p/captain-marvel-blu-ray-dvd-digital/-/A-54501974

[Vifam7]

It was an OK movie. I went into the movie with low expectation so maybe that helped. Brie Larson as Captain Marvel did just fine. The biggest problem I had with the movie was the rather non-existent character development of Carol Danvers/Capt. Marvel. At the end of the movie, I still didn't really know what kind of person she was and what her motivations are.  Rather than random flashbacks and exposition dialog, I would've liked to have seen much more of the character's career/experience in the USAF and her comraderie with Dr. Lawson and her friend Maria. But maybe that's the military aviation fanboy in me talking.

[mickyg]

Right, finally remembered how to post spoilers.  Man, I got way too reliant on the old software's button for it...

Concerning Carol's power acquisition:

We obviously see her absorb the blast from what I guess is the lightspeed drive on the craft she crash lands.  But a few questions:

1. Was that a working light speed drive?  We don't know because she gets shot down before they get to test it and I don't recall them speaking about it on the flight.
2. Were they headed to the orbiting station on this flight?
3. I keep seeing that Carol's powers are "from the Tesseract" and some go so far as to even use the "Directly" term.  I get that the lightspeed engine is being powered by it, but I assumed that's the same way it "powered" all those weapons in the first Captain America.
4. In other words, the Tesseract is safely on the orbiting space station the WHOLE time, right?  It's not like that explosion that powered Carol was the Tesseract directly bathing her in its light.
5. Therefore, I remain shocked that Carol is superfied by something that's basically just a battery blowing up.

Anyone else share these questions or observations?

[hachi]

 

It was an OK movie. I went into the movie with low expectation so maybe that helped. Brie Larson as Captain Marvel did just fine. The biggest problem I had with the movie was the rather non-existent character development of Carol Danvers/Capt. Marvel. At the end of the movie, I still didn't really know what kind of person she was and what her motivations are.  Rather than random flashbacks and exposition dialog, I would've liked to have seen much more of the character's career/experience in the USAF and her comraderie with Dr. Lawson and her friend Maria. But maybe that's the military aviation fanboy in me talking.

I think this is more on the directors/writers though. I was rewatching Iron Man last night, it was a good origin movie. Hopefully if Capt. Marvel gets a 2nd movie we get better director/s also.

 

 

Right, finally remembered how to post spoilers.  Man, I got way too reliant on the old software's button for it...

Concerning Carol's power acquisition:

 

 

We obviously see her absorb the blast from what I guess is the lightspeed drive on the craft she crash lands.  But a few questions:

1. Was that a working light speed drive?  We don't know because she gets shot down before they get to test it and I don't recall them speaking about it on the flight.
2. Were they headed to the orbiting station on this flight?
3. I keep seeing that Carol's powers are "from the Tesseract" and some go so far as to even use the "Directly" term.  I get that the lightspeed engine is being powered by it, but I assumed that's the same way it "powered" all those weapons in the first Captain America.
4. In other words, the Tesseract is safely on the orbiting space station the WHOLE time, right?  It's not like that explosion that powered Carol was the Tesseract directly bathing her in its light.
5. Therefore, I remain shocked that Carol is superfied by something that's basically just a battery blowing up.

Anyone else share these questions or observations?

 

 

1. Could be

2. Maybe

3, 4, 5. This is not hard sci fi I don't expect some things to make sense or be truely logical. I'm happier assuming it that way.

[reddsun1]

Went to see with the kids this weekend.  Good movie.  Not great.  But good movie.  Loved the 90's nostalgia trip it was good for.  BUUUT....

1. The digital "de-aging" still has some ways to go.  There was something just a little "off" with agent Coulson's appearance; a little unnatural, for lack of a better word  (The effect was pulled off a little better with Kurt Russel's "Ego" in GoTG2).  But then there was Nick Fury...  

What in the actual FUU did they do to Samuel L.'s hairline?!?  That sh*t was actually distracting.  It kinda killed Samuel L.'s scenes for me, 'cause my eye kept being drawn to it, wondering: WTF is up with that?  It's like it was reaching over onto his fuggin forehead, trying to touch his fuggin eyebrows or something.    All these hundreds of millions of dollars spent on effects and visual wizardry making this movie, and they gave him the digital equivalent of a bad toupee.  Bad form. 

[Thom]

On the plus side, it's not mustache-vanishing bad.

In fact, I hardly noticed. The only thing that stood out was that SLJ's face is a bit rounder now than it was back then, so that stood out slightly.

 

[sh9000]

 

[reddsun1]

Well.  I stand corrected.

 

But damned if that widow's peak don't look like it's trying to crawl its way down over his forehead, or somethin'. 

[Thom]

He looks like a young Nick Fury rather than a young SLJ.

[mickyg]

On 3/18/2019 at 10:40 AM, mickyg said:

Right, finally remembered how to post spoilers.  Man, I got way too reliant on the old software's button for it...

Concerning Carol's power acquisition:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

We obviously see her absorb the blast from what I guess is the lightspeed drive on the craft she crash lands.  But a few questions:

1. Was that a working light speed drive?  We don't know because she gets shot down before they get to test it and I don't recall them speaking about it on the flight.
2. Were they headed to the orbiting station on this flight?
3. I keep seeing that Carol's powers are "from the Tesseract" and some go so far as to even use the "Directly" term.  I get that the lightspeed engine is being powered by it, but I assumed that's the same way it "powered" all those weapons in the first Captain America.
4. In other words, the Tesseract is safely on the orbiting space station the WHOLE time, right?  It's not like that explosion that powered Carol was the Tesseract directly bathing her in its light.
5. Therefore, I remain shocked that Carol is superfied by something that's basically just a battery blowing up.

Anyone else share these questions or observations?

 

 

Saw this again over the weekend, this time with my two kiddos (ages 7 and 10). I can now answer my own questions and make a few comments on what the kids found confusing:
 

Spoiler

 

Regarding the power source on the Asis (sp?) Talos himself says the "Power Source" wasn't on the craft, and that it was only a container for its power.  My condensed summary, not verbatim from the movie.  So that answers that.

My kids were very confused about The Supreme intelligence. Seems virtual reality, even to my 10 year old son, is still a hard concept for him to get his head around.  I totally took that for granted but both kids couldn't figure out why Dr Larson was both bad and good!

So back to my list:

1. Unclear for the reasons I already gave.  They didn't get to test it because they got attacked by the Kree.
2. Yes.  It's clear they were headed into orbit before the attack and only ended up back low when they had to take evasive maneuvers.
3. The FTL engine is definitely being powered by the Tessaract but it's not physically within the craft.
4. Yes, the Tesseract is in the lab the whole time, as confirmed by Talos.
5. I'm still surprised that Carol's power comes from an explosion of the FTL drive, merely powered by some of the Tesseract's power.  Gives you a good idea how amazingly powerful those stones really are.

 

 

Edited March 25, 2019 by mickyg

[Thom]

20 hours ago, mickyg said:

Saw this again over the weekend, this time with my two kiddos (ages 7 and 10). I can now answer my own questions and make a few comments on what the kids found confusing:
 

  Hide contents

 

Regarding the power source on the Asis (sp?) Talos himself says the "Power Source" wasn't on the craft, and that it was only a container for its power.  My condensed summary, not verbatim from the movie.  So that answers that.

My kids were very confused about The Supreme intelligence. Seems virtual reality, even to my 10 year old son, is still a hard concept for him to get his head around.  I totally took that for granted but both kids couldn't figure out why Dr Larson was both bad and good!

So back to my list:

1. Unclear for the reasons I already gave.  They didn't get to test it because they got attacked by the Kree.
2. Yes.  It's clear they were headed into orbit before the attack and only ended up back low when they had to take evasive maneuvers.
3. The FTL engine is definitely being powered by the Tessaract but it's not physically within the craft.
4. Yes, the Tesseract is in the lab the whole time, as confirmed by Talos.
5. I'm still surprised that Carol's power comes from an explosion of the FTL drive, merely powered by some of the Tesseract's power.  Gives you a good idea how amazingly powerful those stones really are.

 

 

As to 5)

Spoiler

The blast radius created ripples going in all directions when the engine exploded, but the power within it looked like it was ejected along the same course that the bullet originated from. The hole the bullet created in the engine was facing Carol so that's where all the energy went during the explosion. And I think she not only absorbed it, but that it also changed her physically, so she's not just using the initial power from the Tesseract but able to adsorb and use other power now. Mentioned by a poster on another site, when she finally goes full binary at the end, we see a lot of power surges in the Kree ship. Also when she faces Yon-Rogg at the end the power lines behind her start arcing, leading me to believe that the power from the Tesseract was only a catalyst. It changed her to the point where she can adsorb most any electrical power, which I think is also in the comics.(?)

 

[mickyg]

Thanks Thom - that makes a LOT more sense now.  In fact, now that you mention it, I'm surprised I didn't put that together because it's spot on!

[M'Kyuun]

Just perused the marvel Wiki for some background; Captain Marvel is a rather storied character having had at least seven different characters bear the mantle, starting with Mar-Vell, who in the comics was a male Kree sent to observe Earth and becomes its secret protector, and in a revamped series assumed the identity of Dr. Phillip Lawson. Moreover, Carol Danvers, who bore the mantle of Ms. Marvel, assumed the 'Captain' part of her hero name in 2012, one of the latter characters to be Captain Marvel.

So, what I'm getting from the Wiki is that license and cherry-picking played a huge part in crafting the story and character for the movie. All that aside, I thought it was enjoyable, and I thought everyone played their parts well. I liked the Air Force background they gave her (I'm obviously biased). Everything pretty much made sense, in a sci-fi way, so I didn't really leave the theatre with any burning questions. And while Brie Larson is no Gal Gadot (I refer to Myk's earlier criticism), I thought she brought enough sass to the role to make her character, and the movie by extension, enjoyable to watch.  

Spoiler

I think the movie would have been even more enjoyable if they'd compressed more of the suppressed memory back story and focused more on her learning the full extent of her abilities once the Supreme Intelligence's power suppression disc was removed. She only got to truly shine in the last 20-30 minutes or so of the movie when she was unfettered. Seeing her plow through a capital ship was pretty cool, though. That and the "oh sh!t" glance shared between two certain Kree dudes after said plowed ship disintegrated. It was also cool to see Djimon Hounsou's character from GotG show up- more ties in the MCU. And Coulson. I was sad when they 'retired' him at the end of the last season of Agents of Shield. Clark Gregg inhabited that role so well, and it was nice to see him again, even if it was his digitally altered younger self.

 

[kajnrig]

Speaking of the origins of Captain Marvel (Thanks to this forum, I just keep getting recc'ed these videos now, and this one's actually not bad scratch that, the second half gets kind of strawman-y or at least is referencing something I'm completely out of the loop on, but the actual character history in the first half seems to check out):

Thinking on it more, I think I'm gonna go with the same opinion that a podcast I listen to made, which is basically "There were two Marvels they could have made a movie about, and they chose the wrong one. Brie Larson doesn't bring a lot of charisma to the role, and Kamala Khan is way more interesting as a character in every way."

That said, I've never read any works about either character, so what do I know. The extent of my knowledge of either of them is that Danvers once had a crush on Peter Parker, and Kamala writes Wolverine fanfiction.

Edited March 27, 2019 by kajnrig

[Thom]

The thing is, there is room for Kamala Kahn later down the road. Give it another ten years or so and we may see her.

[slide]

Dear Disney: Monica Rambeau is Captain marvel:

 Monica as seen in Captain Marvel #8 (December 2012)

 This Boring Whitewash named Carol Danvers is a garbage-tier comic that's been cancelled several times.

Edited March 27, 2019 by slide

[renegadeleader1]

6 hours ago, slide said:

Dear Disney: Monica Rambeau is Captain marvel:

 Monica as seen in Captain Marvel #8 (December 2012)

 This Boring Whitewash named Carol Danvers is a garbage-tier comic that's been cancelled several times.

Oh yeah nothing says the definitive version of Captain Marvel quite like the second marvel character(third comic character overall) to bear the name who was just a New Orleans harbor beat cop that gained her powers through a freak accident with no relation to the original Captain Marvel, and has gone on to change her superhero identity at least a half dozen times. 

 

At least the Carol Danvers character under the Ms. Marvel moniker was connected to the original Captain Marvel storyline wise. She likely never would have had the Captain Marvel name had people who don't even read comics claimed "Ms" was sexist. So now we get Carol Danvers Captain Marvel and the Ms Marvel name goes the walking contradiction of Kamala Khan, a likable outgoing brash energetic girl who has to dress conservatively and act subdued not because she wants to, but to keep religious conservative nutjobs from send death threats to Marvel headquarters. It doesn't help they wrote her brother to likely be one of them sending death threats and give him jihadist leanings just for drama's sake.

[Mommar]

So clearly they should have made Howard The Duck because any Ms Captsin Marvel is garbage.

[Thom]

Captain Marvel was a great movie. It was fun and energetic and Brie Larson was perfect for it. Saw it three times and I may go for a fourth. If Kalama Kahn shows up down the road and it is done with the same strength as has been shown in most Marvel/Avenger movies then I'll more than likely enjoy that too. Bring it!

[Dangard Ace]

On 3/26/2019 at 10:42 PM, slide said:

Dear Disney: Monica Rambeau is Captain marvel:

 Monica as seen in Captain Marvel #8 (December 2012)

 This Boring Whitewash named Carol Danvers is a garbage-tier comic that's been cancelled several times.

 

Yeah....she gave up the name to the children of Mar-Vell, the Original Captain Marvel.  Then the code name was used by the Dark Avengers and after that by a Skrull.  Carol Danvers picked it up when they rebranded her comic from Ms Marvel to Captain Marvel.  Seems like a normal evolution as she spent a large portion of Ms Marvel proving she was an A-list hero, as good/better than Cap.   Plus Carol getting the name seems normal as she has ties to the original/first Captain Marvel.  

She also gave  Kamala Khan her blessing to use the Ms Marvel name.  That torch has passed and those books were fun to read.  

 

Love it/hate it  Carol Danvers is the current Captain Marvel.  She’s not going anywhere.  

[Chronocidal]

Considering all the implied time shenaniganry in the Avengers universe, I wouldn't be surprised if we see Monica in the not-so-distant future as well.  We've already been introduced to her, after all.

Far as the "Captain" bit goes, did they mention her rank in the USAF?  I know it's the rough equivalent of a full Lieutenant in the Navy, so it would make sense for someone her age/experience/flight status.  I don't know if they'd be that literal with it though, and beyond that, I don't know if anyone has actually referred to her that way in-universe.

[slide]

So I got dragged to a Matinee of this.

 

Honestly: it was better than I expected.

 

I'd give it a 5/10, it's completely watchable.

 

 

49 minutes ago, Chronocidal said:

Far as the "Captain" bit goes, did they mention her rank in the USAF?  I know it's the rough equivalent of a full Lieutenant in the Navy, so it would make sense for someone her age/experience/flight status.  I don't know if they'd be that literal with it though, and beyond that, I don't know if anyone has actually referred to her that way in-universe.

 

 

EIDIT: US Naval rank equivalent would be full Lieutenant for Army/Marine/Airforce Captain, yes. Lt. Commanders swap for Majors.

fun note; unless I'm lied to about naval tradition: At formal functions aboard ship [shuch as a formal mess dinner], Marine captains are sometimes referred to as "Major", because there's only 1 "Captain" aboard a ship.

 

I believe if you wiki it she's actually listed as a USAF Captain.

She's wearing a Captain's rank insignia here:

Edited March 29, 2019 by slide

[Mommar]

In the comics she retired as a Colonel.

As they quip in her comic (top two panels):

[kajnrig]

 

[Thom]

Thank you, that was good.

[sh9000]

 

[sh9000]