Yeah she's about to end Thanos' career, but how well did Captain Marvel's movie debut stand on its own? Here's my review for Captain Marvel (NO SPOILERS):
When I first saw the audience reviews for Captain Marvel before the movie was released to the general masses, I thought to myself "oh no we're in trouble here". Granted, most of those reviews were just internet trolls hating on Captain Marvel for the mere fact that she's a woman and possibly DC fans seeking revenge for critics hating on their beloved DCEU movies and HADN'T even seen the movie. Regardless, it didn't set a good tone for the release of the movie, but luckily the critics didn't pan it as much as the audiences did. Even still, it was still regarded as one of the least impressive movies in the MCU, but I went in with an open mind, hoping it wasn't as bad as those early audience reviews made it out to be. I'm just going to get this out of the way first: I didn't hate Captain Marvel and I enjoyed it far better than its DCEU counterpart Wonder Woman, but it's far from my favorite movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, before I dive into the BIG problems let me talk about what I LIKED about this movie. I loved Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, quite possibly my favorite character in the movie and probably one of the only characters to get character development. He also gets the best bits of humor and comedic timing in the film, something I always appreciate in the MCU. Samuel L. Jackson is great as always as Nicholas Joseph Fury and steals most of the scenes that he's in. I liked Lashana Lynch as Carol's best friend Maria Rambeau and she definitely gets a couple of scenes to shine in, but I wish they had done more with her in general. There were some incredible scenes that stuck out to me in the movie, such as the hand-held shot scene of the aftermath after the big reveal and the slo-mo shot of when Carol absorbs the energy-core, thus turning her into the titular hero. I can appreciate that directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck were trying some tricks that made the movie stand out a little bit more than other MCU movies. I can ALSO appreciate the fact that the last act of the movie wasn't just a CGI-filled, poorly choreographed, seizure inducing mess like a good deal of other superhero movies, both MCU and DCEU. Although there were some bad special effects and there were a couple of scenes where the green screen definitely felt more present, it didn't derail the movie as a whole. Lastly, Captain Marvel, for lack of a better term, kicks some SERIOUS ass and, yeah, she's a badass bitch. I was in awe in the last act of the movie as she splices through an entire enemy spaceship and destroys it. She's uber-powerful, much more so than any of the other heroes (except maybe Thor), and will be an incredibly formidable opponent for Thanos. And let's be real, she's going to kill Thanos. Now let's dive into the BIG problems of this movie, starting with the frustratingly lackluster story. I didn't feel like there was anything super interesting about this story, and unfortunately that's a big problem because the MCU, for the most part, is so great at crafting creative and fascinating stories that explore the characters and their personalities and their background. There was a twist that flipped the narrative around, and for that I am thankful, but other than that, the story was pretty bland. It's yet another origin story and the point of an origin story is to introduce the character in an intriguing way where the audience can connect, relate, and grow with them and unfortunately this movie failed to do that with its lack of dazzling narrative and character development. And aside from the twist, the story was also extremely predictable. Nothing was really left to the imagination and there were certain scenes where I murmured to myself "oh I bet this will happen" and sure enough it happened. I also wish they had explored the relationships between the Kree and the Skrulls deeper and why there's a war in the first place, but I suppose that might be fleshed out more in a future sequel (which of course there's going to be one). Now, don't get me wrong, I love Brie Larson, and I know she's a great actress, but I didn't feel like I really got to know Captain Marvel and her character. Larson does well with what she's given, but the problem is what she's given isn't much. I understand that, for the majority of the movie, Captain Marvel doesn't know who she is or where she's from, resulting in a lack of identity. However, even with all the memories that they piece together throughout the movie, it still didn't reveal to me who Carol Danvers was supposed to be. She's stoic and sometimes smirks and dishes out half-clever remarks, but that's not personality to me. In the end, Captain Marvel comes across as badass, but also, and it pains me to say this, one-dimensional. Hopefully, the Russo brothers can wrangle some better character development out of her in Endgame. Another problem is that the soundtrack doesn't really fit all that well. There's one scene in particular, a fight scene in which the song chosen is so on the nose about the 90's and about Marvel herself, that made me groan. The song is fine on its own but it doesn't seem to fit into the narrative. In Guardians of the Galaxy, the soundtrack made sense because it was the music that Peter Quill listened to, thus weaving into the narrative and becoming an important part of the story. The soundtrack felt like a grab bag of Buzzfeed-esque 90's nostalgia that were just put into the film for the sake of it being 90's music and the fact that the story is set in the 90's, even though the movie itself didn't feel like a 90's movie. The last big problem is that it seemed like the directors, while competent for the most part, didn't watch the rest of the MCU. I don't want to give away anything, but there's a certain device that's found in this movie that was introduced in a completely different way in another MCU movie. Perhaps it's given as a gift, but there's no explanation about it and it's just kinda...there. The timeline displayed in this movie doesn't line up with the rest of the MCU, and it probably would've helped if the directors had had a sense of what happened in the other MCU films and align with that timeline. Sure, there's other problems; Captain Marvel suffers from something that has been plaguing the MCU for a while: an uninteresting villain (what a surprise). However, for the most part though, this movie is competently made. There were no huge jarring editing issues and the acting, while nothing spectacular, is pretty good. The movie zips along at a pretty even pace and I never felt, except for one joke (a joke that was executed way better in a way better MCU movie), that the humor undercut the more serious moments of the film. I really appreciated the introductory Marvel logo with Stan Lee and his cameo was not only great but clever as well. Captain Marvel wasn't an awful film and it proves to be a fun placeholder until Endgame, but it definitely could've been a better platform to introduce what I'm assuming will be the future leader of the Avengers. P.S. Goose? Loved him. Rating: 8.4/10
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I know what you're thinking: Buster, why are you posting a best/worst of 2018 list on March 9th, 2019? Well, there were a lot of movies I had still yet to watch, but now that I've seen all I need to see, it's time. Here's my personal list of top 10 best and 5 worst movies of 2018!
2018 was probably one of the first years in a while where I paid very close attention to cinema. I watched way more movies than I had in the last three years and I enjoyed it so much. I felt like it was something that was missing from my life and reintroducing my love for cinema rejuvenated something inside my soul. So without further ado, here are my top 10 favorite movies from 2018 (and then 5 worst...): 10. Searching: A movie about a man searching for his missing daughter, this movie is expertly told through social media, web cams, and news outlet. An inventive and well-crafted movie that showed that a narrative can be successfully carried through the glow of a computer screen (take note Unfriended). John Cho is phenomenal and that twist ending is one of the best twists I've seen in a long time. 9. Black Panther: A cultural phenomenon the moment it was released, Marvel's game-changing blockbuster left a mark on 2018 unlike any other superhero had done before in any of the previous years. Led by an amazing prominently black cast, it was universally loved by all, including myself. From Ludwig Goransson's now Academy Award winning masterful African-influenced score to the eye-popping costumes (which also won an Academy Award) to the incredible storytelling, Black Panther set the bar high for future Marvel releases (which we'll get to later). 8. Crazy Rich Asians: A delightful and vibrant romantic comedy with an all Asian-American cast, great performances, and a wonderful story that dominated hearts and the box office. I'm still of the belief that Constance Wu should have been nominated for an Academy Award. Don't believe me? Watch that Mah Jong scene near the end and tell me I'm wrong. Also, more Awkwafina please, just in general. 7. A Star Is Born: Masterfully directed by first time director Bradley Cooper, this is an age old love story told through the lens of modern times which not only boasts great performances from the leads (Cooper and Lady Gaga) but also from the supporting actors (Sam Elliott, Dave Chappelle, Andrew Dice Clay (!)). Lady Gaga was primed to win an Oscar eventually, and this was the movie to do it (Best Original Song). Seriously, listen to "Shallow" once and it'll get stuck in your head forever. 6. The Favourite: A fantastic quasi-true tale of two cousins and their competitive relationship with the manic and mentally ill Queen Anne, rife with humor, quick wit, jealousy, and pure maliciousness. The whole movie is essentially a masterclass on acting, with dynamic performances from the three leading ladies (Olivia Colman in an Academy Award winning performance, Emma Stone, Rachel Wiesz) and a hilarious turn from Nicholas Hoult. Incredible direction from the brilliant Yorgos Lanthimos, great cinematography, and one of the best screenplays I've seen come to life in a long while. 5. Game Night: A raucous madcap movie about a group of friends who's game night goes hilariously wrong, this might be one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long long time. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams absolutely kill it as the lead couple, with McAdams delivering dynamite comedic chops that I didn't even know she possessed. It's a laugh-a-minute riot that contains so many clever and downright funny jokes that it makes me ALMOST want a sequel. 4. Roma: Alfonso Cuaron's personal love letter to his Mexican heritage and the women that loved him, this movie follows the life of a live-in maid and a middle class family in 1970's Mexico. The movie is essentially Cuaron's canvas, painting an autobiographical picture through wide one-shot takes and gorgeous panoramic camera work. The acting performances, especially from Yalitza Aparicio and Marina De Tavira, feel real and genuine, allowing their actions and emotions to successfully portray a story of love, hope, despair, and family. 3. Mission Impossible: Fallout: Quite simply the best action movie of 2018, possibly of the last 5 or 10 years. Tom Cruise absolutely puts in his best work as the invincible Ethan Hunt. The action set pieces and sequences are breath taking and feel somewhat organic, never relying too much on CGI and green screen. It is a complete action movie that boasts great performances from the entire cast, heart-pounding and energetic action scenes, and an awesome story. After 22 years, this is truly the best movie of the franchise, which shows no signs of slowing down at this point. 2. Avengers: Infinity War: If Black Panther set the bar high for superhero movies in 2018, Infinity War was able to set the bar even higher, which is insane when you think about it. Infinity War eclipses Black Panther just by the sheer impact this movie had on the franchise. While it's packed to the brim with the usual action, humor, and great performances we come to expect from Marvel movies at this point, this movie changed the game with a solid as hell villain in Josh Brolin's Thanos, a destructive force that no other Marvel movie had ever possessed before. With one snap, everything changed, and the heroes of the brilliant MCU were put in a position we hadn't seen before: pure desperation mode. Cannot wait for Endgame. 1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: I wrote a really long review for this, and if you're curious to read it, I would highly recommend it. I'll keep this brief: this is the best superhero movie and best overall movie of 2018. Hilarious, heartfelt, action-packed, and has the best and most inventive animation I've seen in years. I haven't laughed this hard at any of the MCU movies, not that that's a knock on the MCU, it's just that this movie, specifically Phil Lord and Chris Miller, executed humor better. I love this movie so much I would go as far as to say that this is my favorite superhero movie of all time and one of my favorite movies of all time. While I saw tons of great movies in 2018 (I didn't even include movies like A Quiet Place or Ralph Breaks the Internet, both of which were fantastic), there were also some absolute duds in 2018 as well. Here are the 5 worst movies I saw in 2018. 5. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald: The first Fantastic Beasts movie was so good, like so much better than it should have been, and after that high this movie was such a downer. Too many things happening with too many unnecessary characters and plot lines that went nowhere, has one of the dumbest character deaths I've ever seen in a movie, and not nearly enough, ya know, fantastic beasts. After this disappointment here's to hoping the next movie is better. 4. Hurricane Heist: I'm gonna be completely honest, I don't remember a whole lot about this movie. I just remember it being really dumb and forgettable. I remember there was a hurricane and a heist. Yeah, it was definitely a movie I watched. 3. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom: Jurassic World was a pleasant surprise that, although it wasn't perfect, it jumpstarted the franchise back to life and provided for an entertaining and somewhat smooth ride. Fallen Kingdom proves to be not all that entertaining and almost singlehandedly destroys the spirit of the franchise with awful acting, the worst story so far, and by retreading many of the same tired tropes that have been plaguing the franchise since the very beginning. Oh and that ending? Just...no. 2. The Meg: A B-movie about a giant megalodon that should've been more fun but it was no fun at all. Jason Statham does unbelievable Jason Statham things and there's not nearly enough, ya know, megalodon. Also, Rainn Wilson as the smarmy bad guy? Uh...no thanks. 1. A Wrinkle In Time: How did the final cut of this movie ever get approved? Shouldn't have someone watched this before it was released and go, hm, this really isn't good? Did anyone read the book at all? Did no one do their research? Why didn't someone tell the child actors that their acting wasn't good? Why did they change how the characters were portrayed from the book? Why did they gloss over some of the most important parts of the books? Why did they decide to unnecessarily insert some of the cringiest "humor" and most outdated cultural references in this movie? How did celebrated director Ava DuVernay mess up this much? I may never know any of the answers to these questions, but one thing is certain: this movie is just terrible. |
AuthorBuster Bigelow: 30 year old lover of movies, cinema, and music. Whether you agree or disagree with my reviews, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments! Archives
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"Every great film should seem new every time you see it."
-Roger Ebert
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