The initial social media reactions to Captain Marvel from last month by the press were nothing short of promising. Critics were immensely pleased by the film’s epic sci-fi tone along with the cast performances, most notably by Ben Mendelsohn. Today, the official reviews are here and the chorus of praise continues for Marvel Studios’ first female-led film!
Captain Marvel hits all the right notes, but it feels like it was released at the wrong time. There’s too much anticipation and dread right now to fully enjoy this heroic cul-de-sac. It doesn’t quite set up the twists you might want it to, and its many expansions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe feel like fodder for future movies, not the impending Endgame itself. Carol Danvers would have been better served with an explosive entrance in Endgame, then her own standalone to kick off the MCU’s next phase. Right now this movie is an obligatory addendum to the Avengers story, when it deserved to be an essential opening chapter. – Gamespot
With a luminous and powerful Brie Larson starring as a woman with a knockout punch that would have daunted Muhammad Ali, the news is not that this pre-sold property about a superhero coming into her own will sell a ton of tickets, it’s that it is actually good. – LA Times
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. And if it came down to a one-on-one between rival franchise uber warriors Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel, there is no doubt who would inspire the heavy betting. – THR
As a Nick Fury buddy comedy, it’s fun. As a feminist fable it’s essential. This takes a while to really get going, but when Carol Danvers takes off she is unstoppable. – Empire
With a screenplay penned predominately by women – Tomb Raider’s Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Guardians Of The Galaxy’s Nicole Perlman and Inside Out’s Meg LeFauve share writing credits with Boden and Fleck – it’s unsurprising there are some powerful, political, female-centric punch-the-air moments that land hard and lift the second half of the movie. It might be set in the ’90s, but Captain Marvel is current, diverse and packed with great sentiments, particularly for young female viewers. – Den of Geek
Above all else, Captain Marvel is fun, in a way that superhero movies sometimes forget to be — packed with rat-a-tat banter and Star Wars-worthy dog fights. The laughs continue, even through the most intense, flashy fight sequences, and the ’90s music cues and pop culture Easter eggs are an added bonus as Carol battles for the greater good, rising to meet a galactic threat without any sort of obligatory romantic subplot to weigh her down. Thanos is going to need to up his game, because Captain Marvel is coming in higher, further, faster. – ET Online
It does still suffer some of the origin movie drawbacks (as always, particularly noticeable to those familiar with the source material), but it also avoids enough of them to still feel like a standout compared to, for example, Doctor Strange or Ant-Man. Overall it marks another tremendously exciting addition to the expansive big screen universe, the anticipation for her next adventure is immediately at maximum. – Cinemablend
Captain Marvel marks the 21st addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is an origin story unlike any other. It’s chock full of ‘90s nostalgia, not just in memorabilia you’ll spot, but also in its storytelling and soundtrack. And the film just screams “girl power,” not the least of which is because it features the best female friendship the MCU has ever seen. – io9
Without a doubt, Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel is going to be one of the anchors of whatever phase of movies we are about to enter. And, if Captain Marvel is any indication, these movies are about to get a little more weird. – Uproxxx
While the film veers into Marvel’s tendency to make light of Big Superhero Moments, Captain Marvel is a very much a sincere film. It’s a Superman film with a sense of cosmic fun, an origin story in which the origin is as much a mystery to the audience as it is to the character. Captain Marvel doesn’t quite become the powerful feminist movie it purports to be, but it is empowering. And that is enough to raise it to be one of the better Marvel origin movies. – Slashfilm
