Captain Marvel
So I went to see Captain Marvel today - and I in no way regret it :)
So - given where they decided to slot this in the timeline they had some limitations and they had a little fun too ;)
It's a good film - it's not uber sparkley and extra, but to be honest, it was refreshing. It's the type of film that should be normal with a female lead, but the truth is, female lead films are generally romances. (Even the ones that are about personal growth involve a romance that colour the lead's choices ala Devil that Wears Prada)
There were so many little touches and nods to the time period. It felt most like a buddy cop film (just with bonus buddies!) plot wise it just missed out the romance (yay! though the stereotypical buddy cop role of the 80s and 90s films was split between Nick and Maria - Maria got the bro-ship elements rather than Nick)
There are aspects of what life as a woman can be like, and half of it most likely doesn't stand out to....everyone. (People will notice the smile moment, because it's a thing that is most highlighted). One even got used as an arcing theme/challenge - Your emotions are your weakness. You can't beat the man if you're emotions are in play.
Then there's smaller things, like the moment when she points out that her dad lets the boys drive, and so many more subtle elements of the flashbacks, alongside the blatant cockpit comment. And the support between the women.
I liked the twists (from female Mar-Vell and the source of Carol's power being an object not Mar'Vell, to the Skrull). I liked the way the plot flowed (much more cop/thirller than superhero) and the fact it was more fluid than 'this is the villan and this is the hero'.
It's a nice counterpoint to Wonder Woman - a woman who gained power and became a hero v the woman born with power and raised to be a hero.
It's as much a film of now as it is the 90s (the Skrull story is the most 'now' aspect). I loved Maria and Monica and Nick's snark (sorry Fury's snark ;)) and the way he bounced off Carol. Plus, he lost his eye to a not-cat.
They made certain choices, by just giving glimpses of Carol's life before, just hinting at just how much she had to fight and keep getting up to get to where she did. (I still think the funniest thing, as an aircraft techs daughter, when it comes to fighter pilots - men aren't suited to it. They can't cope as well with all the controls and things to do as women (especially in modern aircraft - men tend to test lower in all but one aspect). The ONLY reason men dominate as pilots is that women can struggle more with the g forces. That's it.)
I liked Carol. She does not apologise. She does not choose to limit herself, but she did need to prove to herself that she has nothing to prove. She's well rounded, and just like any man in any action film that people will rave about. (Which makes me v sad that this film will likely get far less attention and postive reviews that your average male led action film :/)
It'll be interesting to see how Carol interacts with the Avengers, and how they have chosen to develop her (she's been gone/wandering the universe for 20 years or so, had time to really sit with her powers). Hopefully the Russos will treat her well....but we'll see....
This entry was originally posted at https://weaselett.dreamwidth.org/206491.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
So - given where they decided to slot this in the timeline they had some limitations and they had a little fun too ;)
It's a good film - it's not uber sparkley and extra, but to be honest, it was refreshing. It's the type of film that should be normal with a female lead, but the truth is, female lead films are generally romances. (Even the ones that are about personal growth involve a romance that colour the lead's choices ala Devil that Wears Prada)
There were so many little touches and nods to the time period. It felt most like a buddy cop film (just with bonus buddies!) plot wise it just missed out the romance (yay! though the stereotypical buddy cop role of the 80s and 90s films was split between Nick and Maria - Maria got the bro-ship elements rather than Nick)
There are aspects of what life as a woman can be like, and half of it most likely doesn't stand out to....everyone. (People will notice the smile moment, because it's a thing that is most highlighted). One even got used as an arcing theme/challenge - Your emotions are your weakness. You can't beat the man if you're emotions are in play.
Then there's smaller things, like the moment when she points out that her dad lets the boys drive, and so many more subtle elements of the flashbacks, alongside the blatant cockpit comment. And the support between the women.
I liked the twists (from female Mar-Vell and the source of Carol's power being an object not Mar'Vell, to the Skrull). I liked the way the plot flowed (much more cop/thirller than superhero) and the fact it was more fluid than 'this is the villan and this is the hero'.
It's a nice counterpoint to Wonder Woman - a woman who gained power and became a hero v the woman born with power and raised to be a hero.
It's as much a film of now as it is the 90s (the Skrull story is the most 'now' aspect). I loved Maria and Monica and Nick's snark (sorry Fury's snark ;)) and the way he bounced off Carol. Plus, he lost his eye to a not-cat.
They made certain choices, by just giving glimpses of Carol's life before, just hinting at just how much she had to fight and keep getting up to get to where she did. (I still think the funniest thing, as an aircraft techs daughter, when it comes to fighter pilots - men aren't suited to it. They can't cope as well with all the controls and things to do as women (especially in modern aircraft - men tend to test lower in all but one aspect). The ONLY reason men dominate as pilots is that women can struggle more with the g forces. That's it.)
I liked Carol. She does not apologise. She does not choose to limit herself, but she did need to prove to herself that she has nothing to prove. She's well rounded, and just like any man in any action film that people will rave about. (Which makes me v sad that this film will likely get far less attention and postive reviews that your average male led action film :/)
It'll be interesting to see how Carol interacts with the Avengers, and how they have chosen to develop her (she's been gone/wandering the universe for 20 years or so, had time to really sit with her powers). Hopefully the Russos will treat her well....but we'll see....
This entry was originally posted at https://weaselett.dreamwidth.org/206491.html. Please comment there using OpenID.