In a packed theater, I excitedly watched “Captain Marvel.” Released on March 8, it was perfectly timed for International Women’s Day. The film is an origin story about Carol Danvers ( played by Brie Larson), a former Air Force Pilot turned superheroine. After seeing DC’s “Wonder Woman” in 2017, one of the first superhero movies I was actually excited to see, I had high expectations for another female led superhero film. Would “Captain Marvel” give me the same feeling of empowerment? It did not disappoint.

In 2018, Larson accepted the Crystal Award for Excellence  at the Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards, using her speech as an opportunity to speak about the under representation of minorities in the film critic industry. She cited that in 2017 there was an overwhelming amount of reviews by white males, with fewer by women, and an even smaller amount by women of color. She encouraged more diversity in reviews, suggesting that a white man’s opinion on a film was not the only opinion to determine if something is worth watching.

After this, Rotten Tomatoes, IMDB, and other reviewing sites were flooded with one-star reviews, counteracted by 10/10 ones. With words like “SJW” and “Liberal” being thrown around, I was left thinking, “What is even going on here?” To me, Larson’s comments were with good intention. She wasn’t saying white men shouldn’t watch this movie because it wasn’t made for you. She was saying reviews of films about people of diverse backgrounds should come from a diverse perspective.

Controversy aside, walking into that theater, I had no idea about the rating war circling the latest Marvel flick. The story follows Danvers, a Kree (alien) warrior, in the midst of a galactic war against the Skrull (also aliens)  Sure, it had its flaws. The storyline was a bit slow, and the non-linear structure was sometimes confusing. Perhaps that was the point, to portray Danver’s confusion as she slowly pieces her life back together. The movie could have easily been longer to give more background on the world and its characters.

It wasn’t perfect, but it had some notable points.

Samuel L. Jackson and Brie Larson’s chemistry was something I didn’t know I needed in my life. Their screen time had laughs echoing throughout the theater.  The soundtrack was great, with a song by Nirvana, and a fight scene to No Doubt’s “Just a Girl.” Sign me up.

Most importantly, the cat, Goose, stole the show!

Overall, this movie was a joy to see in theaters and left me wanting more. I left the theater feeling just as empowered as after seeing “Wonder Woman.” It was a fun movie, and I highly recommend it for Marvel fans and non-Marvel fans alike.

My rating: 8/10