Captain Marvel

Marvel is a victim of its own success. They've been so good for so long that perfection is expected with every release. Their brand name now rivals the likes of Apple, Nike, or Coke. Slapping "Marvel" on a movie means $100M or more. That's not to say that they don't have to try, it's just to say that they don't have to try as hard. So, I don't say that they didn't try with Captain Marvel, I just don't think they gave their best effort.

With 19 years of Marvel movies it's hard to bring along a superhero that's going to wow people. Of course there are the Marvel faithfuls that would be pleased with anything that has Marvel's name on it but for those others--what's left? After a Spider-Man, the X-Men, Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Blade, Ant-Man, Black Panther, Deadpool, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, and a host of supporting characters even a Captain Marvel seems tame. And let's be honest, how many of us saw this movie because it's attached to The Avengers: End Game?

If I broke down my reasons for seeing Captain Marvel I'd say 50% because it's a Marvel movie, 40% because it's attached to The Avengers, and 10% because it's a superhero movie.

At this point it's not simply about powers anymore. Sure, the superpowers are cool but they can only take a movie so far. The story needs to be good and the lead character needs to be even better. I found Brie Larson dull. Besides fitting the look needed she offered nothing. She failed to distinguish herself in a world of distinguished superheros.

Marvel can easily absorb this loss and truthfully I'm probably in the minority by calling this a loss. IMO Captain Marvel didn't thrive on its own--much like Hulk didn't thrive on its own--not a problem, lets see how she does working with a team.