While Captain Marvel should’ve created a seismic “superhero landing” crater of an entrance, Marvel’s first female-led standalone is more a radio-dubbed nostalgia mixtape. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s turned-back time capsule stresses (righteous) empowerment over storytelling, allows (talented) supporting characters to outshine title heroes, and relies on 90s remembrance to a cumbersome degree. Much like how I remarked about Stephen Strange after 2016’s equally bogged-down Doctor Strange, Carol Danvers will shine much brighter when interacting with Marvel’s greater ensemble despite underselling her solo project.

Translation: Captain Marvel is a pretty alright McU origin tale.

Brie Larson’s portrayal of an Air Force pilot turned Kree superhero ranges quite the journey but has shallow depth. We meet Captain Marvel as “Vers,” her Kree-given name under Yon-Rogg’s (Jude Law) elite command. An especially dangerous extraction mission is ambushed by Skrull warriors, led by Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), which...