Captain Marvel Upside Down

Amid all the cynicism and sexist attacks, it’s easy to forget that Captain Marvel is actually good. Sure, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the best MCU movies — it’s a little flatter than Thor or Doctor Strange and isn’t as funny or as emotionally wrenching — but it has an undeniable charm, especially when Brie Larson shines as its masked hero. It’s also a film about a woman who fights back against the forces that delegitimize her, which feels like an era-appropriate touch.

The movie’s plot centers around Carol Danvers, a human far from Earth who joins the elite Kree commando team led by Yon-Rogg (Jude Law). But she’s not quite what they expect her to be: In public, she’s the take-no-prisoners soldier with the flaming fists; in private, she’s struggling to remember her past. This duality allows the filmmakers to eschew many of the usual superhero origin tropes — the requisite black hole, the memory-wipe device, etc. — while still positioning the hero as a true savior.

One other thing that helps Captain Marvel rise above the pack of cookie-cutter blockbusters is its supporting cast, particularly Annette Bening’s Supreme Intelligence. The sage of Hala is more Buddy Russo than Popeye Doyle, which makes her a welcome counterpoint to Danvers’ relentless determination. The film also outfits its hero not with a blandly handsome male romantic partner, but with a badass female colleague (Lashana Lynch) to whom she can ace the Bechdel test like it swiped the answer key.