Captain Marvel review — Everything you want in a female superhero origin story—and a little less.

Captain Marvel almost has it all: excitement, wit, plot twists, multi-faceted villains and stunning visual effects. What it doesn’t have is the gravitas of a Wonder Woman, but many genre fans are okay with that. They’re there mostly to see the set-up for  Avengers: End Game anyway.

For those of you who aren’t so much into the Marvel Universe, let me break it down for you, and that will make Captain Marvel all the more enjoyable. At the end of Avengers: Infinity War,  half of the superheroes became dust in the wind, and just before he was granulated, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), dropped some kind of a communications device with Captain Marvel’s logo on it, indicating he was calling her for help.

So who is this most powerful of all superheroes, where did she come from, and how come she packs so much of a wallop? That’s what Captain Marvel is all about—it takes us back to the 90’s, when Captain Marvel was born as a superhero.

Oscar-winning actress from Room, Brie Larson, dons the superhero suit, and while she wears it well, directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (who also co-wrote the script with Geneva Robertson-Dworet) keep her on an extremely tight leash, without giving her the freedom to be the edgy badass expected of such a powerful superhero. She is (and I hate to say it) somewhat bland, unlike Wonder Woman Gal Gadot.

But that doesn’t mean the movie is uninspired. Far from it. It never gets old seeing a younger, smoother Nick Fury (Jackson, with phenomenal digital effects). And supporting performances from Annette Bening, Clark Gregg, Jude Law, Lashana Lynch and Lee Pace (whom I can never get enough of) add great dimension to the film.

A little more humor, a little more edge, and a little less cliche bashing and crashing, and Captain Marvel would rank among the best. As it is, it’s just one more fun addition to the Marvel Universe.

Rated PG-13

2 Hours 8 Minutes

If you’re inspired to run out and see this film after reading this Captain Marvel review, find times and tickets at a theater near you at Fandango.com.

Captain Marvel review — Everything you want in a female super hero origin story—and just a little less.