Captain Marvel

“Captain Marvel” takes place in the 1990s and is intended to bridge the gap in time between previous MARVEL movies that take place in the past with the newer movies taking place more recently. The movie introduces us to the character of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), who (as Captain Marvel) is set to play a big role in the “Avengers: Endgame” movie, due out shortly.

I am going to attempt to give a brief “big picture” synopsis without giving away too much of the plot, as the mention of names and other titles would be clues to comic fans as to where the movie is heading.

We are introduced to the main character, Vers, a Kree warrior on the planet Hala, where the Kree are in a war against the Skrulls, a race of shape-shifters. Through the story, we are introduced to Yon-Rogg, who is Vers’ Kree Starforce commander, and the rest of Yon-Rogg’s team. A mission to free a Kree spy puts the movie into motion, where Vers will have to deal with the Skrulls, finding herself on Earth, and working with S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). She also must deal with dreams that have been bothering her for some time and what that means for her relationships with the Kree, the Skrulls, and those she meets on Earth.

Credit must be given to the production team, as their re-creation of the 1990s was pretty much spot on. The cars, Blockbuster, Radio Shack and the music all are used well to take us “back in time,” and they did a great job. As an Air Force veteran, I couldn’t help but enjoy all the Air Force things in the movie—new and old fighters, and an off-base bar for pilots to have fun and play “crud” (ask your nearest AF veteran what that is) were great. I also appreciated the tribute at the end of the credits to an Air Force pilot, Maj Stephen “Cajun” Del Bagno, who was a Thunderbirds member who helped advise the producers and cast during production and was unfortunately killed in a training crash shortly afterwards. I also appreciated the last cameo of Stan Lee, and the tribute the producers gave him during the opening montage.

Objectionable Content

Language: When I review a movie, I see the movie twice—once for the “wow” factor, and once to really scrutinize different areas of the movie. I must admit that I went into the first showing preparing myself for language that would really be troublesome. Early Marvel movies, although using words that aren’t normally used in polite conversation, avoided “G*d-d**n” and other extremely offensive words. “Captain America: Civil War” did include “G*d-d**n,” and knowing that Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) isn’t shy about using offensive words in many of his movies, I was prepared for the worst. I left the first showing thinking “wow,” I didn’t hear many offensive words, and only a few other unpleasant ones. I’m disappointed that when I attended the second showing, I noticed many unpleasant words that I had missed the first time, including “Oh my G*d”. There is also a scene where a male pilot implies another meaning for the term “cockpit.” It is a lesson that I need to be more discerning and not lower my standards simply for entertainment.

OMG, da*n it, a*s in various forms, sh*t, and h*ll are all in the movie, but I did notice they were not used as often as in many other films, including “Ant Man” and others. There was also the phrase “mother flucker”—even though referring to a character and not the traditional offensive phrase, was still included for humor, and left no doubts what was meant.

Sex/Nudity: There is a scene on the beach with surfers wear normal cold weather surfing attire—upper bodies in wetsuits with swim trunks for men and bikini bottoms for the women, but there is nothing revealing or sensual about the scene. There is also a scene of an alien autopsy where the dead alien is covered at his waist with no other clothing, and there is also a “joke” associated with this scene that was unnecessary.

Violence: There are numerous scenes of violence and killing.

Items of Note

There is a character called the Supreme Intelligence. I was first concerned that it was going to be a god for a planet; it is not, but this is not fleshed out until much later in the movie.

The main character must deal with lying and deception from those she trusts.

It was also obvious that plot points about war and refugees was intended to be a commentary on current events.

Due to the language and the violence, I urge caution about the ages children attending. I saw many as young as 6 or 7 attending, in full MARVEL superhero costumes, and was saddened because of the language and the violence they were exposed to.

Lessons

Friendship: Friends are held in high regard in the movie—from Carol, as she struggles on Earth, to the Skrulls and the issues they face. Given deception is a major part of the plot, consider 1 Corinthians 15:33,

“Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character’.”

Mercy: Shown by Captain Marvel during the climactic fight scene at the end of the movie. Luke 6:36 says,

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful”.

Forgiveness: At one point, Captain Marvel and an alien have a conversation about how they were part of the horrors of war. Although not explicit, the intent is that there should be forgiveness as part of moving forward. Philippians 3:13…

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead…”

War: In the end, war is not glorified, and is seen as an evil that destroys much, particularly an unjust war. Exodus 20:13,

“You shall not murder.”

Responsibility: Captain Marvel’s decision at the end of the movie, to do something away from Earth, is a sacrifice and the acceptance of responsibility, despite what the individual wants.

Closing Thoughts

I normally watch a movie to discern whether it intends to honor God (the movie “Courageous,” for example) or not. I then watch to see if it is attempting to overtly be anti-Christ, via language, sex and nudity, the occult, and the like, or if it is characterized by simply a lack of focus on God (which Christians would still understand that there truly is not a neutral point of view—you are either seeing something that honors God or not). This movie seems to me to be neutral towards God, in that there is not anything that overtly attacks Christianity, but there is also nothing that is edifying to a Christian. Although some of the film’s lessons could have a parallel theme that is Biblically-based, I would not say that this is what was intended by producers; there is no underlying Christology in the movie.

I was also alert to the switch from a male lead character to a female character, and wondered if the movie would be nothing more than a “girls are good, boys are bad.” I did not feel the film bashed men, it seemed fairly even-handed about genders. I was pleasantly surprised at the lessening of bad language, as well as the lack of issues with sex and nudity.

The story could have been stronger, particularly the ending, but I did enjoy it—knowing it is a starting point for the entry of Captain Marvel into the MCU. Those who like the MCU and superhero movies will problably enjoy this film. Keep in mind the very heavy violence level and the language, and please limit viewers to adults and older teens. Just because the language is “relatively” mild, certainly does not mean it is God-honoring.

• Violence: Very Heavy
• Profane language: Moderate— • “Oh my G*d” (2) • “d*mn” (3) • “H*ll” (5)
• Vulgar/Crude language: Moderately Heavy— • “mother-fl****” • “You know why they call it the cockpit?” • “sh*t-hole” • “sh*t” • ugly-a** • “a*”* (2) • “cr*pped” • “b*stards”
• Nudity: Minor
• Sex: None, but a joke about male parts
• Occult: None

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.

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