Captain Marvel was described - when she first appeared in her own dedicated comic book - as a "a bold new super-heroine in the senses-stunning tradition of Spider Man".
I was drawn to see Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) because her name is the essence of the Marvel brand. I was hoping that her story would provide an anchor to all the other Marvel superheroes, and the film delivers on that promise.
The film begins in the middle of an action sequence that poses many questions, which the film then unveils.
Rather than being a film whose main concern is battling alien invaders, Captain Marvel traces and searches for the origins of her identity. She wants to know how her human identity, Carol Danvers, transmuted into Captain Marvel with powers far beyond those of mortal humans. Even the name Marvel is derived from Mar-vell, an alien Kree name.
As an added bonus, we learn why Nick Fury wears an eyepatch and even get an interesting morsel about his cat, Goose, which both add to the establishment story of Fury's position in the Marvel collection of super heroes.
Don't panic about there not being alien invaders because, of course, there are aliens, the Skrulls, creatures who can assume the shape of any lifeform, who are bent on overwhelming earth, while the benevolent Kree attempt to bring peace to the universe.
The revelation about the Skrulls true mission is handled in a somewhat clunky manner, as you are given one impression of who they are in the film's first half that is then overturned in the second half. Then again, subtlety is not why we watch superhero films.
There's also enough intergalactic engagement to satisfy action adventure enthusiasts. Humour is used liberally, too.
There are a lot of captains in the Marvel cinematic universe (you would think they would have been promoted to colonel by now) but Captain Marvel is the first to make me want to follow up her appearance in future adventures from Marvel.
