Higher. Further. Faster. It’s the mantra that dragged us in, but what does it mean? Where did it come from? By now, you may have heard of Captain Marvel, the newest superhero addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

This film takes us to a planet called Hala, where an alien race, the Kree, thrive. Just like most alien races, they are at war with another alien race, known as Skrulls. On Hala, we meet Veers, a Kree Warrior with no previous memories. We are drawn into her struggle of nightmares, emotions, and personal identity. If you haven’t guessed already, Veers is the Kree identity of Captain Marvel.

As with any origin film, we must get to know our protagonist, which is quite difficult when the character doesn’t even know who they are to start with. We start off by seeing a witty, young, warrior. She comes off as arrogant and her one-liners are pretty corny. This is throughout the whole film.

If you’ve been following the Marvel Cinematic Universe, then you already know the drill. Powerful character meets an evil powerful character and fights for justice, typically delivering quick quips, and one-liners galore. This movie was no different, although something felt off.

Let’s go back to the movie’s theme of self-discovery. Captain Marvel, or Carol Danvers, has zero clue as to who she is, but she suffers from constant flashback-like dreams. Based off of these dreams, and the clues she finds, she puts together who she is and where she came from (with the help of others). Of course, this is amidst a war, and being an individual with intense power, she feels it is her war to fight.

While fighting this war, she meets more and more people who end up being linked to her past. While this is good for her, it also is not. Throughout the movie, it feels like you’re watching a character develop based on the prenotions of others. Captain Marvel accepts what people tell her, and becomes who they claim she is. In fact, it never feels like she becomes who she thinks she is, personality wise.

From what we get in the movie, Danvers pre-superhero, was an all-American woman, turned air force pilot. As a female, she always wanted to be better than the boys in her life. She always showed perseverance, and strength in times of great weakness, and was constantly trying to go harder. This is probably why she comes off as arrogant before we get to know her.

In the air force, she struggles as a female. In this era, women are not allowed to fly the planes, and are often not taken seriously. This doesn’t discourage her dreams of wanting to fly. This attitude often leads to her getting knocked down, and it seems as though Carol might never get where she wants to be.

As a Kree Warrior, she is told her powers were given to her and can always be taken away. This is to prevent her from slipping up. She works hard to keep emotions at bay, and follow Kree laws, but to her, something is missing.

Once Carol puts all the pieces of her past together, she erupts out of her confusion, anger, and dismay, yet something still feels off. With all this said, the development of the character and those surrounding her was quite lacking throughout.

Now let’s talk action. This movie is fast paced, and quite thrilling, although it has sort of a comedic feel. Think Thor: Ragnarok meets Guardians of the Galaxy, just less funny, and kind of confusing. In more serious moments, the scene is accompanied with off-feeling music, and Captain Marvel doesn’t really seem to be putting up much of a fight. Yes, she is a super-powerful, energy-filled character, but come on, she just got these powers. How does she learn how to use them so fast?
Another point to be made is Nick Fury’s character. He is not the same Fury we know today, and not just because he has both eyes. Of course, this is pre-Avengers, and Captain Marvel is the first super-powered being he’s ever met. Still, it seems as though he is constantly needing to be saved and is in a constant state of confusion.
At the end of the day, it was definitely worth the watch. As corny as most of them are, the one-liners are still pretty funny. Although the journey of self-discovery was a little empty, Brie Larson held a strong lead as her role of Captain Marvel, and proved she had what it takes to be a superhero on the big screen. The film did a wonderful job capturing perseverance as well as female-empowerment. After all, Carol Danvers was always trying to be better than the boys. Higher. Further. Faster.