Starring Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn, Clark Gregg, Gemma Chan

Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck

Marvel, out now

Starforce operative Vers is fighting to defend the Kree homework’s from the invading Skrulls. During a planned extraction of one of her fellow agents she finds herself crashing to 1990s Earth and experiencing some deja vu.

Much like that smirk on Wonder Woman’s face when she’s fighting Doomsday in Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, so too does Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers when she’s in full Captain Marvel mode let out whoops of joy as she’s batting the baddies around. And that continued sense of fun is what carries us through this kinetic origins story. A lot of focus has centred on this being Marvel’s first solo lead female movie, which in itself seems a nonsense 19 years into the 21st Century, and surely the real measure should be whether it’s a good film, not whether it’s a good female-led superhero movie – thankfully it’s both.

By sitting in the mid 1990s, the movie is pre MCU and takes the opportunity to set up events and characters that would later define Iron Man, The Avengers et al. A nicely de-aged Samuel L Jackson presents us with a two-eyed pre-patch Fury (not Nick or Nicholas), joined by another familiar SHIELD face. It’s a smart move, as it guarantees the validity of the movie within the Marvel universe. Fanboy man-babies may want to challenge its credentials, but how can you when it’s linked in so many different ways to the others?

Brie Larson is great, both as the impetuous and troubled Vers and then as the confident Carol Danvers. It’s a nice move letting us discover her true origins and identity at the same as the character, the structure of the movie being as much a mystery as an action flick. It also helps that for a lot of viewers the character will be fresh, not carrying the baggage of previous incarnations or knowing too much about her background.

Goose the cat (not Chewie as in the comics) is a clever device – kids love him (as does Fury) and he’s the focus of many of the movie’s funniest moments. Kudos also to Skrull Talos (Rogue One’s Ben Mendelsohn) whose Australian accent really suits his green, orc-like visage, and Jude Law’s Yon-Rogg (where did they get that name? [from Stan Lee – Your Excelsior-Extolling Ed]) as Vers’ trainer and squadron leader.

As you’d expect, the visual effects and sound design are excellent and Pinar Toprak’s score delivers a punchy main theme with a cheeky synth baseline. Make sure you stick around for the credits – there’s an essential mid-credits sequence and a comedic one right at the end.

Verdict: Fun, funny, popcorn entertainment that easily sits alongside its Marvel stablemates. As a girl, young Carol keeps picking herself up and proving that she’s a girl who can. As an adult women she most certainly still can. Roll on Avengers: Endgame. 8/10

Nick Joy