This Week In Home Entertainment: “Captain Marvel” (Blu-ray Review)
Watching Captain Marvel At Home
Captain Marvel hit theaters early March 219 and immediately turned women in the MCU on its head. Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers was brash, bold and quick with a perfectly timed, dry-witted, quip. This wasn’t a 90s flavored origin story that made no bones about putting its complicated superhero front and center. This film integrated the origin story of Nick Fury with a story that gave equal time to starting this Director-to-be on his path and unraveling the missing years from Carol Danvers’ memory.
When I watched Captian Marvel in theaters, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story’s pacing left room for plenty of character development and hat-tips to the superhero’s comic origins while integrating many elements into the MCU with fresh faces, personalities, backstories. It opens the door for the next phase of Marvel stories without losing focus on telling its primary story. Despite the fanboy uproar that thinks anything not geared towards them is political, Captian Marvel more than satisfied viewers who came to see the MCU’s female superhero’s solo film.
Perfect Story Focus
It’s never a bad thing when a re-watch reveals the level to a story you may have overlooked the first time through. Captain Marvel is about realizing that sometimes, the ties that bind may just be the thing keeping you from realizing your true potential. They can blind you to your true loyalty, convince you that connections and emotions are only valid if expressed a certain way and that family and friends can be liabilities. Now, the film isn’t overtly in your face with its themes and messaging but it’s not exactly burying the lead. Carol Danvers goes from being an Ace pilot only able to fly as part of a secret project because the US military refused to permit women (even highly qualified and badass women) to fly combat missions to being ‘Vers Kree warrior convinced that this alien race gave her an implant that is the true source of her powerful abilities.
Watching this story reveal itself is invigorating, amusing, and refreshing. None of the characters behave in expected ways emotionally and the story builds plenty of layers into their personalities particularly when it comes to showcasing her relationship with the Rambeaus, Maria and Monica (played by Lashana Lynch and Akira Akbar), and their found-family dynamic. These performances and their importance to both balancing Brie Larson’s portrayal and telling this story with flair stood out, even more, this time around.
Bonus Content & Extras:
I always appreciate when a Blu-ray includes interesting featurettes and extras it makes for great behind-the-scenes info and sometimes can make a re-watch that much more engaging. This time around Marvel shared insight into the directors behind Captian Marvel and what went into bringing the first female superhero center stage.
- Audio Commentary: Captain Marvel is absolutely worth watching with the director commentary on. I thoroughly enjoy listening to how certain moments came together and impacted what made the final cut and why certain story directions hit the edit room floor.
The Blu-ray/Digital Package Content:
This time around, viewers get a nice mix of good stuff, some of which will throw put several memorable film moments into a whole new light. I still can’t decide if I wish these scenes had been in the theatrical release or not.
- Big Hero Moment: A brief rewind on the character of Captain Marvel and her introduction into the MCU.
- The Origin of Nick Fury: Nick Fury is the lynchpin of the MCU and Captain Marvel is the gateway into what set him on his path
- The Dream Team: A short featurette focusing on directing duo, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.
- The Skrulls and the Kree: A short featurette about these two alien races and how they factor into the MCU
- Hiss-sterical Cat-titude: A 90’s-esque press reel about the casting process for everyone’s favorite Flerken, Goose.
- Gag Reel: 2 minutes of bloopers and outtakes. The last one alone is worth everything.
- Deleted Scenes
- “Who Do You Admire Above All Others?”: Yon-Rogg visit’s the Supreme Intelligence and we finally get the answer to what he sees when conversing.
- Starforce Recruits: Yon-Rogg and Vers banter in front of a class of young Kree students.
- Heading to Torfa: Starforce members banter on their way to Torfa
- “What, No Smile?”: An (hilarious) alternate version of the motorcycle scene.
- Black Box: Keller tries to track down Carol and Nick.
- Rookie Mistake – Novice S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson helps Director Keller out of an embarrassing situation.
Digital Exclusives:
- Journey into Visual Effects with Victoria Alonso – Experience how filmmakers’ visions of the MCU come to life on-screen through the skill of the Visual Effects team.
- What Makes a Memory: Inside the “Mind Frack” – What does it take to craft an action-packed sequence for a Marvel Studios film? Nothing short of an epic team effort!
- Concept Art – Explore artwork from “Captain Marvel” and trace the visual development of characters.
- On-Set Images – Uncover a trove of behind-the-scenes and production photography.
The now standard quick turn-around-time from theater to home entertainment means you can add Captian Marvel to your home collection as of June 11, 2019.
Marvel’s Captain Marvel’s available in:
