Captain Marvel Easter eggs

Hilarious image stolen from hilarious interwebs.

Heads up. This is spoiler country.

I'm going to tell you about some of the specific nerdy foiled-wrapped chocolate nuggs Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, their co-writers, and their Marvel overlords left behind for you to find in Captain Marvel. I'll admit that some of these aren't technically "Easter eggs" but are rather "nerdy comic book details loosely related to things I saw in the movie", which is way less catchy than "Easter eggs".

So if you stumbled in here by accident, you can still leave now without doing yourself a spoiler-related injury. I'm just padding out this top bit of the article in case you did stumble in here by accident. It happens all the time on the internet.

If you were looking for an actual review, here's one I prepared earlier. It's so spoiler-free I haven't even named Brie Larson's character in it. Shop around - you won't get a better deal than that.

Pictured: The Woman Without A Name.

Ok, still padding.

You still have time to leave. How about reading this ranking of all the MCU movies?

Oh, you're still here.

Ok, here we go then.

Monica Rambeau

Carol Danvers' best bud in the film is Maria Rambeau, but it's her daughter Monica Rambeau that you need to keep an eye on. Played by awesomely named youngster Akira Akbar, Monica grows up in the comics to be a character called Photon. You know, just like her mum's nickname, as painted on the side of her mum's jet. When Monica Rambeau was introduced in the comics, she was known as Captain Marvel. Then she became Photon. Oh, and Pulsar, Daystar, Sceptre, Lady of Light, Monica Marvel, Sun Goddess, and Spectrum. Just pick a name already. Anyway, she's got some serious powers in the comics.

Photon isn't the only kid floating around in the MCU destined to become a superhero. Cassie Lang, AKA daughter of Scott "Ant-Man" Lang, is known as Stature in the comics, and shares Ant-Man's size-changing abilities.

Goose the Flerken

In one of the best running jokes in the film, Goose the Cat is actually Goose the Flerken. According to the comics, a Flerken is an alien species that just happens to look like a cat. Flerkens are a somewhat rare race of creatures that contain pocket realities, which makes them somewhat like the Tardis - their insides are bigger than their outsides. And aside from the tentacles that can extend from their mouths (as seen in the film) they can lay up to 117 eggs. Makes you look at your cat a bit differently now, right? Also, it's pretty fair to assume Goose (renamed from Chewie in the comics) is named after the Top Gun character, given the film has a real Top Gun vibe at times.

Stan Lee's cameo

Stan Lee's cameo in Captain Marvel sees Stan Lee playing... Stan Lee. He's sitting on a bus reading the script for Mallrats, the comic book-loving Kevin Smith movie from 1995 that Stan Lee cameoed in... as Stan Lee. Kevin Smith subsequently tweeted that he wept tears of joy at this nod to his own oeuvre, partly because it means technically his films exist in the MCU.  It's a sweet gesture not only to Lee, but to Smith, who is a massive comic book nerd. Smith loves this shit, and it means the world to him. Watch him talking about it (and tearing up about it) here:

His humility and passion is a beautiful thing. He seems like a wonderful man. And so was Stan Lee, and this film not only pays homage to the Marvel icon via a cameo, but also through the opening Marvel logo and a nice acknowledgement.

The Supreme Intelligence

The Kree ruler in the film, as it is in the comics, is known as the Supreme Intelligence. In the film, the Supreme Intelligence appears differently to different people, kinda like the Wizard of Oz in L. Frank Baum's original book. But in the comics, the Supreme Intelligence is basically a fat ugly head floating in a jar. Why did they change this for the film? Two reasons (probably). Firstly, it allowed them to plant a seed about the mysteries of Captain Marvel's past - why is this woman appearing in Captain Marvel's dreams and why is she the personification of Captain Marvel's version of the Supreme Intelligence? But secondly, this was probably changed because the Supreme Intelligence is a fat ugly head floating in a jar. And that's fucking weird.

Mar-Vell

The first Captain Marvel in the comics was known by many names. His true Kree name was Mar-Vell, and his Earth identity was Dr Walter Lawson. In the film, he becomes a she, with Annette Bening playing Mar-Vell AKA Dr Wendy Lawson. Don't expect Mar-Vell to get her own origin story or spin-off - it might be too confusing to have a Mar-Vell movie and a Captain Marvel movie. But it's a nice nod to the character that kicked off the whole "Captain Marvel".

Secret Invasion

Firstly, some spoilerific stuff I couldn't mention in my Captain Marvel review. As a comic book fan, I actually like what they did with the Skrulls in the film, ie. made them not the bad guys. While obviously not straight-up-and-down good, the flip of making them victims meant the film had some surprises, even for the most well-read Marvel fans. It's great that these films can still keep us guessing. 

The introduction of the Skrulls means were probably going to get one of the biggest Marvel comic events in film form at some point soon - Secret Invasion. The basic premise is that Skrulls invade Earth by impersonating a few superheroes. It's the ultimate "who can you trust?" storyline. In fact, there are already fan theories floating around that this character or that character is probably already a Skrull and has been for several films. Expect plenty more of that in the future. Which isn't a good thing.

The mid-credits sequence

Does this even need explaining? Ok, fine. Nick Fury used his final act before turning to dust in Avengers: Infinity War to summon Captain Marvel with the quasi-futuristic pager she gave him in Captain Marvel. So that's her showing up (or responding to the page as it were) and meeting the unsuspecting Avengers in the mid-credits sequence. Got it? Good.

Captain Marvel

(M) ★★★½

Director: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck.

Cast: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Annette Bening, Clark Gregg, Jude Law.

The new ticket inspectors were a bit full on.

Despite the Marvel Cinematic Universe being a money factory and the biggest film franchise of all time, there's a lot riding on Captain Marvel. The main reason for this is that normal well-adjusted comic-book movie fans are hoping the film makes a metric shit-ton at the box office and gets plenty of critical kudos to silence the dickheaded horde of tiny-cocked, neckbearded incels who are too insecure to handle a female-led superhero movie or star Brie Larson suggesting it would be nice to have more diversity among critics.

The good news is Captain Marvel is good. It's not mind-blowing, but it's damned good fun, has a great sense of humour, and does more than enough to keep you guessing and entertained.

The plot centres on Larson's outer-space warrior, who is part of an intergalactic battle between two alien races. In between fights, she's been struggling to remember her past and learn more about the incredible power she has.

When a mission goes wrong, she finds herself stuck on Earth chasing some rogue aliens led by the devious Talos (Mendelsohn). Teaming up with government agent Nick Fury (Jackson) may be her only hope of catching Talos, but it also might help her uncover her past.

Firstly, it's awesome to see Marvel finally give us a female-led film. While it would have been nice to get a Black Widow or Scarlet Witch movie before now, the wait has certainly been worth it. Captain Marvel doesn't skimp on the girl power, but it doesn't make a big deal about it. And in reality, it's about overcoming adversity, disproving the naysayers, and getting back up when you get knocked down - core themes from the superhero subgenre for as long as its been around.

Captain Marvel's biggest strength is Larson. She's a firecracker, injecting humour and bravado with a lightness of touch that keeps things fun and firing. The film is at its best when she's teamed up with Jackson's Fury, who is an old hand at this, but seems like he's having the time of his life. Law also seems to be relishing his big superhero moment, while Mendelsohn does his best to bring some humanity to his role despite being buried under layers of prosthetics.

The film works best when Jackson and Larson are together. Their pairing harks back to the buddy cop action-comedies of the '80 and '90s, but this is the closest the film gets a distinctive style or identity like, say, the psychedelic Doctor Strange, the tribal-futurism and black power of Black Panther, or the first two Captain America films, which were heavily influenced by Raiders Of The Lost Ark and '70s spy paranoia films respectively. 

This leaves Captain Marvel feeling a little samey and occasionally generic. While its '90s setting and soundtrack help set it apart, it sometimes feels forced, particularly in its unsubtle wedging of Nirvana and No Doubt into two key moments. It obviously hopes to ape Guardians Of The Galaxy's Awesome Mixtape Volume 1, but it doesn't work anywhere near as well. 

But Captain Marvel has enough going for it to overlook its stylelessness and occasional heavy-handed musical moments. For starters, its plot is genuinely surprising, and the way it weaves its amnesia mystery is refreshing for a superhero movie. In place of the usual origin story, we have the origin as a question that we have to find the answer to, and the way that answer is wrapped up into the film's wider plot (and indeed the entire MCU) is intriguing. 

Captain Marvel has its flaws, but most of these only stand out because other MCU films have done these things better. Its connectivity to the wider franchise is good, but it suffers a little by comparison. Still, Captain Marvel is a funny and fun introduction to one of Marvel Comics' mightiest Avengers. 

Did Green Book deserve the best film Oscar?

(M) ★★★★

Director: Peter Farrelly.

Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini, Dimiter D. Marinov, Mike Hatton, Iqbal Theba.

"And then I said 'Jamaica? No she wanted to go!'."

Firstly, let's address the headline question. The short answer is "no", the longer answer is "no, but it's still a great movie".

Of the other best film nominees at the most recent Oscars, Roma and A Star Is Born are better films, and though I haven't seen BlacKkKlansmen or The Favourite yet, the general consensus seems to be they are also superior.

But that's not to say Green Book is a bad film. It's actually really good - simplistic yes, but thoroughly enjoyable. It has its detractors, and maybe it isn't the best film of 2018, but far worse films could have won (and have in the past).

So should we begrudge it its best film Oscar win? No. Much of the criticism of the film and its big win hinge on the many controversies floating around about how truthful it is and the way it deals with the heavy themes in its story. Almost every film seems to attract controversy these days, rightly or wrongly, but Green Book is a surprisingly enjoyable and sweet story set against a backdrop of prejudice and ugliness.

(The controversy, with its defenders and detractors, is best examined in this excellent Hollywood Reporter article - I'm not going to dig too deep into the controversies here, but I really recommend reading this article if you're wondering what all the fuss is about.)

But can we set the controversies aside for a minute and look at whether the film itself is actually any good under the usual criteria of criticism?

It's the story of Frank "Tony Lip" Vallelonga (Mortensen), an Italian-American nightclub bouncer who is hired by African-American pianist Don Shirley to be his bodyguard and driver on a tour of the Deep South in the 1960s. Tony is a brutish racist, and Don is an elitist trying to fight the good fight, and their journey through the most prejudiced parts of the US in a difficult time will test them both.

It's weird but there's nothing especially groundbreaking or provocative about Green Book. It's been described more than once as a race-flipped rehash of Driving Miss Daisy, which isn't totally inaccurate, and the film's themes have been dealt with a hundred times in more dynamic ways. But the central relationship between the two leads is nicely nuanced, and while it might be a somewhat simplistic tale of overcoming prejudice, it's a good one. Both characters learn from each other in interesting ways, and the script has fun with their arcs. The accusation of the Magical Negro trope is a lazy criticism and doesn't give the script enough credit - this is two people progressing and growing, like most good characters should.

None of it would work if their was no spark between the leads. Thankfully, Ali (a worthy Oscar winner) and Mortensen have great chemistry and fully inhabit their roles, which definitely elevates the film above its simplistic notions of "don't be racist" and "don't be classist".

As well as faking a good piano, Ali carries himself perfectly in every second of the film, whether he be eating, speaking, sitting at a piano, walking into a room, or whatever - it's a complete performance. And Mortensen is just as good. From the New Jersey/Little Italy accent through to Tony Lip's formidable physical presence, Mortensen totally nails this (as he does with every role he plays). But he also brings a lightness to the performance which sits perfectly in the tone of the film.

It's that tone that has perhaps rubbed some the wrong way. Green Book has its heavy moments, but it skims like a rock across a dark pond a lot of the time. It's what makes the film so unexpectedly funny, and feelgood, despite its inherent grimness. This is also part of what makes it so strong. It's got light and shade, which appears to be a nice reflection of the real life relationship between Shirley and Vallelonga (it's hard to imagine the relationship working any other way to be honest - there has to have been moments of levity amid the darkness of their travels together).

It's the script and performances that really make Green Book work. Farrelly's direction is unobtrusive but his background in comedy pays off. And the screenplay (which won an Oscar) is compact and colourful. It never feels tired or like it's stretching to make a point.

Green Book will probably get a reputation as an unworthy best film Oscar winner, which won't tell the whole story. It may not have been the best film of 2018, but it's a worthy nominee and still well worth your time.