Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel PG-13
Brie Larson appears as Air Force pilot Carol Danvers, acquiring her superpowers in the wake of an accident during the 1990s. With the action set nearly three decades ago, Danvers meets Jackson's future S.H.I.E.L.D. director, Nick Fury—Samuel L. Jackson, 70, has been digitally de-aged and has an unnatural look. Earth is caught in a galactic war between alien races, making Danvers/Captain Marvel's powers key to protecting us from Skrull shape-shifters. Imbued with humorous bits, the film uses its $150 million dollar budget to create compelling cosmic special effects. Touted as the most anticipated comic book film of 2019, Captain Marvel was ruthlessly "review bombed" on Rotten Tomatoes, prompting the site to ban user comments prior to the film's release.
The Wedding Guest R
Affable Dev Patel seems miscast as a mercenary hired to abduct a Middle Eastern woman on the eve of her arranged marriage. The film, written and directed by Michael Winterbottom, uses Asian locations to add interest, leaving its leads underdeveloped. After easily purchasing a gun in Pakistan, Jay (Patel) kidnaps Samira (Radhika Apte) and spirits her into India, where they disappear into New Deli's squalid hotels and markets. Though Jay appears relatively new to his mercenary role, he shows no remorse for killing a man during Samira's abduction. Hunted by the jilted groom's hired guns, the pair is focused on whether they could be a romantic match, despite a lack of onscreen chemistry. Samira proves somewhat interesting, but many opportunities are squandered.
