The first thing I noticed about Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel was the sound of her footsteps. They are heavy and solid, and signify that something serious is approaching. It’s quite a shift from earlier female superheroes, who are essentially deadly ballerinas. Implied weight is rarely a good thing for a female movie character (think back to ANY time you remember a woman with heavy footfalls in film) but it signifies a shift in how a woman is perceived onscreen. Carol Danvers isn’t light, but skinny can’t be expected to save the world.
Carol Danvers’ heavy steps are one of many progressive female notions you’ll catch in Captain Marvel, and how you feel about that will affect how you feel about the film in general. Will you soak it all in OR (like the woman sitting behind me at the screening) will you say, “Stop force-feeding me GIRL POWER!” Continue reading →