Captain Marvel

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

Rating: 9 out of 10, Thoroughly impressed. The best part was I didn’t even stop to think about the fact it was a female lead in a superhero movie. The earlier work of Natasha Romanov and Diana Prince made that possible. A lot of credit should go to Brie Larsen who was as understated as you can be with fire spurting out of your hands but leavened that with the trademark Marvel humor amidst the almost non-stop action. I know nothing of the background mythology surrounding this character which served me well as I enjoyed this latest background story for a Marvel superhero. The filmmakers also did a good, and at times subtle, job of inserting her story into the Marvel universe. Samuel L Jackson was very effective as a younger version of Nick Fury and it was laugh out loud funny to learn how he lost his left eye (err, as funny as losing an eye can be). Another Marvel success which shouldn’t surprise me at this point.

MVP: Brie Larson as Danvers

A Star is Born

Actors: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Dave Chappelle, Andrew Dice Clay,Sam Elliott

Rating: 8 out of 10, This was much better than I expected. I think this is the first time I’d ever seen Lady Gaga without a mountain of strange makeup and/or dead animal flesh covering her. She’s very, very good and there is no denying the voice which is incredible. This was Bradley Cooper’s first directorial film and he also stars as the inevitably tragic major star who discovers the plucky struggling artist and falls in love. This was so much better than the Streisand effort in the 1970s as Cooper is tone perfect and the scenes between him and Sam Elliott who plays his much older brother just crackle. There is undeniable chemistry between Gaga and Cooper as well which is integral to the story. Even though you know where it’s headed after the prior three versions this was still wildly entertaining. Gaga should wear less makeup as she has screen presence to spare and more than held her own with the top notch actor she was on screen with.

MVP: Lady Gaga dominates as Allie, the star crossed singer