There’s a new superhero in town, and she is a force to be reckoned with. Marvel’s Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) is an unapologetic, tenacious, and dynamic heroine who breaks the seductive heroine stereotype and proves that gender is not a barrier when it comes to saving the world.

The movie starts off somewhat slowly, on the planet Hala of the Kree civilization, where the audience meets Vers (pronounced “veers”), a Star Force agent with mysterious powers that she is told to repress and a past that she cannot remember. As the movie progresses, the audience learns that Vers is actually Carol Danvers, a U.S Air Force pilot who, after gaining her powers in an explosion, is taken to the Kree Civilization.

This exposition may sound confusing, and in fact it is. The movie does not always make the backstory clear, leaving the audience to piece it together. These complexities were frustrating at times, as much of the plot is based on uncovering Captain Marvel’s past. However, it was made up for by quick humor, fast paced action scenes, and brilliant acting.

Vers’ mission as a Star Force agent is to defeat the evil Skrulls, a race of aliens that can shapeshift into any being they wish, down to the DNA. After a failed rescue of another agent, Vers accidentally ends up on planet C-53, aka Earth, in the year 1995.

Determined to continue her mission, Vers and a young Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) track down Project Pegasus, a project that the Skrulls are searching for. In their search, the two uncover Vers’s human past and meet one of the most lovable characters of the movie: Goose the cat.

The addition of a cat to the cast of characters is an interesting one, and it lightens up the incredibly plot based movie, even setting up the plot of The Avengers (2012). Goose brings comic relief to some very tense scenes, and brings out a softer side of the very intense Fury, who talks to Goose in a baby voice throughout the entire movie.

Of course, the movie is not carried by a cat, but by the main character herself, Captain Marvel, played by Brie Larson. A number of Marvel fans complained when Marvel Studios, announced that the character would be played by a woman, as the captain was originally a man in some versions of the comics, even though many comic adaptations have seen the superhero as a woman. However, Larson does the character justice, and her role as Captain Marvel breaks all the stereotypes of how female superheroes should act. Indeed, the character shows her strength not just as a hero with awesome powers, but as a woman. The movie also showcases some of the prejudices women face, such as catcalling and being underestimated, and Captain Marvel’s response to these is unapologetic and can be summed up in one quote of hers from the end of the film: “I don’t have to prove anything to you.”

Filled with action, humor, and brilliant characters, Marvel Studios’ “Captain Marvel” sets a high standard for future superhero movies, especially films with female leads. With a complex plot, great special effects, quick humor, and epic action scenes, lead actress Brie Larson and directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck deliver an astounding movie that will be well remembered by fans for years to come.