A vast amount of controversy has recently surrounded Marvel Studios’ latest movie Captain Marvel, with an onslaught of mass boycotts and false negative reviews due to accidentally distasteful comments from star Brie Larson. Because of this, the movie is receiving hate that it definitely doesn’t deserve, as Captain Marvel proves once again that Marvel still knows exactly what it’s doing and is nowhere near slowing down.

Captain Marvel tells the story of Carol Danvers, an air force pilot who, after a tragic accident, winds up with superpowers. In this rendition of her origin story, she’s abducted by the alien race known as the Kree, who wipe her memory and train her to become a soldier. The Kree have appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before, specifically in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, with characters who previously appeared in that movie, Korath the Pursuer (Djimon Hounsou) and Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), showing up once again. These aren’t the only old characters returning, as a young Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson, and Phil Coulson, portrayed by Clark Gregg, also make appearances, with Fury playing a much larger role in the plot. Other supporting cast members include Lashana Lynch as Maria Rambeau, Carol’s best friend from Earth, Jude Law as Yon-Rogg, a Kree soldier, Annette Bening as the Supreme Intelligence, an A.I. who rules over the Kree, and Ben Mendelsohn, who plays the film’s primary antagonist Talos, a character who hails from the shapeshifting alien race known as the Skrulls. Each cast member shines in their own unique way and adds a new dimension to the story. The elephant in the room unfortunately is the lead, played by Brie Larson. She is by no means a bad actor, but it’s clear that her role as Captain Marvel isn’t something she’s entirely used to yet. The character is still very enjoyable to watch and has her moments, but Larson hasn’t grown completely into her yet. However, since she’s set to make appearances in more MCU movies, this will likely change. But the biggest standout cast member by far is Carol’s feline companion, Goose. She completely steals the show in every scene she’s in, and plays off Jackson excellently.

One very noteworthy aspect of the movie is how well it fits right in with the rest of the movies in the MCU. There are several nods and references to other movies, and some references in other movies finally pay off with this new addition. There’s some notable consistency present, with a big example being that the way new areas or planets are displayed is exactly how they are displayed in Guardians of the Galaxy. Another similar continuity present is the returning Project Pegasus secret base from the original Avengers movie. Small touches like this go a long way with solidifying the deep ties this movie has with its 20 and counting other companion movies.

Captain Marvel is by no means perfect. There are some occasional pacing errors, and while the movie tries very hard to create a sense of mystery surrounding the origin of Captain Marvel, it’s pretty clear what’s going on for the most part, especially for readers of the comics, save for a few genuine surprises. The shapeshifting villains, the Skrulls, were extremely underutilized, and while they had the occasional clever scene, they didn’t feel incredibly threatening. Throughout its two hour runtime, several plot points are set up that don’t have the greatest payoffs, but still work. However, one of the biggest flaws the movie has is how it addresses a certain mystery set up by other movies. Keeping this spoiler free, it’s pretty recognizable when it happens and just feels cheap.

In conclusion, Captain Marvel is yet another solid entry to the MCU and is progressive as well. It’s a blast to watch, but isn’t completely devoid of problems. Unfortunately, it is under fire from trolls in a similar fashion to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but it’s important to look past these trolls and form an opinion of the movie without the influence of other ignorant people. It’s worth watching if you are an avid fan of superhero movies, and contributes vastly to the ongoing plot presented within the MCU. Stick around for the two post credits scenes, as they’re bound put a smile on your face.