‘Captain Marvel’ came out only recently, but it’s been subject to controversy ever since it was first announced. Whether it was because people didn’t like the idea of a female superhero or because Brie Larson was cast as the lead, the outlook on this movie was never overwhelmingly positive. Even now, with the movie out and more reviews pouring in, there doesn’t appear to be much agreement amongst fans or critics. There seemed to be only two options: you loved it or were sorely disappointed.

The reviews written in both the New Yorker and The Toronto Sun claimed that ‘Captain Marvel’ wasn’t really a bad movie, exactly, but they didn’t think of it as Marvel’s best work either. However, the two publications both agreed upon the fact that Larson’s acting was brilliant and one of the best parts of the movie.

On the other hand, the San Diego Reader and The Christian Science Monitor argue the exact opposite point. Both of these authors seemed to agree that the plot was convoluted and sloppy and of course, the main point of both reviews was that Larson’s acting was disappointing. They’d both hoped for a performance as stellar as the actress’s previous ones, and believed that she didn’t quite deliver. None of these reviews were exactly glowing, but the disdain they expressed was nothing compared to that of the fans.

These disappointed fans were disheartened by Larson’s acting, the copy-pasted storyline and predictability, and the lack of depth or weakness Larson’s character seemed to possess. Others were dissatisfied with the less-than-perfect writing. You name it, someone didn’t like it. Many claimed that the movie was overrated and boring.

There were, though, fans on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. These (less critical) viewers agreed that the movie certainly wasn’t the best thing they’d ever seen, but thought it had redeeming qualities: fun action scenes, surprisingly impressive special effects, and an overall exciting, entertaining vibe.

I saw the movie the weekend after it came out, and I certainly enjoyed it. I’m no movie critic, and I’m well aware that ‘Captain Marvel’ wasn’t perfect, but it definitely doesn’t deserve every berating word it garnered. There were moments throughout the movie that almost the entire theater couldn’t help but laugh and at the end, there were joyous cheers. Even if it wasn’t everything anyone could have ever wanted, that’s no reason to discredit it as, after all, a good movie.

Clearly, not everyone hates it and if you were planning on seeing it, you should still give it a chance. In the end, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and just because I enjoyed the movie doesn’t mean everyone else will. ‘Captain Marvel’ is the first movie of the franchise to have a female lead and as such, it’s certainly going to be different. Whether you like it or not is ultimately up to you, but I’d still recommend watching it. The sheer amount of negativity surrounding the movie shouldn’t deter you, and who knows? You might just be impressed.