Captain Marvel flies into theaters everywhere this week. This is one of the most anticipated movies of the year and Marvel loving parents want to know: Is Captain Marvel family-friendly? Can you take the kids to see Captain Marvel and what ages are recommended? As always, here’s my Captain Marvel parent movie review to help you decide! Also- this is totally spoiler free so don’t worry!
If you are new around here, hi, I’m Patty and a big Marvel movie fangirl. I wrote this Captain Marvel parent movie review in hopes that you and your family will become one too!
Was I looking forward to seeing this movie?
A little bit.
I mean, you don’t get ridiculously dressed like this and run a 5K in support of a movie you don’t care about, amirite?
You bet this Gen X mom was all in for the 90s vibe and a (finally) female lead superhero in the MCU. And the great news for me – and you- is that the movie does NOT disappoint.
Don’t listen to the detractors online who haven’t even seen the film. You want to see this movie and I’m sharing my Captain Marvel parent movie review to help you decide if you should take your kids as well!
If you are new to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and need to catch up, start with a Marvel Movie Marathon and these lists of Marvel Movies in Order.
Let’s go Higher, Further, Faster, Baby!
Table of Contents
Captain Marvel Review
The 90s are back, baby, and I am here for it! And you will be too.
This movie is packed with generational Easter Eggs and throwbacks, and I was legit laughing out loud over a few of them.
While I know the early 90s are over 25 years ago, the movie took me right back to my late teens and those golden years of Blockbuster movie rentals and internet dialup.
I’m also here for the young Nick Fury (we’re talking Level 3 clearance Fury!) and a baby-faced Phil Coulson. The de-aging of these characters was pretty crazy to see!
The first thing you need to know is that this movie is very Sci-Fi. There’s a lot of action in space, there’s a lot of alien introduction, and a lot of backstory going on. It is Carol Danvers, ie Captain Marvel’s, origin story after all.
If space is your jam, you will absolutely love Captain Marvel. I’m not even a huge space geek and I loved this movie!
That being said, the movie started off a little slow for me. It didn’t take long, however, for me to get sucked into the story.
I Cried Three Times In Captain Marvel
I’m getting to the Captain Marvel parent movie review, but before I do, I have a confession to make.
I’m not a super emotional person, but I cried three times during this movie.
Once right off the bat- there’s a Stan Lee tribute that is absolute perfection. And yep, I sobbed.
And then two more times as the story developed. And they were of the empowering “about damn time- YOU GO GIRL!” kinds of tears.
Don’t worry- I also cheered and fist-pumped as well. But man, there are moments that just got to me.
About Captain Marvel
Set in the 1990s, Marvel Studios’ “Captain Marvel” is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that follows the journey of Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes.
While a galactic war between two alien races reaches Earth, Danvers finds herself and a small cadre of allies at the center of the maelstrom.
We meet Vers (Captain Marvel) in her Kree form as she’s fighting the Skrull, another alien race. She’s struggling with dreams that don’t seem to make sense to her so we know there’s more to her story than just a Kree Starforce soldier.
Once things get rocking and the amnesiac Carol starts regaining some memories, the action really takes off.
Look, I needed her to reunite with her fellow pilot and friend, Maria Rambeau.
As a grown adult woman, I know I STILL need my besties- and from the flashbacks we saw, Captain Marvel was no different!
Captain Marvel is very different from the other Marvel movies of late. There’s more to this one than just another superhero movie and I feel like this is more family-friendly than many others.
Captain Marvel goes a little deeper and has some threads that haven’t been tugged on before in a Marvel movie. And it’s a GOOD thing.
About The Made-Up Man Bashing
If you are worried this is a man-bashing tale of girl power- don’t be. That is NOT what this movie is about at all.
It’s about being the best you can be and being a good human- period.
I’ve got two daughters and two sons at home, and I want them ALL to grow up to be good human beings. Strong, powerful, kind, and empathetic people is my goal. This movie? It supports that for all genders.
There’s not a man-bashing moment in the film for those that worried or paid attention to Twitter. One small dig at Samuel L. Jackson, but it comes from the aliens so I don’t think it counts at all.
Big fat eye-roll from me to you guys who made judgments before watching the film.
I kinda love my slightly sweary friend, Amy, for her review of Captain Marvel. She’s raising 3 white males in her household- and I think she pretty much puts the nail in this “controversy” with her review.
But if you want to see an incredibly powerful woman kicking some intergalactic butt AND find out how she’s going to tie into Avengers: Endgame- GO SEE THIS MOVIE.
This weekend.
Oh- and Take the kids. Because Captain Marvel is family-friendly for the most part as you’ll see in my Captain Marvel parent movie review at the end.
Are there End Credit Scenes In Captain Marvel?
Yes, there are TWO end credit scenes in Captain Marvel.
Both of which are pretty important to the MCU.
If you want to know about that page that Fury sent at the end of Avengers: Infinity War? You’ll keep your booty in the seat for the end credit scenes.
Can You Take the Kids to See Captain Marvel? Parent Movie Review
Captain Marvel is rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action, and mild language. I did not hear any F-bombs being dropped, though there’s one that kinda sounds like it at the end (but it’s TOTALLY not, so no worries there).
I missed most of the language but my friend said there were a few S words and asses said, so that’s the level of language you’ll get from this one.
What Ages Can See Captain Marvel?
My kids are 16, 13, 12 and 7. Here are my recommendations for each age based on my children’s maturity levels.
Is Captain Marvel kid friendly? I say yes- if your family has already seen the other Marvel movies, then you are pretty safe with this one.
Plus Goose the cat is Flerken AMAZING.
Is Captain Marvel A Good Movie for Teen/Tweens
My Captain Marvel review as a mom says you should be good to go here. Take them! It’s pretty family-friendly.
In fact, this one is important on many levels- so for sure, TAKE THEM! Did I say that already? Ha!
If you are raising your kids in a Marvel household- as any good parent should- they’ll need this movie before Avengers: Endgame.
There are — things— in it that we need to know/see before the final Avengers movie this April. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
Unless they are highly sensitive, children in this age range will be able to follow the story and enjoy it.
They shouldn’t come out of it scarred in any way and should get the jokes and have a good time. They probably will have a lot of questions about the 90s, however. My 13-year-old kept asking me about things like dial-up internet and the music.
6 to 9-Years Old
Depends on the maturity level.
If they have seen and understood the previous Marvel movies, these superheroes in training are going to be fine.
There are the usual fight scenes and typical non-bloody Marvel deaths in this one. A little blue Kree blood is seen, but overall, the obvious deaths were kept off the screen and not a lot of gore was involved at all.
Violence and action, yes, it’s here- but it’s not on the Black Panther or Infinity War level at all. More like Ant-Man.
If your child of this age is highly sensitive, you may want to avoid the movie or screen it ahead of time.
See it once, then see it again so you can answer all those questions that kids this age often have about movies.
I’ll take my youngest (who is 7-years-old and has seen the previous movies) and she’s going to love it.
5 Years-Old and Under
This movie is just over 2 hours long, so that might be a problem for the littlest ones out there.
If you have a little one who doesn’t sit for movies at home, wait for this one on video. Get a sitter and see it yourselves (hey, skip work if you have to because it’s THAT good!) but it might be too much for kiddos this age.
But a child who only watches Thomas the Tank Engine may not be ready for this mature of a show.
Hope this Captain Marvel parent movie review helps you decide to take the family this weekend!
Follow Captain Marvel on Social Media
More Marvel Movie Posts You’ll Love
Patty Holliday is a parent movie reviewer, writer, and podcaster living in the Washington, DC area. Her goal is to bridge the gap between casual fandom and picky critic with parent movie and television reviews. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.