I’ll put my thoughts below the cut to avoid spoilers:

First, I think the idea of using alien abduction as a way to smuggle in an origin story without it being an origin story is a really clever idea. (And the memory altering stuff is probably what gets Carol to break away from her buddies in Starforce.) Also, I definitely noticed Monica Rambeau’s mom, which is pretty cool. 

Second, the youthifying technology looks shockingly good – which is going to change wider Hollywood in all kinds of interesting and potentially creepy ways – and works great with the whole 90s nostalgia vibe they’re going with.

Third, as everyone guessed from the moment Carol decked a senior citizen, not only are the Skrull in the movies, but they’re clearly drawing from Secret Invasion. (Quick explanation: the Skrull are a galactic empire of shape-shifters who are ancient enemies of the Kree; Secret Invasion is a plotline where Skrull infiltrate Earth in the guise of superheroes, which offers almost unlimited opportunities for retconning shenanigans.) That’s great, because the Skrull are top-notch Marvel Alien Weirdness. 

Fourth, the McKelvie red-and-blue suit looks amazing, as does her powers. Marvel are clearly trying to sell Carol as the most powerful MCU character (probably in preparation for a post-OG Avengers MCU), and it’s looking good so far.

Fifth, I’m kind of interested in what this does to the broader continuity and the way that the MCU is experienced when revisited. For example, given that Ronan and Korath are in this film, will this make their very limited roles in Guardians 1 more interesting in retrospect? How do things change if you’re a younger viewer who didn’t watch Guardians 1 in theaters but who might watch this movie then Guardians 1 on Blu-Ray or streaming?