Apart from a few specific moments (such as "I don't need to prove myself to you"), I agree with Celtzy that Carol wasn't a female hero, she's a hero that happens to be a woman. Her personality, her story arc, her big moments etc, these could all have been a man's tale. And I applaud the filmmakers for going in this direction, because it does feel like true equality, you know? Hell, even Carol's interactions with Nicholas Joseph Fury feel more like a buddy cop comedy.
Having said that, though, I wonder if the decision to make the film in this way contributed to it feeling like it lacks a bit of personality. The most recent MCU films have all had their own unique tones and timbres. From the space opera comedy of Ragnarok to the Afrofuturism of Black Panther to the neighborhood high school drama of Homecoming to the character study of Thanos in Infinity War, each movie added its own unique identity to the MCU pantheon. What does Captain Marvel add? What kind of movie is it? Nothing really stands out; it's not entirely a space opera, it's not entirely a buddy cop movie, it's not entirely a sci-fi thriller, it's not entirely a war film... Maybe the movie would've benefited a bit by distinguishing itself a bit more.
I loved the twist that the Skrulls are the victims and the Kree are the oppressors. I'm just a casual fan of comics, so I don't know if this has ever been done in the comics before, but my impression was that the Skrulls are always the villains. Plus they had Ben freaking Mendelsohn playing the chief Skrull. So that little twist definitely took me by surprise. And then Carol's determination to find the Skrulls a home and end the Kree's aggression at the end ties into the state of the Kree in Guardians of the Galaxy. I wonder what happened in those intervening years to turn Ronan into the fanatic he ended up becoming? It piques the imagination.
All in all, an enjoyable movie. Great visuals (the de-aging was largely seamless, especially for Fury), strong performances, interesting story, and the in media res structure does shake things up a bit compared to the usual MCU formula. Bit of a meh villain, but eh, you can't have it all.
Also, everyone in this movie's so hot. I swear, Minerva's moved to the top of my list of hot blue fictional women. (For anyone curious, the top ten after her are Rebecca Romijn Mystique, Aayla Secura, Liara T'Soni, Neytiri, Cortana, J-Law Mystique, Killer Frost, Nebula, and Smurfette.)