Hello everybody and welcome to a brand new review! This is a big one as we will be discussing the latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe which sees Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson taking on the mantle that was once held by Chris Evans’s Steve Rogers. It is no secret that the MCU isn’t quite on the hot streak that they once were in the 2010s with quite a few of their films disappointing either financially, critically or both. Thus, there was quite a bit of pressure on this one considering it is a huge test case to see if people are still interested in a conventional MCU entry (AKA not something like Deadpool & Wolverine). For me personally, my interest mainly stemmed from the fact that I was excited to see Sam take up the Captain America title in a movie as I think that was the right direction to go in. Plus, the marketing seemed to tease a return to the somewhat grounded political thriller vibes of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which remains one of my favorite entries in the franchise. Still, the intensive re shoots this underwent, where they pretty much changed a large chunk of the feature, had me concerned about the quality of the feature. Still, I’m always willing to go in with an open mind. So, was this able avoid becoming another misfire for the brand? Let’s jump right in and see just how high this one flew!
We begin the movie with General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross now the President of the United States and in the midst of some crucial negotiation deals with other countries over a valuable new metal named Adamantium. Meanwhile, Sam Wilson is now officially Captain America, carrying out various missions. After one involving the sale of the priceless metal, Wilson is invited to a White House gathering where he decides to bring both the new Falcon, Joaquin Torres, and former super-soldier, Isiah Bradley. While there, Ford, proposes to team up with Sam even further, potentially bringing back the Avengers, much to Sam’s hesitation. However things get heated up when Bradley all of a sudden tries to assassinate Ross and is then arrested. Startled by what happened, Sam believes his friend to be innocent and sets out to what could be a larger conspiracy looming over the entire world.
As mentioned, director, Julius Onah, is clearly trying (and wanting) to emulate what was done with The Winter Soldier in terms of plopping a super hero into this espionage thriller with plenty of conspiracy at play. It is certainly a neat sandbox to play in and there are times where it can succeed in capturing that vibe, even if it ultimately comes off as a lesser version of Winter Soldier in the process. The main mystery/conspiracy at play is intriguing enough and able to keep my attention so that I wasn’t bored and I appreciated the more serious tone compared to other MCU projects where the comedy is mostly kept at a minimal and is actually ejected naturally, with there being a couple of solid laughs here and there. That being said, I can’t say the execution wasn’t anything too spectacular. I think script wise things are pretty hit or miss with quite a bit of the story being told either through newsreel footage or large exposition dumps meant to explain everything to the audience that things do get repetitive after some time.
I also feel like there is a lot of dialogue that just references past projects constantly which is fine in some respects in order to catch up those who may not remember, but even then it comes off as a bit too much. That being said, the way that past films connect to the story is honestly quite neat and a good example of how to incorporate the cinematic universe idea while also not making them the center of the proceedings. Thematically speaking, when the film is tackling more simple ideas of becoming a better person through one’s actions or standing up for what is right, it is pretty successful in conveying those through the character’s arcs which can lead to a couple of effective moments. However, when the film wants to become a little bit more ambitious and touch on ideas related to government corruption and America’s place in the world, it is all pretty surface level with the film being a bit afraid to go too deep into any of these ideas to make things more palatable. Again there is still enough enjoyment to be had here, but I do think this kind of story could’ve had more bite to it.
It’s no secret that this film underwent some extensive behind the scenes issues where so much had to be changed and re arranged. It can certainly show in some places with some of the editing being a bit off in terms of the flow of the feature and areas where the green screen is VERY apparent, especially when it came to scenes that were taken outside (a lot of the interior shots looked fine). I could also tell that certain characters were either added late in the process or were not in the same vicinity of Anthony Mackie as the camera keeps cutting away from him to the other person during conversation. Still, the film is still pretty coherent for the most part and has some solid visual effects work here and there with the character’s abilities like Sam’s flying skills and the Red Hulk visuals being portrayed solidly.
When it comes the action, I quite enjoyed a lot of what was presented. There are a couple of hand to hand combat scenes that feel a bit slow in terms of momentum and one that was a tad too hastily edited, but the majority of the action is a lot of fun and provides the needed excitement. I was particularly fond of a second act aerial fight over the Indian ocean where Cap and Falcon get to show their aerial combat. It was thrilling and well constructed, while also more focused on preventing catastrophe than taking lives. Oh and for those wondering about the big red elephant in the room, yes while the Red Hulk is not in the movie as much as some may be hoping for, the big set piece between him and Cap is a lot of fun and I liked seeing how the latter would use his abilities to take on such a powerful force of nature. Also have to give a shout out to composer, Laura Karpman, whose score is very solid, giving off an old school conspiracy thriller vibes that adds to the tension and makes certain section truly gripping.
When Sam was revealed to be the one, Steve would pass the mantle too, I was down for it as I like him as a character and think Mackie is a terrific actor. I’m happy to say that he is once again great in this movie, standing out from Chris Evans and having a commanding yet charismatic presence that makes him an engaging lead. I wish he had more to do in the first half than move the plot forward, but once the second half starts to explore Sam’s character a bit more and his internal dilemma of if he is worthy of being Captain America or not, that’s where he truly gets to shine. Seeing Sam deal with these self doubts is compelling and help inform his actions throughout the film. He is also particularly good when is sharing the screen with some of the other players with his chemistry with the new Falcon, Joaquin Torres (a very fun and lively Danny Ramirez), and Isiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly, giving a powerful performance that can be both fun and heartbreaking at different times) being very strong and a highlight of the feature. Also, having arguably just as much focus as Wilson is President Ross played by the one and only Harrison Ford filling in for the late William Hurt. Ford does not phone it in, giving in a strong performance, making Ross into a multilayered character who is definitely flawed and has his secrets, but is also someone who wants to do better and has humanity in him. I found his arc to be the most compelling and the way Red Hulk was built up to, I thought was very well done.
The rest of the supporting cast is fairly underutilized for the most part though. Putting aside the controversy surrounding her character, Shira Haas gives in a fine, if at times stiff, performance as former Black Widow agent turned presidential security advisor, Ruth, as does Xosha Roquemore as Leila, a close agent to Ross and friend of Sam. Both were clearly supposed to have more to do, but it seems like that stuff got left on the cutting room floor with the latter seemingly intended to have been a love interest to Sam. When it comes to the villains of the feature, I’m always someone down to see Giancarlo Esposito in stuff, and he is very good as Sidewinder, the leader of the Serpent Society, bringing the appropriate menace and even some charm to the role. That being said, him being a very late addition to film is very apparent when one is watching and sees that he never shares one full shot with Anthony Mackie. And then there’s Tim Blake Nelson who makes his grand return to the MCU 17 years later after first appearing in The Incredible Hulk (which this film is something of a follow up to), as Dr. Samuel Sterns, or as he’s known in the comics, The Leader. Without giving away too many details, I like the way he was incorporated into the plot and Nelson is great providing a cold and calculating personality that fits with the cool nasty design that may not be what comics fans are used to, but I thought it worked within the context of the feature.
In all, Captain America: Brave New World is an aggressively fine entry in the MCU that is neither a disaster nor as great as it could’ve been. It does play it safe, not fully committing to some of its more interesting themes, having some clunky storytelling, signs of re shoots, awkward technical aspects, and underutilizing certain characters. Still, there’s enough enjoyment to be had from some of the political intrigue, solid character moments, exciting action, and some strong performances. It is a tad frustrating as I would have liked for Sam Wilson’s first big MCU feature to be a lot better than this, but I will say that I found it more entertaining than other recent entries in the series. If one is getting tired of the MCU, this will likely not be the one to win you over, but for those looking for some entertaining enough super heroics, this gets the job done. I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as some are making it out to be, but I can definitely understand those who were disappointed/were not too fond of it. I’m not sure what the future holds for Sam Wilson following the next two Avengers movies, but this movie does show him to be a strong successor to Steve Rogers. I just hope his next movie is a better showcase of him.
Side Note: There is one post credits scene placed at the very end of the credits. Personally, I thought it was useless. Didn’t tease anything we didn’t already know and felt like it was thrown in at the very last minute. Sometimes, these films really don’t need to have something after the credits.
Rating: B-
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