I finally watched Captain America: Brave New World since it was released to the Disney Plus streaming service. Considering the average movie ticket price in NY is approximately $16, I opted to wait. Why? Because the movie trailers for this film gave away much of the plot as well as the best action sequences. Generally speaking, it’s a bad sign for any movie studio to do this. Still, I wanted to give the movie a chance because of Anthony Mackie’s stellar work developing Sam Wilson’s character arc from Falcon to Captain America.
How’s the story?
I would preface that if you have not been an avid Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fan you will need to allocate time to watch some MCU films and TV series that predate Captain America: Brave New World. Otherwise, watching this movie without any said prior knowledge will leave one puzzled. At the very least, it will be less impactful. Also, the film brings back a villain, The Leader (played by Samuel Sterns), from the movie The Incredible Hulk. Yet even for those who are well-prepared, the story is somewhat muddled.
Sam Wilson has fully taken on the mantle of Captain America. He forges ahead with dignity and bravery despite his lack of super soldier serum as well as the adversity he encounters due to racial bias. At one point in the film, President Ross exclaims to him “you’re no Steve Rogers!”
The thin storyline basically pits the entire world’s struggle to work together in order to obtain a remarkable new element called Adamantium, a substance more potent than Wakanda’s vibranium. Isaiah Bradley, a former super soldier, somehow gets pulled into the mix as a would be assassin. It’s up to Sam to figure out what’s behind the plot and how deep the rabbit hole goes.
How are the special effects?
The visual wizards grace the film with seamless wonder. We’ve come to expect a certain level of quality from Marvel Studios movies. This action-packed extravaganza certainly is no slouch. The red Hulk may well be the best version of a Hulk on screen to date. It’s too bad his appearance is so short-lived.
Final thoughts
Captain America: Brave New World would have worked better as a series. With this film, there seems to be a desire to lean into the spy thriller genre much like Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Yet it would have benefitted the viewer exponentially to have additional time spent on developing the characters. For example, one could argue there’s enough material for a mini-series featuring Isaiah Bradley alone. Also, President Ross (played by Harrison Ford) felt wasted in this movie. Lastly, Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson could use more time to flesh out the trials and tribulations of his experience as Captain America. He’s not a super soldier by choice but a normal man who defies the odds. He is the embodiment of hope.
Overall Grade: B
Recommended for ages 13 and up.
Pros: Sam Wilson’s exploration of what it means to be Captain America. The budding relationship with Joaquin Torres (played by the excellent Danny Ramirez). Carl Lumbly’s portrayal of Isaiah Bradley is compelling.
Cons: This movie should have been a series.
Captain America: Brave New World official movie trailer
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