Captain America: Brave New World Review
It’s certainly about time that Anthony Mackie finally got his superhero movie with Captain America: Brave New World. Ever since Sam Wilson graced audiences back in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, we’ve been waiting for the day for Sam to get his own film. Over 11 years later, plus his own show with Bucky Barnes, the time has come for this to happen. However, it seems to be throwing a lot at viewers as well, from the raging Red Hulk to the Leader, and much more. As such, it makes for an interesting, if overly abundant, political thriller akin to 2009’s State of Play.
Captain America: Brave New World picks up from the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier with Sam Wilson in the spotlight. Sam Wilson finds himself in the middle of an international incident after meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.
With Sam taking the mantle, quite literally, from Steve Rogers, there’s certainly a lot to prove. If The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was just Sam’s training phase, then Captain America: Brave New World serves as the real test. Fortunately, the way that this film develops Sam gives him much of that charisma and magnetism that was slightly there in the series. From the first few opening moments, Sam has this subtleness that makes him relatable while retaining that sense of heroism. Anthony Mackie is absolutely inspiring as Sam Wilson and his performance all throughout is unforgettable.
Mackie’s chemistry with Danny Ramirez, who’s the new Falcon as Joaquin Torres, has its own flair that stands out from Sam’s relationship with Steve. Together, Mackie and Ramirez are a magnetic duo, bouncing off of each other in this confident, somewhat playful, way. However, it feels like Joaquin takes the “sidekick” role almost too much in a too comical manner. Luckily, his character is still serious enough once he actually starts fighting, beginning in the second act.
On the other end of things, Harrison Ford delivers an invigorating performance as Thaddeus Ross. His take as Ross really stands out from William Hurt’s version, but he does a good job honoring what Hurt did for the character. Throughout Captain America: Brave New World, Ross is given this complexity that heavily emphasizes his antiheroism. This is especially so in the first few scenes, where he’s given this sympathetic reason to do good. However, when he goes full Red Hulk, that really marks the changing point in his personality. Still, Ford really makes Ross one of the biggest highlights of the film next to Mackie as Cap.
As for the villains themselves, it certainly feels like director Julius Onah might’ve had too much on his plate. For example, Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito) is supposed to be one of the big bad. However, the way the film presents him makes it feel like he’s just a blend of Georges Batroc and Flag Smasher. Meanwhile, the true big bad, Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) aka the Leader, tries to be this strategic mastermind by setting up this “game” of sorts. He’s got some interesting socio-political motivations similarly to Arnim Zola, but the execution is formulaic in that it’s basically what every villain in the Captain America series wants.
This is mostly due to how Captain America: Brave New World tries to balance being a thriller and being a superhero film. The first act may be a bit slow as it re-establishes some needed context while building those stakes through many conversations. Here, the thematic integration of representing what you believe in really kicks in as Sam slowly starts unraveling this mystery. Particularly, Sam’s interactions with Thaddeus really stand out as their conversations help clarify their characters’ beliefs. Sam wants to live up to what Steve wanted for him and the way the film presents this wants to be meaningful even if this sidelined to focus on the action
The action of Captain America: Brave New World, like every Captain America film, will leave you on the edge of your seat. Though the fights may be limited this time, they’re still hard-hitting every time, particularly in those practical stunt sets. The second act contains some of the most exciting ones that stand out the most. However, the visual effects in some of the more grandiose fight sequences may be somewhat unpolished when it especially gets fast-paced. Still, most of the fights in this film have that impactfulness to make them very dynamic.
Of course, what would be a Marvel Cinematic Universe film without its post-credits scene? As with every post-credits scene, its influence will take some time to be fully seen as it teases a project that’s far into the future!
Suspensefully captivating, Captain America: Brave New World is an exhilarating ride that proves that Sam Wilson rightfully deserves the shield after so long. Even though the film is handling so many narrative elements, Anthony Mackie and Julius Onah have confidently shown Wilson’s potential as the future leader of the new Avengers. Though it may take a few years for Sam Wilson’s Captain America to return, I am very optimistic about where the character goes in the future.
Rating: ★★★½
Captain America: Brave New World opens in theatres on February 14.
_
Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.
Captain America: Brave New World Review
Captain America: Brave New World Review