The fourth installment of Marvel Studios’ Captain America franchise delivers another exciting action-thriller but still reveals Disney’s/Marvel’s pattern of playing it safely. I had a great time with this movie. As with the previous Captain America films, this new chapter offers lots of incendiary action and exhilarating thrills but also has a plot that mimics the conspiracy thrillers this particular series is known for. While I enjoyed this movie overall, I worry that the producers are running out of ideas.
Anthony Mackie reprises his role as Sam Wilson, the military hero and Avenger known as the Falcon, who earned the mantle of Captain America from Steve Rogers himself. Continuing to work for the US government as a special agent, the new Cap uses his talents as a pilot and his skills as a fighter to intercept a sensitive package held by Seth Voelker, aka Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito), an underground dealer/terrorist who plans to sell this particular merchandise to a mysterious buyer.
After completing this mission, Sam, his partner Joaquin Torres/the new Falcon (Danny Ramirez), and his dear friend Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) get invited for a special meeting at the White House by the newly elected President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), who has plans for a historic treaty with other prominent leaders of the world. However, the pleasantries are soon derailed when Isaiah, with the help of other assassins, seemingly attempts an assassination on the president. Knowing that Isaiah is a good person and would never devise such a heinous plan, Sam and Joaquin proceed to investigate this conspiracy plot despite the president’s warnings.
Written by Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman, Dalan Musson, Julius Onah, and Peter Glanz and directed by Julius Onah, Captain America: Brave New World continues the tradition of having Captain America facing a mysterious conspiracy. While I initially thought this was a great idea, this is what the Marvel producers have done with every film of the Captain America series, save the very first film. The filmmakers do a solid job of developing the story and characters, but for once, it would have been refreshing had Marvel had done something different.
Considering how much money goes into these movies, I was surprised by how bad some of the CGI effects are in some of this movie’s scenes. That said, I was rather impressed with the action sequences, which were more exhilarating given that this version of Captain America takes to the skies and can hold his own despite not having super strength like Steve has. As far as the story and character development are concerned, this film works mostly well in presenting the challenges of both psychological and physical varieties for the Sam Wilson character.
Sam has some massive shoes to fill, but his courage, character, and charisma make him an underdog for whom audiences can relate. I also appreciated how this movie further develops Thaddeus Ross’s character by showing genuine vulnerability and the stresses he must face as a powerful leader. Both Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford are excellent in their respective roles. They both have a fantastic grasp of their assignments and put their hearts into their characters.
The movie features great supporting turns by Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, and Giancarlo Esposito. There is one particular actor, which I won’t reveal because that is part of the film’s main secret. The actor who portrays the mastermind behind this plot executes his performance perfectly, though I did not like his character’s design.
So, even though this movie is a mix of good and bad elements, I still highly recommend Captain America: Brave New World. It may be the weakest installment of the Cap series, but it has enough good to make it a fun and compelling addition to the Marvel Studios franchise. I don’t know what the future holds for the Captain America solo movies, but I hope this is the last one where there is a nefarious plot against the powers-that-be.