- CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD
- Starring: Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford
- Directed by: Julius Onah
- Rating: PG-13
- Running Time: 1hr 58 mins
- Walt Disney Studios
Our score: 3.5 out of 5
After the disaster of the Kang Dynasty saga, which was put to bed in the “Loki” season two finale and verbally reduced to ashes by “Deadpool & Wolverine”, Marvel Studios has moved on with their next phase, kicked off by its newest endeavor “Captain America: Brave New World”. A solid, standalone effort that isn’t about saving the galaxy or planet Earth, “Brave New World” brings multiple loose ends to a close and ties them all together in what amounts to a political thriller. Anthony Mackie solidifies himself as the new Captain America via a good script and supporting cast.
Several months after being elected to the highest office in the land, President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford), a former U.S. Army general and U.S. Secretary of State who has had a long-standing hatred of the Hulk and for the Avengers overall, sends Sam Wilson (Mackie), aka Captain America, and U.S. Air Force 1st Lieutenant Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez, “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier”), aka The Falcon, to Mexico to prevent the sale of a new element – adamantium.
Although a criminal known as Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito) escapes, the mission is successful enough for Wilson, Torres and Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”) to be invited to the White House. Bradley, who received a dose of super soldier serum before becoming a Korean War hero, spent 30 years in prison where he was experimented on by the U.S. government. So, when he tries to assassinate President Ross, everyone is quick to judge him because of his past mistreatment.
President Ross severs ties with Captain America because he is determined to exonerate Bradley. Captain America and The Falcon are alone in their mission as President Ross’s top security advisor, Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas, “Broken Mirrors”), a child of the infamous “Red Room” where Black Widows were trained, is just as determined to thwart their plans. However, they are all being manipulated by Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson, “The Incredible Hulk”), a cellular biologist who developed super intelligence after being contaminated by Bruce Banner’s blood in “The Incredible Hulk”. It all leads to a climatic confrontation between Captain America and the Red Hulk.
Mackie does a great job portraying his character’s struggles of being the new Captain America, something that happens in the comics. He still doesn’t believe he is worthy enough to fill Steve Rogers’s shoes, but he ends up learning he doesn’t have to. Mackie’s greatest strength is making us root for his character who, unlike Rogers, lacks super strength or speed. He is just a man, albeit one who has fought Thanos. His co-star Ford clearly embraces the character originated by the late William Hurt. It’s easy to see he has fun with the role, and it is a departure from some of his past roles. Ford deftly navigates his character’s complexities as Ross’s overarching goal is to win back his estranged daughter, Betty.
The action is what you would come to expect from a Marvel film, only this time it’s wrapped up in political intrigue rather than in bickering gods from another realm or the attempted takeover by a mad Titan. One of its greatest strengths is that the story ties up loose ends that have been dangling since “The Incredible Hulk” was released seventeen years ago. Not only that, but these threads end up pointing towards how this newest phase will unfold in coming years. The story also ties into events from the much-maligned “Eternals” with multiple references to previous Marvel flicks like “End Game” and “Black Widow”.
Perhaps Marvel fatigue does exist. Perhaps everything prior to and including “End Game” is viewed with rose colored glasses. The secret to the Avengers’ success in the comic world is that it has always been ever-changing. Its membership has changed numerous times over the years, with even Wolverine counted among its members. I get that it’s disappointing to see someone like Chris Evans or Scarlett Johansson move on, but it would get stale if the cast and characters never changed. Furthermore, the physical demands on some of them get harder as they get older and thus, you can’t blame them if they have decided if they have had enough.
With that said, you should give “Brave New World” and Anthony Mackie a chance.
“Captain America: Brave New World” receives ★★★ ½ out of five.