As a Valentine’s Day treat, Marvel Studios released their new blockbuster hit, Captain America: Brave New World. Starring Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, and Danny Ramirez, this movie brought the action back to the big screen, continuing the storylines from the television show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This film brought new plotlines to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it also had its fair share of disappointments (warning: spoilers ahead)!
The film begins with Thaddeus Ross’s election as President. Ross has been a frequent character in the MCU, appearing as a leading protagonist in Avengers: Age of Ultron, where he pressured the Avengers to sign the Sokovia Accords. Five months after Ross’s election, he sends Sam Wilson and Joaquin Torres on a mission to retrieve a stolen item that the Serpent Society took. The mission is naturally a success, causing Wilson and Torres to be invited to the White House.
Wilson invites Isaiah Bradley to join the pair, leading to one of the film’s central conflicts. When the trio arrives at the White House for a summit with the biggest world leaders to discuss a new metal adamantium, Bradley and other physically powerful people in the room begin to attack. This causes panic, and President Ross is almost shot, leading to another central conflict of the film. At this point, Wilson starts to realize that brainwashing is occurring close to Ross.
The film received a 49% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is fairly accurate as the film felt rushed and overdone. One reviewer stated, “It feels as if Sam is merely the guest star in someone else’s story in this particular chapter of the MCU’s interwoven narrative.” Another wrote, “The plots a bit wishy washy but the action sequences were brilliant and it was worth 2 hours of my time. I particularly liked how it tied up with the Eternals and the old Hulk films. Hopefully Planet Hulk coming soon!”
I am inclined to agree with both reviews. It would’ve been nice to see more character development in Sam Wilson, as in The Falcon and Winter Soldier, rather than the focus being on his physical development. The trailer showed an entirely different story than what was actually on screen.
For example, the trailer showed a clip of the red Hulk terrorizing the streets of D.C.; however, that was not portrayed in the movie. The Red Hulk appeared in the film’s final few minutes and seemed more of a way for Marvel to sell tickets. It would’ve been better if the red Hulk had not been in the trailer, but instead, it was a shock to fans, similar to the appearances of Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
As mentioned previously, the depth of the characters felt very surface-level, at least for most of them. Despite the film being about Captain America, the main plot point revolved around Thaddeus Ross and his battle with trying to survive so he can mend the relationship with his daughter. In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, audiences are introduced to Isaiah Bradley, a Black super-solider who was experimented on and tortured for three decades. Instead of learning more about his character and story, Bradley spent most of the film back in prison. Naturally, Bradley’s imprisonment motivated Sam Wilson to find the cause of the brainwashing. Regardless, it felt as though he was hidden away instead of being in action.
On a positive note, the action scenes in the film were incredible. They were engaging and had me on the edge of my seat. However, towards the end of the film, noticeable CGI surrounding Sam Wilson and the Red Hulk drew my attention away from the film.
Overall, Captain America: Brave New World was a decent continuation of the MCU. However, it lacked depth and a strong plot line, which is necessary to be a strong stand-alone film. This has been a critique that many fans have had with the MCU. The last few films have been cookie-cutter films, lacking substance and feeling like a mere Easter egg to add to the collection and generate more money rather than to enhance genuinely captivating storylines. Producers are ultimately trying to set up a new Avengers franchise instead of concentrating on their current productions.