I think Marvel Studios had the right idea in trying to make Captain America: Brave New World a politically charged thriller in the vein of The Winter Soldier, but the execution just doesn’t land.
While the movie has some entertaining and fun action sequences and a couple of solid performances, it ultimately feels like a disjointed movie weighed down by a weak script and an uninspired direction.
The filmmakers set out to make a compelling political thriller with high stakes and smart storytelling, but it didn’t quite land. It’s not the worst thing Marvel has put out, but it’s far from the return to form that some fans might be hoping for.
Harrison Ford, stepping in as President Thaddeus Ross, is easily the highlight of the film. He brings the gravitas and presence that you’d expect, and I liked how the film handed his character.
Tim Blake Nelson as The Leader also had a lot of potential, but the film doesn’t take full advantage of it and I would have liked to see more. There was a really good movie in there somewhere especially with President Ross/Red Hulk and The Leader, but it didn’t quite reach the potential.
The movie throws in a mix of visually cool, yet uninspired action and awkward tonal shifts. The story was all over the place thematically, and it interjects little bits of odd silliness, forced humor that completely undercut any tension. Marvel has always blended action and comedy well, but here, it just didn’t feel natural.
Anthony Mackie has been great supporting actor, but this movie exposes his limitations as a lead. His performance as Sam Wilson just doesn’t have the commanding presence that the role demands, and the script doesn’t do him any favors.
His performance was pretty monotone through the whole thing and didn’t really show much personality. Mackie is at his best when he’s bouncing off another strong actor, but since much of the movie rests on his shoulders, there’s an energy missing that makes the experience feel dull.
Marvel wants Mackie’s Sam to be the next great Captain America, but this film didn’t really give me a compelling reason to rally behind him.
Shira Haas also joins the film as Sabra, an Israeli superhero who is supposed to be a force to be reckoned with. But it was really hard to buy her as a badass fighter who can take down anyone in hand-to-hand combat. She’s such a petite person that it’s distracting, every time she’s in a fight scene, it just doesn’t feel believable.
As for the action, some of the bigger sequences are exciting to watch, but a lot of the hand-to-hand combat feels messy and underwhelming. It also still hard to believe Sam Wilson would’ve actually survived some of the beatings he took considering he’s not a super powered character. I know he’s got the Vibranium wings, but that can only do so much. It’s hard to suspend disbelief.
While the film makes a strong point about Wilson not having any superpowers, he survived some hardcore beating that makes you think he must have powers. The begining of the movie saw Wilson fighting a big guy and for most of the fight, Wilson had his ass handed to him. So, how are we supposed to believe he could survive a fight with the Red Hulk?
What’s frustrating is that there was a good movie buried in here somewhere. Ford’s presence, the return of The Leader, and the promise of a deeper political thriller could’ve made for a great Captain America story.
Instead, the film was just trying to tie up loose ends from films like The Incredible Hulk and The Eternals, making it feel more like a patchwork of unfinished business.
And then there’s the post-credits scene… I won’t spoil it, but it was not in any way any good. It was so bad that it somehow makes the movie worse in retrospect. It’s one of those “palm slap to the forehead” bad moments that just leaves you shaking your head.
Look, some Marvel fans will still have fun with it, and there’s no doubt that kids will love the spectacle of it. But for anyone hoping for a Winter Soldier-level experience, this isn’t it. Brave New World had all the ingredients to be something great, but instead, it’s really just another forgettable chapter in Marvel’s recent streak of mediocrity.
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