By Michael McKee
Correspondent
Many have said that recent Marvel movies have been underwhelming and disappointing, and that the once dominant Marvel Cinematic Universe is going the way of the dodo. While not particularly bad, Marvel’s newest outing is far from the franchise saver it needs.
“Captain America: Brave New World” is the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest blockbuster film starring Anthony Mackie as the new Captain America Sam Wilson, Harrison Ford as President Thaddeus Ross, Giancarlo Esposito as the terrorist Sidewinder and Tim Blake Nelson as the villain Dr. Samuel Sterns. In the film, Captain America must stop Stern’s plot to destroy Ross’ reputation, which will bring America to the brink of war.
The film is okay overall, but it feels far more underwhelming than what a superhero political thriller should be, to the point where you could practically see the missed potential as you watch the movie. It’s a political thriller which is afraid of being political and struggles to be thrilling.
Starting with the good, the performances are overall the best part of the film. Mackie captures the willpower, spirit and optimism Captain America should have. Nelson manages to be intimidating through his control of every scene he is in, as well as some inspired camerawork and grotesque makeup. Carl Lumbly, who portrays the old soldier Isaiah Bradley, does an excellent job at evoking sympathy for his character.
However, the best performance comes from Ford, who paints President Ross as a man who struggles with anger and regret while having to come to terms with the responsibility of the presidency. The CGI has obviously improved from past projects, with the Red Hulk looking much better than other Marvel CGI monsters.
Another highlight of the film is the aerial dogfight at the end of the second act. Captain America and his sidekick Falcon must prevent Japanese fighters and brainwashed American pilots from killing each other, lest war start between the two countries.
Moving on to the criticisms, the film relies heavily on tying itself to other Marvel properties. The main conflict between America and Japan started over a resource-filled island created in 2021’s “The Eternals,” and the conflict between Ross and Sterns started in 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk.”
Something that also didn’t sit well with me was the lack of meaningful tribute for William Hurt, who played Ross since “The Incredible Hulk.” Hurt was replaced by Ford after his death in 2021. Most importantly, the film’s main plot twist was spoiled in the trailers and all additional promotional material.
In terms of the film’s politics, a movie with Captain America and the President in it is obviously going to be political, however the film wanders into politics more often than it doesn’t. The film’s teaser, which features the attempted assassination of Ross, released just a day before the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump. The film’s name was also changed from “Captain America: New World Order” due to an association with often bigoted conspiracy theories.
The most significant controversy was the film’s inclusion of Shira Haas as Ruth Bat-Seraph, an Israeli Mossad agent in the comics, which received backlash due to the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza. The character was changed in the film to make a more substantial connection with the 2021 “Black Widow” movie.
With these controversies in mind, it is kind of surprising to see the lack of politics in the film. We are told little of Ross’ ideology or political party. Sterns is not motivated by political ideology but instead his personal need for revenge, and the conflict that almost leads to war is not an ideological battle but instead a resource race with our ally Japan.
If there are comparisons to be made, many critics have compared Ross to Trump, and in one scene Sterns wears a hoodie and sunglasses bearing a resemblance to eco-terrorist Ted Kascinzki also known as the Unabomber.
“Captain America: Brave New World” is a suitable action flick with good performances and effects, however it fails to live up to any high expectations. It's not a very biting political commentary, its twist is given away in the trailer, it does little to help the MCU’s struggling momentum and it's a pretty par for the course for a superhero movie. It almost feels like the first draft or the shadow of a much better movie which probably owes itself to the film's extensive reshoots. When push comes to shove, I'd recommend this movie for hardcore MCU fans, but for the average moviegoer I think it’s safe to ignore.
