Introduction
Roses are red, violets are blue, add in white, and you have a new film in the MCU. Why go to dinner with the guy you’re seeing when America’s first love was available? The long-awaited movie Captain America: Brave New World hit the big screens this past Valentine’s Day, and it was a smash hit!
Synopsis
After meeting President Thaddeus Ross, Sam finds himself involved in an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a malevolent global plot before the ring leader turns the world red.
Film Performance
Captain America: Brave New World was my Iron Man 2. That means I loved the movie enough to rewatch it multiple times and immerse myself while recognizing its flaws. The acting and movie quality are top-tier. However, there is the issue of rewrites and reshoots.
The film suffers from scenes that were reshoots—and that’s not to say movies don’t have reshoots… the reshoots feel like an entirely different movie. Scenes for the original script had heroes and villains make appearances, such as Diamondback, King Cobra, and Amadeus Cho, who did not make the final cut. The only extra character to survive the reshoots was… Sabra. And that’s not to say it’s a bad thing, but it’s also not a good thing. The final product we see on screen makes it apparent that the original and modified scripts were meant to tell two different stories. Even with the rewrites and the reshoots, Captain America: Brave New World was a good film overall.
Captain America: Brave New World felt like it was on the cusp of being the next Captain America: Winter Soldier (in my top 3 MCU films). What it got wrong was that Winter Soldier set up major plot points that forwarded the future films in the Infinity Saga to new heights. This movie, however, did not. Captain America: Brave New World felt linear in its storytelling and did not add much to the overall story. I also share these same sentiments with the post-credit scene. The post-credit scene added little to nothing to expand the MCU lore or add hype to future projects. Even with these issues, the film still shines bright as if it was a standalone film.
The movie had fantastic fight choreography, aerial scenes, and stunning views of the environments the characters were flying through. The setup of Ross—Hulk’s main antagonist from The Incredible Hulk, who is revealed to be the new president of the United States in the trailer, added to the stakes in the film. Sam has to put his trust in the hands of the leader of the free world—the one who locked up and hounded him and his friends down after the events of Captain America: Civil War added necessary tension. What I also enjoyed about Captain America: Brave New World was that the MCU humor did not overshadow the plot this time. This film also did a fantastic job at bringing home the message of the pressures of playing a significant role in individual’s lives, having to work twice as hard as a Black person to be worthy of the position, and bringing to light the injustices we as Black people face(d) in America. Somehow, it’s also eerily similar to the world now.
Wits and Quips
- Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson
- Harrison Ford as Thaddeus Ross
- Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres
- Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley
- Shira Haas as Ruth Bat-Seraph
- Giancarlo Esposito as Sidewinder
The Captain America: Brave New World cast brought their A-game and did not come to play. What do the kids say nowadays? The rent was due, an eviction notice was on the door, and this was their only shot. Anthony Mackie did a great job portraying Sam Wilson, still learning the ropes of the Captain America mantle while also trying to be twice as good so that others can feel inspired to know they, too, can be Captain America. Harrison Ford’s portrayal of Ross was a great refresher. Even though it is Harrison Ford, I did not think he would do much justice to William Hurt’s (rest in peace) portrayal. But he did. Danny Ramirez, as the overly-hype sidekick, was everything. Anyone would be excited to be Captain America’s sidekick, and his performance showed that. Carl’s role as Isaiah Bradley presented the audience with parallels of how Black people are (and were) treated harshly by the American government. The chemistry that the characters in the movie had was out of this world.
Bringing It Home
Despite the issues of rewrites and reshoots, Captain America: Brave New World brought it home with its amazing fights, aerial scenes, relaying the message, and the cast’s chemistry. Although this movie was not the best way to show the world Sam as Captain America, it gives me hope for better portrayals of him in future films. I am eagerly awaiting his return for the next movie he stars in. I’ll give Captain America: Brave New World a solid 7.5 out of 10. And don’t let my review discourage you from seeing the film. Who knows? This may become one of your favorite MCU films. If it does, then know that you don’t have to go out of your way to justify it to the haters.
Captain America: Brave New World is in theaters now.