If you believe all the rumours and reports from the last few years, you’d think that what winds up on the screen while watching Captain America: Brave New World would be an unmitigated, unwatchable disaster of epic proportions.
You’d be wrong.
In Captain America: Brave New World, directed by Julius Onah and the first Cap movie to be headlined by Anthony Mackie as the shield-wielding Sam Wilson, the new Captain America works to uncover a plot to kill the newly-minted U.S. President, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, played by an excellent Harrison Ford, stepping into the shoes (but not mustache) of the late William Hurt. Conspiracies and political intrigue abound thanks to the machinations of someone behind the scenes, making this Captain America instalment a more grounded film akin to the excellent Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Anthony Mackie does an admirable job of leading the film. While Sam Wilson had previously been a key supporting character in other Marvel Studios movies, Mackie demonstrates he can ably handle the leading man role. It certainly helps that we’re familiar with Sam; you can’t help but root for both the actor and Sam as they take on a name that’s been associated with another man for a long time. Mackie doesn’t make us forget about Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers, and neither he nor the filmmakers want us to; part of Sam’s journey is continually accepting his worthiness to be Captain America. I’d guess that Anthony Mackie may also feel a bit of that, but he needn’t worry.
As mentioned above, Harrison Ford does a fantastic job as Thaddeus Ross; for some reason, I was surprised. Ford dives into the role with all his acting talents, giving Ross an emotional arc he hadn’t previously had. There’s a constant discussion of change throughout the film regarding Ross, a man trying to be better than he’d been in the past. The former General has skeletons in his closet, and when they finally come out, he sees red. Literally.
It’s not a spoiler to say that Thaddeus Ross eventually turns into Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World; for the most part, that aspect of the film works. However, it does take us into the comic book world that the film eschews for its majority when it’s more ground-level.
Meanwhile, I didn’t see any of the reported issues during filming on the screen. The addition of Giancarlo Esposito as Sidewinder, while an addition added in reshoots, ultimately worked and made sense. These scenes between Sidewinder and Captain America are some of the best in the film. The movie also has a strong supporting cast, including Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Tores, the new Falcon, and Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns, last seen in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Captain America: Brave New World is a sequel to that movie in many ways, and it works.
While not at that classic level of previously mentioned Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Brave New World is significantly stronger than all the rumours and reports would have you believe.
One Reply to “Saturday at the Movies: “Captain America: Brave New World” Does the Shield Proud”