Captain America: Brave New World

Geronimo1967

Feb 15, 2025

6/10

“Brave New World” but same old yarn, sadly. Morgan Freeman clearly didn’t fancy this one so Marvel have resurrected another ex-president in Harrison Ford to put together a treaty that will deliver the old save the globe type of thing. It’s all about this giant hand-shaped structure that has emerged from the ocean and that contains “adamantium” - and that’s even more indestructible than “Vibranium” (how can something be more indestructible?). Anyway, before this accord can get signed off by a curious quadrumvirate of the USA, India, France and China a shipment of this new material gets pinched and it’s down to “Capt. America” (Anthony Mackie) and his new sidekick “Torres/Falcon” (Danny Ramirez) to retrieve it. Loads of end-to-end fisticuffs later and the goods are secure which earns our dynamic duo and their inspirational trainer “Bradley” (Carl Lumbly) an invitation to the White House. That’s where the wheels really do come off as their pal starts taking potshots at the President and we discover that the erstwhile somewhat militaristic and temperamental “Ross” and “Cap” aren’t exactly on the same page. It’s pretty obvious that there’s a third party pulling the strings so it’s going to need all of his patience and guile if the shielded wonder is to retrieve his mentor from solitary, rebuild his relationship with his president before that man really sees red, and also get to the bottom of a dastardly scheme that seems bent on causing international strife between the USA and Japan. Mackie’s a charismatic man and he does what he can with this, but the story comes across as little more than an hybrid of “Top Gun” (1986) meets “Tomorrow Never Dies” (1997) with an unremarkable cast, including Ford’s “Ross”, that struggles to make any impact as it races along for two hours without presenting anything original or particularly entertaining. It passes the time, but is yet another bland offering from a studio that is increasingly resorting to it’s creative technicians to design something that looks great but resonates not remotely. Disappointing, sorry.

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ movieswetextedabout.com/captain-america-brave-new-world-review-anthony-mackie-deserves-to-wield-the-shield/ "Captain America: Brave New World may not reach the high bar set by its direct predecessors, but it's far from the disaster some claim it to be. Despite its evident production flaws, Julius Onah still manages to deliver moments of real entertainment, supported by a charismatic cast and well-crafted action sequences. Most importantly, Anthony Mackie's performance as Sam Wilson proves, without a doubt, that he was the right choice to wield the shield left behind by Steve Rogers. The actor perfectly captures the duality of being both a global symbol and a man still searching for his own path, bringing a unique approach to the legacy of the titular hero. It may not be top-tier MCU, but it's a film worthy of being experienced on the big screen." Rating: B

A fun watch but could, and should, have been a lot more. Anthony Mackie was easily the stand out of this entire film.