Movie Review: Captain America: A Brave New World

Rating: -0.5 /5 stars

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has found its way back to creationism with its Captain America: Brave New World, in a sense that dinosaurs could have contributed more towards the entertainment of the movie, or perhaps dodos than everyone who seems to have worked on this movie. Marvel cannot fathom a few lines in the script, let alone a star cast and utilisation of its characters. Martin Goodman and Stan Lee must be blessed that they left the Earth before they could witness the abomination that is this movie.

Directed by Julius Onah who was also one of the 4 scriptwriters to the movie. I think the script has been very carefully written to avoid bad publicity or any publicity. But most importantly, the script lacks substance. The dialogues are a sorry excuse for a conversation. Whilst this film attempted to chart new territory in the existing legacy of the Avengers, it has only ruined the legacy and identity further more crippling the trust of fans. It won’t be long before they will get to a point of no return if this is how they keep making movies.

Let’s talk about Harrison Ford as President Thaddeus Ross, shall we? That man wants to retire. Why would you make him the Red Hulk? Why? Did you think the fight scenes through? Do you remember the time when fight scenes were epic? Hulkbuster vs the Hulk or Team Cap vs Team Ironman, or even the ones in the first two movies of the Hulk with Edward Norton. Do you even remember what “epic” means anymore, Marvel?

At its core, Brave New World is less a superhero set-piece and more about political tension, uneasy alliances, and navigating a world that doesn’t seem to know who its heroes very much like the franchise itself. The movie not only has moments of weak performances, less intriguing thematic ideas, but it is also weighed down by uneven pacing, heavy exposition, and a plot with the most abysmal rhythm.

A New Cap for a New Era

Picking up after The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the film finds Sam Wilson now fully in possession of the Captain America title. But instead of immediate public admiration, he’s met with skepticism, political obstacles, and the lingering doubts of both the government and global citizens still reeling from the Blip. It is safe to conclude that it is not only the fans watching him that loathe him in this movie, but the paid supporting audience in the movie too.

Anthony Mackie turns in a subpar performance for his paycheck. His Sam Wilson is not just a man trying to live up to Steve Rogers’ legacy; he’s trying to ruin it. Mackie plays him with equal parts embarrassment and confusion, balancing the pressure of the shield with the weight of real-world politics. It’s clear that Sam’s Captain America isn’t just about physical strength and is not even a thinking man’s hero but someone who is obsessed with an autonomous drone to complete missions and carry the movie forward.

Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), who steps into a more central role, offers solid support, although his character arc feels underbaked. He’s clearly being set up for bigger things, but the movie set cut him short just like its own failure.

Harrison Ford and the Presidential Twist

One of the film’s biggest talking points going in was the casting of Harrison Ford as President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, taking over the role following the passing of William Hurt. Ford brings gravitas and old-school gruffness to the role, but even he could not salvage what was left of the movie. There are only 2 men who can save a mediocre or poor script: Christoph Walz and Nicholas Cage. I hope you don’t cast them in the next movie just because I mentioned them.

Ross isn’t just a figurehead here- he’s central to the failed plot, which revolves around a global security initiative that borders on authoritarianism. It’s clear the film wants to explore themes of power, surveillance, and freedom versus control, but it only scratches the surface. These ideas are compelling, especially in today’s political climate, but Brave New World doesn’t quite commit to exploring them in depth.

Plot: A Tangle of Threads

The storyline revolves around a global crisis triggered by a mysterious antagonist and a series of cyber-attacks and political destabilisations. While that sounds intriguing on paper, the execution is cluttered. There are too many plotlines- international diplomacy, legacy-building, rogue super soldiers, covert ops- and none are given the breathing room they need.

We’re introduced to several new characters, including the enigmatic villain whose motivations remain vague until the third act. While Marvel has often struggled with weak villains, this entry doesn’t do much to break the trend. The bad guy isn’t exactly forgettable, but they aren’t memorable either.

Political Thriller or Superhero Filler?

Captain America: Brave New World clearly wants to follow in the footsteps of The Winter Soldier, arguably one of the MCU’s best and most grounded films. It borrows from the same genre of political action thriller with a superhero twist but lacks the sharpness of the Russo brothers’ direction and the sleekness of their storytelling.

Final Thoughts

Captain America: Brave New World is a poor attempt to redefine what a superhero can be in the modern world. It’s not about identity, responsibility, and the blurry lines between patriotism and propaganda.

However, the film ultimately falls short of being great. It’s hampered by uneven storytelling, too many underdeveloped plot threads, and a reluctance to push its political themes far enough.