Despite taking almost four years since The Falcon and the Winter Soldier debuted on Disney+, Anthony Mackie finally has his time to shine, as Sam Wilson dons the iconic red, white and blue star shield. But in what should have been a celebratory milestone for Mackie – taking on the Captain America mantle and the leading role in Marvel’s latest blockbuster film – has turned into somewhat of a mixed affair due to an unfortunate reception to the MCU entry. It certainly doesn’t help that the production was reportedly fraught with so many delays, rewrites and reshoots.
Directed by Julius Onah (The Cloverfield Paradox) Captain America: Brave New World centres on newly-elected US President Ross (Harrison Ford) and his handling of a new international accord following the discovery of an adamantium resource. However, a shock attempt on Ross’ life by super soldier Isiah Bradley (Carl Lumbley) thrusts Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and wingman Joaquin Torres in a tense race against time, as they try to hault a potential world war by unravelling a deep-rooted conspiracy.
Contrary to the overly negative reviews and the surprising rotten tomatoes score, this certainly isn’t Marvel’s worst film or TV series by some stretch (here’s looking at you, Secret Invasion). There’s some genuinely great performances, fun action scenes and a tense geopolitical thriller buried amoongst a convoluted and at times nonsensical plot. It’s just a shame that for Mackie’s first big-screen leading role, Sam Wilson frustratingly isn’t fully afforded his own tale, instead he has to fit around a story which serves to tie up loose ends from The Incredible Hulk and Eternals, all the while introducing Red Hulk into the mix.
On the one hand, there’s an intriguing mind control plot centred around Lumbley’s hugely compelling Isiah Bradley, reminiscent of the Winter Soldier’s arc in Captain America: Civil War. Sam and his new sidekick Joaquin Torres are in a race against time to clear his name before he faces the death penalty. There’s certainly potential for a compelling conspiracy thriller here. Meanwhile, Sam is still grappling with his identity, the Captain America mantle and whether he should take the super serum following Falcon and the Winter Soldier. So far so good. However, as soon as Sam and Co. discover the real villain – in an unfortunately disappointing reveal – it all begins to feel rather cobbled together.
Still, Anthony Mackie does a great job as Sam/Cap, sharing fantastic chemistry with Danny Ramirez & Carl Lumbly – it’s just unfortunate that they aren’t afforded more time together. Harrison Ford is also excellent as Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross, and much like his performance in Shrinking, he’s genuinely funny here. It’s such a shame that his eventual Red Hulk transformation was used so heavily in the marketing though, as that would have made for an excellent twist. However, the film is hampered by it’s incredibly stock villain archetypes, which is disappointing given the calibre of actors involved (Giancarlo Esposito and Tim Blake Nelson).
Wētā FX have done an excellent job with Ford’s Red Hulk transformation, as the visual effects really are outstanding, particularly how well they’ve captured the actors’ facial features and likeness. However, the knock on effects of multiple reshoots have led to noticeable segments shot against green screens. Sam’s newly upgraded costume is also a baffling hybrid, featuring a mix of Ant-Man’s helmet, Black Panther inspired vibranium suit and wings, Falcon’s drones and Cap’s suit. Again, not helping with Sam’s identity crisis! Meanwhile, there is a fun Top Gun-esque sequence featuring missile surfing(!) set against the striking backdrop of Tiamut the celestial’s corpse – Dominic Toretto, eat your heart out!
Verdict
Captain America: Brave New World is a fine but often frustrating geopolitical affair. Mackie, Ramirez & Lumbly all share an excellent chemistry but they’re unfortunately forced to play second fiddle in an overstuffed sequel to The Incredible Hulk and Eternals. Fingers crossed for better from Thunderbolts* and Fantastic Four later this year.
