Brave New World is a Marvel that’s not Brave nor New
My favorite moment in Captain America: Brave New World was about two seconds long. Captain America and Falcon try to stop two jets attacking multiple militaries in one of the best big battles of the movie. At one point, Captain America rides a missile like a surfer to stop it. Things explode, machine guns are fired and there is a lot of action. The fourth film to feature the titular shield, Captain America: Brave New World, is the first one with Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). This passing of the baton happened in a film released six years earlier (2019’s Avengers: Endgame), and it was explored in depth and with care in a television show released four year ago (2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier). Both of these come to fruition as a story which is a direct sequel of a 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. This movie has very little that is “brave,” “new,” or even “tried.” It’s more “tried,” “true.”
(c) Marvel Studios-
Here Thaddeus, played by Harrison Ford, who is taking over the role of William Hurt, is the President of the United States, and must deal the fallout from the movie Eternals, which was released in 2021. The corpse of an alien was left on Earth in that movie. Now, Ross is trying to broker a deal that will fairly distribute the resources of the island. It’s not explained in detail why adamantium is so valuable, even though it was introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You just go along with it because they know that you already know. They steal a package. They frame their friend for murder. The two hang out in the plush Captain America themed apartment. They uncover a plot by Samuel Sterns, played by Tim Blake Nelson, who has had a beef against Ross since the second MCU film. The film’s villain is cool, but he’s kept mostly in the background until the very end, which lessens his impact. Captain America: Brave New World alternates between long narrative stretches, exposition dumps and mostly pointless set pieces. They are often added as a way to fill in a few extra minutes before the characters explain the plot, which is ultimately very simple. The pattern continues, leading us to the scene that we’ve seen on all marketing materials: Ross turning into a red Hulk. Brave New World fails in another way because it treats the reveal as a big one, and teases it from the beginning. But the fact that the poster is literally there when you enter the theater shows how it was done. It’s a big, epic, unexpected Marvel climax. But there is no suspense. And it looks and feels like every Hulk scene from previous Marvel films. It simply falls flat.
Spoilers – this guy is in the movie. Marvel Studios
A couple of things aren’t as bad. One of them is riding a rocket like a surfer for two seconds. Cast is more important. Anthony Mackie is finally able to become Captain America, a role he has been working toward since 2014’s Captain America The Winter Soldier. Mackie’s charisma and confidence are a great way to overcome the fact that everything around him doesn’t seem to evoke any emotion or draw much attention. This is a true superheroic feat. Ford is also great, but it’s Harrison Ford, so as long as Ford is screaming his lines, even with a tiny bit of energy, then he will be. Shira haas is a Marvel newcomer who plays Ruth Bat-Seraph. She’s an ex-Black Widow now working as Ross’s security head. Her character’s storyline may be unclear, but she’s captivating. Ramirez is a good match for Mackie and offers a slight hint of humor. Blake Nelson’s performance and Giancarlo Eposito’s are also well received because they both seem to be aware that the film itself isn’t a great one. Julius Onah, the director, thinks that he is at the helm a slick and important political thriller from the 1970s. He even uses a stylized logo for “Marvel Studios”. Or at least, something closer to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This is not true. Even the few scenes that have some heart or excitement are quickly drowned out by extraneous exposition or unconvincingly half-hearted character motivation. Even the handful of scenes that have some heart or excitement get quickly get drowned out by extraneous exposition or unconvincingly half-hearted character motivation.
There are a few crumbs for Marvel Cinematic Universe fans spread throughout, including one scene at the very end of the credits, but none of it-including the introduction of adamantium and its obvious, comics-driven implication for the future-ever adds up to make Captain America: Brave New World what it wants to be: an important, memorable addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Mackie might be a worthy successor to Chris Evans, but Brave New World is a bottom-tier Marvel movie with a snooze-worthy plot and low emotional stakes.
Captain America: Brave New World opens this Friday, February 14. Happy Valentines?
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