“Captain America: Brave New World” Review

Marvel Studios returns triumphantly to the big screen with their new leader of The Avengers this weekend in Captain America: Brave New World.

Marvel Studios today dropped Captain America: Brave New World after seven months of waiting for the newest entry into the MCU. From my point of view, it’s a worthy entry into the Captain America series and the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Brave New World is a political drama of world leaders trying to work together to share the new metal left by the Celetial Tiamut in the Indian Ocean after the events of The Eternals. That new metal? Adamantium. New President Thaddeus Ross, is attempting to escape his past by bringing the world together to share the Adamantium. But outside forces are making that attempt nearly impossible to complete. After an attack at the White House by Isiah Bradley, Sam Wilson goes on the hunt to find the real reason behind the attack while President Ross blocks him so he can be the one that saves the treaty.

Anthony Mackie had already cemented himself as the next generation Captain America after Endgame and The Falcon and the Winter Solider but this was his first time in his career being the number one on the call sheet, being the leader of a major movie. In Brave New World he shines, showing us that he can balance between funny and serious, he can handle the action and if you watched the press tour, he is an amazing leader and person in real life. The snappy rapport between him and Danny Ramirez’s Joaquin Torres is so much fun to watch.

Acting-wise, for me the two standouts are Harrison Ford as President Ross and Carl Lumbly as Isiah Bradley. Ford and Lumbly are the emotional core of this film. This sounds weird since we all know who President Ross turns into. But in the non-action parts of this film, when they are doing some of the needed emotional building, these two are the ones who do all the heavy lifting. We need to get Carl Lumbly more roles because he is just a great actor.

There are some other members of the cast that I want to talk about however, I don’t want to spoil who they are in the movie and their importance to the story.

I need to address the reports that a major part of this movie was reshot. Every major movie in today’s modern movie-making has reshoots. Even many of the major television shows go back after they have started the editing process to pick up scenes they missed filming or the sound didn’t work. For Brave New World, after a few test screenings, Kevin Feige and the Marvel Studios higher-ups decided to rework the story to make a much better movie overall. There is only one or maybe two scenes where I knew they had some pickups or ADR. They were not enough to take me out of the movie and most casual movie fans won’t even notice.

The fight scenes are great with Mackie doing a lot of his stunt work. They worked in new ways the Cap Shield can be used, even if Sam doesn’t have the Super Solider Serum. Along with the fight scenes, the CGI looks great. Red Hulk looks so good, your brain will question if he will be waiting for you when you leave the theater. The dogfight scene from the trailer between Captain America and a fighter jet looks amazing. The use of close-ups and distance shots gives us a better understanding of the space.

There is one cameo and one post-credit scene. Both are important for this movie but also for some things coming in the near future. 

Some critics have seemed to have forgotten that movies are supposed to be fun. Brave New World is fun, with all the Marvel fight scenes and CGI characters we have come to love over the last 17 years since Ironman hammered himself his first suit with a box of scraps. But this movie also gives us emotion, laughs, and a couple of cheer moments. Movies like this are the reason to go to the theater. They need to be seen on the largest screens possible, with the best sound. 

This is the first of the three Marvel Studio films we are getting this year, with Thunderbolts* coming to theaters on May 2nd and the Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25th. 

I score this, and this is my own personal score, 9 out of 10 Cap Shields.

Author: Sean Miley

I’d rather find the things that I like about a story, movie, or tv show, than lead with negativity. I love Star Wars, Doctor Who, MCU, comic book and conventions.

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