Forever Team Cap! Captain America Brave New World sees Sam Wilson taking over as Captain America and showing he has what it takes to reassemble the Avengers.
Captain America Brave New World Review
Snow kept me from my screening date with Cap the other night so I bought a ticket to the earliest Dolby show on Thursday – IMAX was too late in the evening, I already felt so behind everyone else! Prior to seeing it, I, like the rest of you, saw a lot of positive reactions and then some not so nice ones. But knowing how others love to hate on things to be relevant and insist on holding every movie up to the *insert a previous popular MCU title here* standard I wasn't deterred by their rantings. Is it Captain America The Winter Soldier? No, but I didn't expect it to be. That's my favorite MCU film, which is like asking if any Disney movie will ever top The Lion King (the 1994 version to be clear). That answer will forever be no. The story has some weaker elements, but so does a lot of Phase 1 and Phase 2 outings too (I'm not a Dark World revisionist, it wasn't the best). However, if you're looking for a superhero movie that delivers some great action, thriller vibes, and a chance to see Captain America fly while throwing hands and the shield, then you're in for a treat.
Captain America: Brave New World cements Sam as the new Captain America, showing everyone he has what it takes to rebuild and reassemble the Avengers. Laura Karpman's score and Kramer Morgenthau's cinematography heighten the 90s geopolitical thriller tone of the film as the conspiracy unravels around Sam. Big action set pieces feature the classic hand-to-hand combat we are accustomed to in a Captain America outing but this time they also take it to the sky. There are a lot of moving pieces within the plot– especially with 3 bad guys to deal with – but director Julius Onah keeps them moving for an exciting, entertaining, Hulk smashing good time.
Following the events of Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Brave New World finds Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) firmly established as Captain America. He is busy serving his country in a world where the Avengers are no longer a team thanks to the work of the former general turned president Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford). After the emergence of a Celestial in the Indian Ocean, Ross is attempting to ratify a treaty that would regulate how the world will harvest and use the adamantium found there. Before anything is signed, Ross is targeted in an assassination attempt by Sam's friend and former Captain America Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly). Determined to prove Bradley was framed, Sam begins his own investigation and what he finds is a deeper conspiracy that threatens the stability of America and a global war.
Let's talk about that conspiracy. It is not that Ross will eventually Hulk out. Even if that hadn't been spoiled by McDonald's Happy Meal toys, any comic fan could have told you, including Ross in this film meant the Red Hulk was imminent. The actual conspiracy revolves around who is pulling Ross and Sidewinder's (Giancarlo Esposito) strings and to a bigger extent why is he doing it. Everything leads back to Dr. Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson reprising his role from The Incredible Hulk). Again, this isn't a big surprise but it is intriguing as to why he is doing it. Much like Zemo, The Leader has a more nuanced approach to his anarchy. Onah lets Sterns' web to unwind in a straightforward manner, allowing the gritty thriller to balance out the shield-throwing, comic book action as the story moves along at a brisk pace.
Despite the fact that Sam lacks the super soldier serum that made Steve Rogers almost invincible, the hand-to-hand combat is still just as brutal as ever. Much like other mere mortal heroes like Tony Stark and Black Widow, Sam utilizes what he does have to kick *ss– his vibranium shield and a sweet suit upgrade featuring the rare metal. It pays to have friends in Wakanda. Plus, don't forget about the weapon Sam has in his arsenal that is unique to him, no I'm not talking Redwing, but his time and training as a counselor. I loved seeing his background in that area come into play again in Brave New World. Sam gets banged up, breaks some ribs, and Mackie sells it all with the same snark that had us laughing when Hawkeye pointed out he was fighting robots with a bow in Age of Ultron.
What also sets him (and this film) apart from previous Cap installments is the ability to take the fight to the sky. Sam shows off his distinct combat style as he faces off against military jets in an epic aerial battle. Then there is his climatic fight with Red Hulk that is one destructive and fun spectacle. One of the biggest things I heard from friends is how is Sam going to fight a Hulk? The answer is with the same tenacity and dogged determination that Steve embodied when he stood alone against Thanos and his army. Aside from the action, the best part of this film is the cast that has been assembled to bring the story to life.
Mackie's Cap shares a lot of traits with Chris Evans' version, both are friends of the people, unshakeable in their determination to seek real justice, tenacious, and full of that never-give-up grit. Sam however is more relatable to the average person. After all, inside his suit, he is simply a good man trying his best to do the right thing, no matter what. And in one emotional moment of the film, Sam is told that Steve gave the people something to believe in but Sam gives them something to aspire to. Anyone can be a hero like Captain America, even a scrawny kid from Brooklyn or in this case a veteran from New Orleans. Mackie continues to infuse Sam with undeniable charm, wit, and an optimism that carries him through the toughest situations. If there was ever a doubt Mackie was ready to lead the new Avengers (I always believed in him) he silences it in this film.
Ford, the reliable gravelly grump that he is, was the perfect choice to play Ross. Channeling his innate Ford-ness, Ross commands the screen with unwavering authority while also keeping a not-so-tight lid on his rage. Ford is fascinating to watch as he constantly switches Ross' demeanor – sometimes he is Sam's fan, wanting to unite the people, other times he is on the war path to clear away any threats to his treaty. This unpredictability about him has you waiting eagerly for the inevitable moment where Ford transforms into the Red Hulk.
Esposito is forever a great villain, despite being one of the nicest humans I've met in real life. Sidewinder isn't the main big bad but he is intelligent and nonplussed by his encounter with Captain America. I look forward to more of this guy in the future. Nelson is able to give Sterns more depth here, adding a layer of nonchalant menace that can only come from someone who knows he is smarter than everyone else in the room. Danny Ramirez is a likable sidekick to Mackie's Sam, further building upon the dynamic they established in Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Lumbly once again brings an emotional depth to the screen as Bradley, providing support and doling out necessary hard facts to Sam. If you don't tear up when these two have their moment towards the end you don't have a soul.
Verdict
Captain America Brave New World blazes its own path for Sam Wilson's Captain America while also staying connected to the larger MCU as well as the Cap films that came before it. The action is thrilling, delivering fun and exciting visuals. Strong performances from a talented cast lend the right amount of emotion, humor, and heart to the proceedings. Nods to the universe at large give glimpses into what may be coming down the line for Sam and his team, and as a comic fan I'm super excited about the possibilities. But above all, Brave New World proves to those within the universe as well as those watching, that Sam Wilson was the perfect choice to pick up the shield after Steve Rogers. He is a man with a strong sense of justice and morals, who wants to use what has been given to him in order to protect the innocent. Captain America has always stood for the ideal America and Sam continues that legacy, giving us a hero we should all aspire to be.
Captain America: Brave New World is in theaters now. It is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some strong language with a runtime of 1 hour 58 minutes.
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