Captain America: Brave New World – Movie Reviews by Ry!

Captain America: Brave New World – Upon the Wings of Mystery: I am … a Hero

From an idea, it can become a seed of potential.  Within that seed, it becomes a spark that pushes you to the limits, putting a person in a place of true gratification.  In the world of film, ideas provide a way to build great stories that can feel wholesome, real or magical.  No matter what it is, you hope the idea can lead to a fun escape.  In this review, I look at the latest film from Marvel Studios.  In the next chapter of a rising hero, we get a tale of mixed messages and action.  Even with its flaws, Captain America: Brave New World is a thriller that shows what it means to be … a leader. 

When nefarious things begin to happen in the shadows, Sam Wilson/Captain America (Anthony Mackie) must find a way to stop an international crisis before it all comes crashing down.  When it comes to the MCU, it is an overarching bridge that spans a totality of ‘things to come’ and ‘specifics of the moment’.  With any film (or TV show) in this big universe, it puts a lens on the specific chapter, and how important it is (to the overall journey).  In the beginning, we come into this latest chapter witnessing Thunderbolt Ross (Harrison Ford), becoming the next president.  After a series of expositional sequences (connecting past MCU elements with the present), we jump into an action sequence that introduces us to Sam Wilson as the new Captain America.  From here, the film settles through general introductions to some additional characters (refer to the film’s IMdb page – Link), before leading to a pivotal event in the film: a failed assassination on Ross’s life.  From this point, the film becomes an amalgamation of plot threads moving through elements of political thrillers, conspiracies and heroism like motifs.  As the journey moves through each scene, it becomes a methodical threading of these elements to the overall mystery (who ordered the hit on Ross’s life).  As this direction moves through each scene, you begin to see two different things happening: great character moments and uninspiring one-dimensional situations.  For every adrenaline filled action sequence or dynamic conversation between Ross and Wilson, you get a series of forced expositional dialogue scenes that cover up the underdeveloped side characters and plot threads.  This fragment-like direction builds an auspicious feeling (towards the journey), a showcase of threading ideas without truly aspiring to be something more.

As Captain America and Falcon continue to uncover the mystery, the alluring actions of Ross (and behavioral moments) allude to something more deadly on the horizon.  As things continue to build through the layers being pulled back, the truth of what is at hand starts to bring the fragmented direction into a cohesive narrative.  As an international crisis begins to loom over valuable assets, it pushes the political thriller elements to the forefront with great intent.  This focal change builds up true intent through a grounded appeal of what truly is at stake.  As things continue to build through political wrangling, it is deepened by the dynamic between Wilson and Ross, epic action sequences and all out adrenaline filled suspense.  As everything comes to an epic confrontation, we head into a third act of predictability that is leveled with a gratifying climax and full circle epilogue.  Captain America: Brave New World is a film of great acting against a fragmented narrative.  If you are a fan of the MCU, comic films, political thrillers or great acting, this is one for you.  I say you can have a good time seeing this on the big screen, at the right price.

Full Score – 3.5 out of 5 (Matinee)