When a new Captain America movie was announced with the mantle being held by Sam Wilson’s character, the Falcon (Anthony Mackie), I originally did not find interest in seeing the film due to the mixed negative reviews. However, curiosity got the better of me, as I wanted to see how Sam Wilson would become the new Captain America.
The synopsis of the film is about Sam Wilson and his new sidekick, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), who go undercover to solve the mystery of their friend’s imprisonment, Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly). The film is an entertaining ride with Sam and Danny investigating the cause for Isaiah and the other soldiers’ attempted assassination of the new president, Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford).
The first act in the movie was the strongest not only for its well-paced scenes but because it quickly built the plot for Sam to solve Isaiah’s case and prove him innocent before he is executed. The film was set up to be a self-contained action-mystery that would have stood apart from most Marvel films focusing on world-ending, interconnected stories. However, the film tries to combine different stories all in one, ultimately leading to the film’s demise.
The main issue of Brave New World is that it tries to be a sequel and a conclusion to the Incredible Hulk that originally came out in 2008 rather than a proper continuation of the Falcon and the Winter Soldier series with the reintroductions of Ross and the main villain and The Leader (Tim Blake Nelson). This movie introduces characters that are allies/foes to the Hulk, such as Ross and “The Leader,” which felt rather odd to include in a Captain America franchise.
Additionally, the film could have cut out some characters that had little purpose to make room for deeper character developments for the main cast: Joaquin, who is supposed to be the new Falcon, Isaiah, who most of the theater audience may not be familiar with, and Sam, who did not get enough character development in his own film. The film seemed to set up the dilemma for Sam to either take the super-soldier strength serum or stay human, which could have given him a well-built character arc about crafting his own name as the new Captain America; however, the film does not delve deeper into the conflict.
The film showed its obvious reshoots through the noticeable green screen effects and sometimes dodgy special effects, which unfortunately continues the streak of Marvel films and their lack of the director’s vision, cinematography, and character-focused stories.
In conclusion, Captain America: Brave New World is a decent film with some interesting plots and genre direction; however, the film did not reach its full potential, leaving behind underdeveloped conflicts and characters.
Photo by: Jalan Washington