‘Captain America: Brave New World’ review: A reset the MCU needed, not the one it deserved
Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford star in the 35th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe coming to theaters Feb. 14.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- “Captain America: Brave New World” is like a Mad Libs where all the answers are wrong. The 35th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a sequel to not one, but two not-quite-forgotten (but getting there) films (2016’s “Captain America: Civil War” and 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk”), except with a new and different protagonist, characters from a Disney+ series you probably forgot about (“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”) and a plot device from another MCU film (“Eternals”) you probably didn’t like.
The sum of these, ahem, interesting choices is exactly what you’d expect: decidedly mid at best, a hot mess at worst.
“Brave New World” means to return the “Captain America” franchise to its roots as a political thriller with a superhero bent. In that sense, it’s successful. The action isn’t set in space, the multiverse or the quantum realm, but in Washington, D.C. General Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford replacing the late William Hurt), last seen rounding up Avengers for violating the Sokovia Accords, is now president of the United States, elected on the promise of bringing together a world that has, well, been through it. His first order of business is to restart the Avengers Initiative with the help of Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), still trying to step out from Steve Rogers’ long shadow.
Things go sideways when Sam’s mentor Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), introduced on the small screen as one of the original Super Soldiers, is framed for an assassination attempt on Ross during an international summit to determine control of Celestial Island, the giant landmass left behind at the end of “Eternals” that, turns out, is covered in Adamantium. Basically, Vibranium, but without Wakandan oversight.
Suddenly, it’s Sam vs. Ross all over again. Cap, along with his wingman Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), sets out to clear Bradley’s name, while Ross and his Black Widow-trained security advisor Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas) try to prevent World War III. Both roads lead to one man: Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), the scientist caught in the crossfire between Hulk and Abomination in the Duel of Harlem 16 years ago and who has spent the time since plotting his revenge. His master plan? Secretly slipping Ross gamma radiation pills that, well, let’s just say you wouldn’t want to make POTUS angry. You wouldn’t like POTUS when he’s angry.
It’s... a lot!
Director Julius Onah (”The Cloverfield Paradox”) does his best to connect these mishmashed parts, but he’s ultimately undone by shoddy visual effects, clunky editing and a script (credited to five screenwriters) stuffed with hokey dialogue and scenes that go nowhere— I counted at least two that ended with a character saying, “I don’t know.” As the villain, Nelson’s Samuel Sterns is an underdeveloped, less interesting variation of The Joker. Blink and you’ll miss Giancarlo Esposito as the ruthless mercenery Sidewinder. I get the distinct sense that Haas’ Ruth Bat-Seraph had a bigger role at one point, too. This very much feels like a movie cobbled together during reshoots and in post.
Still, there are bright spots. Mackie commands the screen in his first outing as the man behind the shield, balancing heroic gravitas with the vulnerability of a man, not a superhuman, wondering if he’ll ever be enough. He and Ramirez also have a charming Batman-and-Robin vibe. Ford brings a humanity to Ross we haven’t seen before, and a pair of surprise cameos are sure to make grown men cry. The third act finally delivers the goods with the classic Marvel spectacle you came for, including an intense “Top Gun”-style dogfight over the Indian Ocean and a chest-pounding final showdown between Captain America and Red Hulk amid the cherry blossoms.
There’s no arguing that Marvel has lost the plot in recent years. While “Brave New World” isn’t necessarily the movie you wanted, it might be the one the franchise needed— a reset that brings its mightiest heroes back down to Earth.
“Captain America: Brave New World” at-a-glance
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 1 hour, 58 minutes
Release date: Friday, Feb. 14
Unbilled cameos: 2
Post-credits scenes: 1
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Christopher Nolan wouldn't want to make 'Following' the same way again because he made mistakes with his actors through inexperience that he wouldn't repeat.
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Each has a little something to offer depending on what you want from a movie
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
What will Constantine 2 be about?
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Country singer Rory Feek wrote in a blog post that he wasn't shocked when one of his daughters told him she was not his biological child. It changes nothing, he said. He still loves her as his daughter, even if she technically is not.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Kylie Kelce appeared on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast to discuss one of the biggest rumors regarding her and Taylor Swift.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The seven-time Super Bowl champion has made up his mind. Tom Brady won’t be leaving the broadcast booth anytime soon Brady took to Instagram on Wednesday to reflect on the 2024 NFL season and…
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The Emmy-winning actor has played a wide variety of gay characters throughout his career.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The Emmy-winning actor has played a wide variety of gay characters throughout his career.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
While some are praising the performances, many critics found the fourth Cap film dull and confusing
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The Beatles legend prompted emotional responses from both extremes with the unexpected announcement
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.