Captain America: Brave New World Review – A New Cap, But Same Marvel Flaws

Follow us on Google News

Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed

The return of Captain America to the big screen marks an exciting new chapter for the MCU. Coming after the massive hit that wasDeadpool & Wolverine, Marvel is looking to replant its roots with one of its most dependable franchises.Captain America: Brave New Worldarrives with Anthony Mackie officially taking up the shield for a full movie. WhileBrave New Worldcovers much of the same ground asThe Falcon and The Winter Soldier, solid action and heartfelt storytelling help it rise above mediocrity. However, yet again, Marvel struggles with CGI, and questionable editing makes the two-hour flick feel much longer than it should.

Marvel Rivals Releasing Special Combo Bundle To Celebrate Anthony Mackie’s Captain America: Brave New World

After the election of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford) as President, the new Captain America — Sam Wilson (Mackie) — agrees to serve the President. After helping on a recovery mission, Wilson gets an invitation to the White House. Joined by Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) and Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), the trio gets ready for a fun night. However, when fortunes turn, Wilson must race against the clock to prevent a global conflict while Ross struggles with a figure from his past.

The review: building a new direction through the familiar

While the Captain America character has a strong presence in pop culture, the shift to Mackie as Cap is still ongoing. Not everyone watchedThe Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and as we’ve seen in the past, MCU movie fans do not always tune in to the TV shows. In the case ofCaptain America: Brave New World, Mackie, and his team are essentially being reintroduced to the general public. This allows Mackie to iterate on some of his emotional work in TheFalcon and The Winter Soldierwhile keeping us moving forward.

The choice to keep some of the familiarity extends beyond the general storyline. Yes, Sam does not know if he’s good enough to take the Captain America mantle and continues questioning his choice to skip the serum. Yet this also allows Sam to stand out from Steve Rodgers, something director Julius Onah hopes to take full advantage of.

(L-R) Captain America/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), Joaquin Torres/The Falcon (Danny Ramirez) and Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) in Marvel Studios' CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2024 MARVEL.

“Red Hulk is a beast”: Captain America: Brave New World Reviews Say It’s a Typical MCU Movie but Has the Potential to Kill Kevin Feige’s Biggest Problem

Expanding on the visual depiction of Sam as a warrior in previous features, Onah pushes Sam to utilize every weapon at his disposal. This provides some exciting new showcases for the shield-wielding flyer, both as a fighter and as a hero. The hand-to-hand combat shines, especially when Onah provides unique visual flare and lighting for these sequences. Onah builds on how Sam has been styled before, which stresses how rarely he was given the spotlight in previous MCU features.

Marvel continues to struggle with CGI and pre-vis

However,Captain America: Brave New Worldonce again features too many issues with basic filmmaking to stand with the great blockbusters. The visual effects, especially around the Celestial fromEternals,are terrible. Using the camera to generate random lens flares would be bad enough. Yet the flat cinematography during random sequences only adds to the feeling that we’re running through sludge. While the Red Hulk looks good, the scenes around him look sludgy.The heart ofBrave New Worldhelps overcome these frustrating images, but there are too many mistakes to feel good about the final product.

The same can be said about the editing. While most fight sequences feature nifty camerawork, some are jarringly pieced together. There’s also an overreliance on insert shots, with many used to stitch in exposition. Even some of those moments feel especially egregious, nearly taking us out of the experience in the process.

(L-R): Prime Minister Ozaki (Takehiro Hira), Captain America/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), and President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) in Marvel Studios' CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2024 MARVEL.

The cast often overcomesBrave New World‘s weaknesses

The 100 Greatest Movies of All Time

LikeThe First Avengerbefore it,Brave New Worldis at its best when the actors are given the space to work. Mackie is most in tune with the tone, bringing the gravitas necessary to sell Sam’s inner turmoil. He has chemistry with nearly everyone on screen, even when the antagonists show up. Ford is fine, but he sleepwalks through similar material. We watched him shine withinShrinking.

The real standouts are among the supporting cast. Ramirez brings an excellent heart and a golden retriever personality to his Falcon. Shira Haas establishes herself as a formidable fighter and carries that throughoutBrave New World. Her direct approach plays well with Sam’s sarcasm, and the two prove formidable as a one-two punch. Esposito brings his usual intensity, while Tim Blake Nelson’s return to the MCU is welcome. He steals most of the movie from the bigger antagonists and helps curve the story toward having a logical villain.

IsCaptain America: Brave New Worldworth watching?

MCU fans will be excited toreturn to the MCU. Seeing Wilson will be worth the price of admission alone as the actor continues to charm and slowly take hold of the role. However, the other elements feel a little lost at sea. With some questionable CG and a relatively weak story, Mackie finds himself carrying a weaker movie around him.MCU fans should still be happywith the final result, but the flick seems to bare the wounds of its extended production.

Captain America: Brave New Worldopens in theaters on July 01, 2025. Marvel/Disney distribute.