"Captain America: Brave New World" movie review

“Captain America: Brave New World” is the 13th installment in Phase Five of the MCU and the fourth Captain America movie. Starring Anthony Mackie as Captain America and Harrison Ford as “Thunderbolt” Ross, Brave New World tries to go back to the basics of what once made the Captain America series great.

Sadly, it doesn’t reach those heights. This movie does a lot of talking without really saying anything. The final production is a mess of convoluted plotlines leading up to a finale that just falls flat.

The goal is to leave the audience wanting more. Brave New World does that, not because the movie was exciting and immersive, but because viewers aren’t given the satisfaction of a spirited conclusion.

While the writing is at the forefront of the issues surrounding this film, the visual effects, editing and cinematography all leave much to be desired.

However, “Captain America: Brave New World” isn’t entirely dismissable. While struggling to find its footing, it still delivered on at least a few aspects. Let’s talk first about what it got right.

The Good:

Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford knock it out of the park

The brightest spots of the film are the two leading stars. Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford both steal the show by being the most charismatic and lively aspects of the movie.

If Brave New World does one thing well, it does an exceptional job at selling the fans on the new Captain America. Mackie delivers a spirited, emotional and stoic performance that commands the audience’s attention. After Brave New World, no one should have any doubts about Mackie being the face of the Avengers going forward.

Harrison Ford turns in a harrowing performance, portraying the desperation of a man overtaken by stress and anxiety. Ford wears his heart on his sleeve and creates a character that easily garners the audience’s sympathy.

Mackie and Ford play off of each other’s characters so passionately, making for an intense interaction every time they’re on-screen together.

A grounded, authentic conflict

One thing the audience can appreciate: this film offers a break from the multiverse saga, servicing the audience with a grounded film to follow up to a trilogy that was always based on the closest thing to real-world issues in the MCU.

The bad:

A forgettable villain

The importance of having a memorable and imposing villain in a superhero movie cannot be understated, it is so important. Brave New World introduces viewers to an astoundingly forgettable villain who, while intimidating, lacks substance. Having captivating villains was always a staple of the Infinity War saga, and that priority has gotten lost in the last two phases.

The villain’s backstory is never examined in a thoughtful way and everything concerning his story is so undervalued by the writing that it diminishes any emotional substance it could have had.

Editing and visual effects

Janky cuts and rushed CGI hinder the visuals of the film, being evident in most action sequences. There is a scene about a third of the way into the movie in which a five-second span features about 20 different cuts.

It’s headache-inducing and not well-lit, causing confusion for viewers. Later scenes in the movie put on display the poor CGI visuals, an aspect that has greatly regressed from where it was even two decades ago.

Underdeveloped plot lines

From the beginning of the film and on, the audience is introduced to this movie’s poor ability to plan out plot lines and examine them thoroughly. There are a dozen different ways this story tries to divide itself and it leaves what’s left feeling shallow and unexplored.

The conclusion of the movie rolls around and the audience is left wondering what it was all for. There is a striking absence of emotional closure, and the script makes it difficult to recognize any sense of tension in the second half of the film.

Conclusion and rating

Overall, “Captain America: Brave New World” lacks confidence and decisiveness, handing the audience a product that feels a bit undercooked. Plot lines are not explored and whatever exposition is delivered is either non-existent or not constructive.

Stellar performances from Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford go a long way to add energy to a dry two hours, but in the end, isn’t enough to drag this film from the dirt.

It’s easy to tell what Brave New World was trying to be: a gritty spy thriller similar to The Winter Soldier. What Brave New World turns out to be is an underdeveloped, hesitant, confusing and convoluted display of storytelling, earning a final score of two stars out of five.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Sketch Morton is a fifth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email sam7539@psu.edu.