• Release year: 2024
• Director: Julius Onah.
• Producers: Kevin Feige and Nate Moore.
• Screenplay by: Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman, Dalan Musson, Julius Onah, and Peter Glanz.
• Cinematography by: Kramer Morgenthau.
• Music by: Laura Karpman.

Shotgun Commentary: yet another Marvel film you can totally ignore.

Review

Captain America: Brave New World is the cinematic equivalent of that weird high-protein, low-fat vanilla ice cream you bought a month ago and now looks like a weird block of powder that has never even seen vanilla in its whole existence. You tell yourself it’s good for you, but you silently curse each of its ingredients, its brand and creator at the mere thought of having to ingest it.

Cameos and promos

There are, however, some moments of respite in the endlessly bland torture that is consuming this film. Those high protein cookie chunks that almost make the experience bearable come in the form of cameos, two, to be exact, and about three minutes long each.

Do they offer any relevant information? Not really. Other than the possible political career of a character, you already know won’t end up in politics if you’ve watched any of the current Marvel trailers. Apart from that, it is the exact same conversations you’ve heard already in previous Marvel products and a touch of nostalgia that, while welcomed, is still not nearly enough to compensate the rest of the movie.

The story is straightforward, there are no surprises or shocking twists, and the villain, while hidden during a big chunk of the feature, is presented over and over and over to the point where anyone with Marvel Comics knowledge will probably get tired of him before he even shows up. The biggest plot twist you could’ve got is self-sabotaged by all the promotions and trailers, a recurring mistake Marvel seems incapable of avoiding. Ironic for a brand so into secrecy when it comes to certain films.

The real protagonist

The indisputable shining light of the story is Harrison Ford’s performance. Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross has previously been portrayed by great actors such as William Hurt, Sam Elliot and Clancy Brown. Nevertheless, this is the first time that the military man shows some personality past the constant display of nerves and rage.

While Hurt did showcase a more measured Ross, it is Ford that has manages to actually make him a real human, a “real boy” as it were. For the first time, you see his motivations, aspirations, hopes and dreams. Not to worry though, he is still an a-hole, just one with layers now. Still, one can’t help but to wonder what the current president of the US might take away from this film, especially considering his greatest inspiration to become one was Air Force One (1997), will Harrison Ford have to explain the obvious again?

The wrong fit

As for current Captain America, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), he offers nothing we haven’t seen before. His emotional journey is exactly the same one he goes through during Falcon & Winter Soldier (2021), and his charisma hasn’t improved one bit, making him the perfect sidekick, but not quite compelling enough to be a main character. And just in case Ford’s talent wasn’t enough to eclipse him, his own sidekick Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) makes sure to be way more likeable and relatable in two minutes than he does in the whole feature.

All in all, Marvel might want to get a new Captain America, or maybe new writers with fresh ideas. Whatever it is, something needs to change ASAP if they want to avoid the slowest, most shameful descent towards oblivion.

You know something is wrong when even superfans like myself shudder with fear at the thought of a new Avengers group being in the making. Never thought the following statement would be in a Marvel review, but if you want to watch Captain America: Brave New World, wait for the streaming version, not even the action scenes are good enough to warrant a cinema ticket.

Thanks to Disney for big screen access! Captain America: Brave New World will be released the 14th of February.

Advice to take from this movie:

• Don’t take random pills from shady people.
• Never make the sidekick more interesting than the lead.
• Hell, never make literally any extra more interesting than the lead.

What’s your take? Have you watched Captain America: Brave New World? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀