By The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film has arrived with “Captain America: Brave New World”. When newly elected President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), looks to stop a stolen object from being sold to nefarious parties; Captain America (Anthony Mackie) is sent in to stop the sale and exchange and does so with the help of Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), who aspires to become the new Falcon.
Despite their past issues; Ross invites Sam to the White House and tells him that he sees the world differently now and wants the new Captain America to reform the Avengers and have them ready to serve once again.
As Sam mulls over the offer; a shocking attack takes places and while ordered to stand down due to a possible personal connection; Sam and Joaquin set off to investigate which soon uncovers a global threat with some very dangerous individuals in play and a mysterious threat lurking behind the scenes.
With a rapidly hostile global situation about to unfold, Sam and Joaquin have to save the day despite potential enemies everywhere they go.
The movie has a solid amount of action and yet remains at its core a political thriller and mystery as the focus for a large part of the film is trying to discover who is behind the developing crisis. Mackie does a great job carrying the action and shows that he is more than capable of leading versus being part of an ensemble the development of his character who now faces doubts about his worth to carry the Shield and his refusal to take Super Serum creates a relatable side to the character.
Ford does solid work as Ross and his take on the character after the loss of William Hurt is a gruff and complicated man who varies between confident and firm leadership and emotional outbursts while frequently lamenting his lack of a relationship with his daughter.
The movie serves well to establish events as they are as elements from past films come into play and we get a very interesting end credit scene that will surely get fans talking about the possibilities that it teases.
With reports of numerous reshoots, changes to the ending, and an inflated budget, the final product is a very solid and enjoyable film that Marvel fans should embrace. The action and visuals deliver but at the core, it is a story about people who have relatable concerns and motivations.
The film is slow in some areas as the plot is established but the action is effective when it arrives and delivers what fans have come to expect which combined with the solid performances by the cast makes the movie one of the better recent Marvel films and one that helps establish a new path for the franchise.
3.5 stars out of 5
