Written by: Zoe Yoo
The critics are harsh, but the fans have spoken. It’s time for a Captain America: Brave New World review that tells it like it is.
Captain America: Brave New World (CABNW) is the fourth movie installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Captain America franchise. This movie follows the events of Avengers: Endgame and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) navigates being the world’s new Captain America amidst a global political crisis.
So why are the reviews as divisive as Captain America: Civil War? Let’s break down where the movie soars and where it takes a tumble.
The movie was meant to be a political thriller, most similar to the unanimous success that was Captain America: The Winter Soldier. One of CABNW’s strengths is its accessible plot. It makes sense even for viewers who haven’t seen The Falcon and the Winter Soldier or Eternals while still rewarding longtime fans with well-integrated callbacks.
CABNW also made use of numerous action sequences that were incredibly well done and choreographed. The exciting hand-to-hand combat approach of Captain America is mixed with the thrilling aerial techniques of Falcon to keep the audience engaged in its action-packed film. It delivers exactly what Marvel fans crave, recapturing the excitement and grounded action of the franchise’s earlier days.
On the other hand, critics have complained about a lack of emotional value. It’s hard to see why considering how the movie delivers plenty of emotional weight through the character journeys and outstanding performances of Sam Wilson, Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), Joaquín Torres (Danny Ramirez), and Isiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly). This movie is a reminder of why audiences fell in love with the MCU in the first place. CABNW balances out the serious events of the movie with heartfelt moments and humor. This is in large part because of the hilarious banter and chemistry of Sam and his mentoring of the new Falcon, Joaquín. Additionally, the movie did a phenomenal job proving to audiences that Sam Wilson is more than worthy of being Captain America through the compassion, resilience, strength, and skill that Sam brings to the table.
Unfortunately, while the movie’s heroes thrived, the movie’s villains fell flat. Fans were incredibly excited to see the Serpent Society and The Leader (Tim Blake Nelson) on the big screen — classic Captain America villains. However, these villains fail to live up to their comic book legacy. While Sam’s fight scenes with Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito) were exceptionally engaging, the movie did not make full use of this character or its overarching villain, The Leader. Unlike the film’s well-rounded and developed heroes, these villains were boring and static.
While the cinematography, editing, and sound design were serviceable, they didn’t stand out in any particularly memorable way. There was nothing particularly bad or well done in these departments. Even though Kendrick Lamar’s song “I” was a nice touch, a more dynamic, song-driven approach — like in Black Panther and Shang-Chi — could have elevated key moments.
That said, I give the filmmakers of this movie a lot of credit because of the numerous rewrites that this project went through. The fact that the movie came out this solid despite all of the reworks is a testament in itself.
Overall, Captain America: Brave New World was a solid, entertaining, and fun film. While most critics are attacking the movie for doing nothing “brave” or “new,” it brings back the essence of old Marvel — strong characters, heartfelt moments, and action that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
