On the Screen: ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ – an unnecessary imitation game


Captain America: Brave New World (AU – M/UK – 12A/US – PG-13)

In A Word: Superfluous


It’s been nine years since Chris Evans concluded the original Captain America trilogy with Civil War and a lot has changed, both in the real world and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Before, nearly every Marvel film was both critically lauded and a box office phenomenon.

“To its credit, the story tackles themes of redemption and ponders whether an antagonist can truly change for the better. Captain America still upholds values of honour, bravery and loyalty.”

Now, there is scepticism that Marvel will ever return back to those glory days. The 35th film in the MCU tries hard to recreate the magic of the past, but can this Brave New World save the struggling superhero genre?

We first saw Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as a sidekick known as the Falcon in The Winter Soldier. Now he has inherited the shield and the title of Captain America. In this Brave New World, President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) is at the centre of a conspiracy when an attempt on his life is made by mind controlled assassins. Sam is compelled to investigate the mysterious Leader (Tim Blake Nelson) and discover the secrets behind all the chaos and intrigue.

It is part detective story with plenty of gratuitous fight sequences. While the hand-to-hand beatdowns become a bit tiresome, the action gets some variety in a tense aerial dogfight over international waters. The ultimate battle is, however, a bit of a let down. It is almost entirely computer generated and feels less real than movies made over a decade ago.