Captain America: Brave New World

Man, I remember a time when the MCU was good. Like, really good. Now, I feel nothing. This film got nothing out of me. Not hatred, not love, not even a whiff. Just nothing. Let's get this over with.

The performances were alright. Harrison Ford was definitely the standout in this film. I was expecting him to just phone it in, but he actually puts in the work. Not his best work, but enough to make me like his version of Thaddeus Ross. Anthony Mackie is great as always, but is honestly given very little. I'm not entirely sure Sam had a character arc outside of one scene late into the film and even that is just rehashing what happened in a D+ show. Giancarlo Esposito was absolutely wasted. Clearly added in later and could easily be cut.

As for the plot, there's nothing new here I'm afraid. It feels like this film's only purpose was to introduce Adamantium to the MCU. The antagonist is terrible, they try to connect it to earlier MCU entries but no one is really going to remember. This film was clearly altered from what it originally was. It's difficult to talk about honestly, because it feels like there's nothing here. The film wants to be an espionage thriller like Winter Soldier, but lacks the tonal consistency, tight pacing and writing to even come close.

But what about the action? It isn't great. The hand to hand combat looks sluggish and poorly edited. There's a good amount of that throughout. The CGI ranges from decent to downright terrible. It all rings hollow.

So yeah, it's probably not the worst thing the MCU has put out, but it certainly isn't far above it. I can't bring myself to hate this film, because it is ultimately nothing. A waste of time.

I went into Captain America: Brave New World with low expectations, especially after all the negative publicity. But I decided to approach it as a straight-up action movie-and in that sense, it was okay. It was entertaining and somewhat enjoyable for what it was, but the movie had its fair share of flaws.

The Story: The plot felt rushed, and while it had some interesting connections to The Eternals, it lacked depth. There were noticeable editing issues, and the script felt average at best. The villains was forgettable, which is a huge missed opportunity because a hero is only as good as their villains. The Red Hulk storyline, which had so much potential, was underutilized and felt wasted.

The Character.

* Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson/Captain America): Mackie carried the film and was a definite highlight. He's an underrated actor who did the best he could with the material he was given. His performance felt genuine, and he brought heart to the role.

* Danny Ramirez (Joaquin Torres: A pleasant surprise! Ramirez played Joaquin Torres well and showed good chemistry with Mackie. I hope they continue building his character as Captain America's sidekick.

* Harrison Ford (Thunderbolt Ross Red Hulk): Ford is a legend, but he looked uncomfortable in the role. At 83, it's understandable that such a physically demanding character might be tough to portray. If they plan to continue the Red Hulk storyline, they may need to consider a recast or a different approach to the character.

* Shira Haas (Ruth Bat-Seraph): Haas is a okay actress, but she didn't feel like the right fit for this character. She gave it her all, but something about her performance felt off. Maybe it was the writing or direction, and it seems like she was trying way too hard to act tough, taking on men twice her size was not believable, but either way. The character didn't connect, it was a pointless character to have in the movie.

The Action:

The action scenes were not bad, with some well-choreographed fights and high-paced sequences that kept it fun. But the editing issues were hard to ignore, with some moments feeling choppy or out of place.

The Missed Opportunities: The biggest letdown was the Red Hulk storyline. They introduced such a powerful character but barely scratched the surface of his potential. Also, the villains lacked presence, which hurt the overall impact of the movie.

Final Thoughts: Captain America: Brave New World is worth watching when it comes out on streaming service, if you're looking for a okay action movie. Just don't expect anything groundbreaking from the story or villains. It's entertaining, but it feels rushed and underdeveloped. Hopefully, if they make a sequel, they'll slow down, tighten the script, and develop a stronger villain like MODOK or Zemo could be amazing if done right!

Rating: 6/10 - Watch it for the action and Anthony Mackie's performance, but don't expect it to blow you away.

This movie failed to focus on a villain or a storyline despite its length. It felt like it was being used as an excuse to introduce new dynamics and catapult upcoming releases and potential projects (IDF woman, Bucky in Thunderbolts*, the new Falcon) rather than focusing on the Captain America character. Both the Winter Soldier & Falcon show as well as the trailers made it seem like this movie had specific intentions for the new Captain America, but the movie fell flat and didn't tell us anything we didn't already know about Sam. Despite the possible consequences, the villains wound up feeling low stakes and impersonal. The most interesting characters had the least screen time, and it was overall disappointing compared to the show that preceded it.

Brave New World left me with a feeling of disappointment, summed up in one word: forgettable. Throughout the film, I struggled to find any new or exciting scenes that we haven't already seen in the MCU. In fact, I caught myself nodding off a couple of times due to the lack of engagement and investment in the characters. Danny Ramírez's character managed to deliver a couple of amusing lines, though I can't remember what they were. Despite this, he was the only character I found myself rooting for.

The one thing that could have been a surprise would have been Harrison Ford's character transformation. But of course, they decided to spoil it in the trailer, why?!!!

The future doesn't look bright for Marvel films. Where have the good old days gone?

I found myself extremely disappointed. Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson and Harrison Ford as Ross, both fails to capture the essence that made its predecessors compelling.

Although Ford is better than the charismatic vaccum that is "Do Better" Cap.

The narrative is a convoluted mess, attempting to juggle political intrigue with superhero action, but succeeding in neither.

No tension, thrill, no excitement. The action felt tedious to follow.

It's as if the writers threw together a series of tropes without any regard for coherence or originality.

Mackie's portrayal of Sam Wilson lacks the charisma and gravitas needed for the mantle of Cap.

His performance is wooden and uninspired, making it difficult to invest in his character's journey. Plus we have to act as if we care for his sidekick...the new falcon... didn't bother to learn his name.

Ford, usually a powerhouse, seems disinterested and it's obvious he came to collect a paycheck. Plus why would you cast a 80 plus nearby to grave for a character that is properly re introduced.

The film's pacing is atrocious, dragging in parts where it should be thrilling and rushing through moments that could have provided emotional resonance.

The action sequences are uninspired, lacking the creativity and excitement that we expect.

As usual the secondary or primary ( depends how you see it) antagonist is worthless whereas if used correctly he could have been a seriously dangerous threat. Earth's mightiest heroes the tv series had awesome portrayal of the character in a handful of episodes.

The VFX is trash with several scenes appearing blatantly artificial. The cinematography is uninspired, failing to capture any memorable or striking imagery.

Save your time and money; this is one superhero flick that's not worth the watch.