Sam Wilson has fully assumed the mantle of Captain America, but there's friction with the recently-elected President of the United States, Thaddeus Ross. Things only get worse when someone connected to Wilson tries to assassinate the president. But not all as it seems -- not with the would-be assassin who has no memory of his acts, and not with the president who is hiding a secret. And a shadowy mastermind is playing them all.
Brave New World is a decidedly mixed bag, but still is a major step up many of the MCU's recent offerings. It's actually at its best when it strains at the boundaries of the superhero genre. Of course it's going to fit into the franchise mold -- and I'd be foolish to expect otherwise. Still, there are sections of the movie that play more like a political thriller or spy movie, and I found them to be genuinely compelling. The "tech" involved is only slightly more outlandish than in a typical James Bond movie, and the setting only slightly more sci-fi-tinged than a Jack Ryan story.
But I found the movie didn't nail its narrative nearly as well as its tone. The villain's scheme in this movie is so convoluted that it defies belief -- and is all the more ridiculous for how much the characters tell the audience that it's actually brilliant. Coincidences are passed off as calculations. Connections are made where either none exist, or where they involve minor subplots from decade-old movies. The villain falls out of the trope tree and hits every branch on the way down, from expendable lackeys to B, C, and D plans, to (minor spoiler) deliberately being captured because it (somehow?) serves their machinations.
All of that might be easier to dismiss as part of what you get in a movie like this, if only the movie actually excelled at the main thing you come to see: the action sequences. But Brave New World notably has some of the worst film editing in the entire MCU. It's one cinematic sin after another: not using the right establishing shots to set a stage, cutting too fast to follow the action, leaving out "insert shots" to highlight key action, using bad angles that confuse the geography. I can't think of one action sequence in the entire movie that didn't "break" for me in at least one moment that left me questioning what was happening.
It's also unfortunate that the movie's plot turns so much on a "big reveal" that's been spoiled in every poster, every ad, every bit of promotion. With comic book readers well aware ahead of time about Ross' secret, it was never going to be easy to see this movie without knowing the twist. But then why even structure the movie in a way that holds that deep into the third act, as though it was going to be a stunning revelation? I mean, when trailers for Terminator 2 spoiled that Arnold was playing the good guy, that revelation came less than 30 minutes into the film. Brave New World makes you wait until less than 30 minutes from the end to "surprise" you with something you already know.
Fortunately, though, the movie does excel in another area that is by no means a given in a comic book movie: the acting. Anthony Mackie is a great lead, charting his own sharp, quippy course that feels different from Chris Evans without straining to be so. Danny Ramirez is a fun partner for him as Joaquin Torres, bringing life to the expected action movie banter and making you believe in this important friendship.
Carl Lumbly imbues a key role with enough pathos to make the stakes matter. Shira Haas does a great job with a role that seems at odds with her small appearance. Giancarlo Esposito always plays a great villain, but does well here with one that's more physical than usual for him. Tim Blake Nelson relishes in the mustache-twirling nature of his villain. And Harrison Ford excels at the role he's taking over from William Hurt. Maybe Hurt would have risen to this occasion, had he ever been given this much to do in an MCU movie; regardless, Ford displays nuance that I imagine is quite a surprise to anyone who hasn't been watching Shrinking.
I suppose you could make the argument that "plot" and "action" are the two most critical ingredients of an MCU film, and from that perspective consider Brave New World a major disappointment. But watching it, I was routinely ushered back into the experience with the "tone" and "performances." There are things the movie does well enough that I think I'd grade it a B-.
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