On the way to a screening of Captain America: Brave New World, my nine-year-old son, Odhran, gave me a helpful recap of how Falcon comes to be the new Captain America. In 2019's Avengers: Endgame, Steve Rogers, played by Chris Evans, travels through time to return the Infinity Stones (powerful gems) to their rightful timelines. But when he sees his lost love Peggy, he decides to stay in the past to be with her. In a poignant finale, Rogers returns to the present, as a wrinkly grey-haired older man, and symbolically passes his vibranium shield on to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), who in Captain America: Brave New World, is a sort of Captain America/Falcon hybrid.
So, as we took our seats in the cinema, I felt up to speed with the storyline. The film kicked off with plenty of action, and Odhran and his younger brother Reuben, excitedly tucked into their popcorn, ready for the latest chapter in the Marvel saga.
But it wasn't long before the movie got bogged down in lots of exposition. I mustn't have been listening intently enough, as I couldn't work out what had caused President Ross and his daughter to become estranged, and this, therefore, became a thread of the story I didn't feel in any way emotionally invested in. Overall, I found little in this movie to emotionally hook me in.
One thing I've always enjoyed about the Spider-Man and Avengers movies is being able to sit down with my sons and watch them in any order. Each feels like a stand-alone movie. But with Captain America: Brave New World, I couldn't work out if this was a movie for the hardcore Marvel fans, or if I was struggling to connect because the plotting was too clunky. It also didn't feel as epic as other Marvel movies.
To summarise the storyline - The newly elected US President Ross (Harrison Ford) is about to sign a new international agreement (plans to share between nations an alien metal alloy that’s just been discovered in the Indian Ocean). The new Captain America, Sam Wilson, alongside wannabe new Falcon Joaquin Torres and their friend Isaiah Bradley, who was betrayed and imprisoned by the US government for decades, are invited to attend a White House reception in recognition of their heroism. But an assassination attempt throws everything into chaos, and leaves Bradley back in prison. Cap finds himself in the middle of an international incident and must unravel a conspiracy to save his friend, himself, and keep international peace.
The movie's a political action thriller, but I have to agree with my younger son Reuben, I prefer the alien, multiverse element to Marvel movies. Odhran and Reuben weren't too keen on their beloved Steve Rogers being replaced by Sam Wilson. Marginally behind Spider-Man, Captain America is their favourite Avenger. So, it was difficult to let go of the familiar. But Captain America has always been my least favourite Avenger, so I was pleased to see a new energy brought to the role. As a soldier from World War II, Chris Evans' character was quite traditional, but therefore, somewhat wooden in a stylised way. And I always thought that if I was one of the other Avengers, I'd have found him condescending. I liked the charm Mackie brought to the role, and always believed what was going on behind the eyes.
Harrison Ford has a legacy that transcends generations, and it's been lovely seeing my young sons discover his earlier work through their recent interest in Star Wars. I enjoyed seeing an actor in his 80s playing the physically powerful Red Hulk.
There were some funny one-liners in the movie and a surprise cameo moment that got a reaction from the audience, and that made Odhran turn to me with a beaming smile across his face, and you'll want to hang back at the end of the movie for the post credits scene. But the movie lacked any element of surprise, and the final fight scene didn't stir up enough excitement. While the cause of Ross's rage was clear, I felt there should have been some exploration of the underlying emotional driver here - I couldn't understand why, in Hulk form, Ross had such deep hatred for Captain America.
Captain America: Brave New World is a movie with enough action and pacing to keep the audience engaged. But, despite some great acting, we sadly found it to be one of the weaker Marvel movies.
In cinemas now.