On Feb. 14, 2025, The newest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe hit theaters, “Captain America: Brave New World“. With a 49% on Rotten Tomatoes, a 6.1/10 IMDb and a score of 42% on Metacritic, it was not a groundbreaking movie by any means. The biggest grievances I had with this movie were the poor camera framing and the much less grounded story compared to those we usually see in the Captain America franchise.
The movie follows the story of Sam Wilson as the new Captain America, after Steve Rogers’ retirement and the events of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” but unlike Steve Rogers’s journey as Captain America, this movie has a notable change. It does not seem like the usual stand-alone film we see in the other Captain America movies. So much so, that movie-goers alike have commented that there are too many easter eggs and too many tie-in characters to the point that it doesn’t seem like a Captain America film, but rather a film for the sole purpose of tying in other characters and plot points.
This is due to the movie’s tie-in with another Marvel movie, “The Incredible Hulk,” incorporating notable characters like Thaddeus Ross (Red Hulk) played by the one and only Harrison Ford and The Leader who is played by returning actor Tim Blake Nelson. Admittedly, it was a strange call to have Hulk-centered villains and characters rather than Captain America-centered villains and characters in a Captain America movie. This decision has left people feeling conflicted about the movie’s writing choice.
Moving on to the writing; the writing of the film has not resonated with movie watchers, with many feeling it was lackluster. Fans also seem to be in a neutral state with the actor’s performance, an IMDB review talks about the movie’s performance saying “Not hatred, not love, not even a whiff. Just nothing. Let’s get this over with.” Despite this however, Harrison Ford’s performance in the movie was one of the highlights for many watching, being able to bring Thaddeus Ross’ role to life.
With all of this in mind, I will say that the fight scenes and action in the movie are very enjoyable and entertaining, and seeing these old Hulk villains back in action was quite refreshing as well. So if you’re not concerned with ratings, and you want a decent movie to watch with family and friends, this would be the movie to watch.
