By Marc W. Polite
Good evening, my readers. It’s been a while since I reviewed a movie on this blog. As many of you realize, I am a science fiction and comic book flick kind of guy. Even though I have skipped a few Marvel movies recently, I still like the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general. That said, I was looking forward to seeing the new Captain America movie.
Then, a few days before the movie debuted, I started to see some interesting patterns emerge. Movie folks know that when a film debuts, there’s usually a cohort of people who see the film Thursday night before the main Friday release. Reactions about the film start coming in then. Oddly enough, I recall some reactions to CA:BNW start to roll in on Wednesday.
I began noticing a steady stream of takes, in the aggregate highly critical of the new film. Initially, I thought… oh.. it seems like Marvel messed up again, and the fans are telling them about themselves.
But then… to borrow a phrase from another Marvel superhero.. my spidey senses started tingling. Is what l was witnessing a concerted effort to “review bomb” Captain America- Brave New World before its had a chance to get out to the audiences?
I began to get the impression that a certain demographic is trying to sink the new Captain America movie by review bombing it. Now, I’m not saying that these critics are the same exact people that took issue with Kendrick Lamar’s superbowl performance last week, but there seems to be some overlap. The pattern was there, and it was kinda hard not to notice. With that filed in my memory, I decided to go ahead and see it for myself.
I’m glad I did. I thought Captain America: Brave New World was good. Not great, but good. To expect an epic film like Infinity War/Endgame for every film in the series is a tad unrealistic.
Some of the themes in the film were redemption, and making amends for the past by embracing the present. Some find these themes offensive, which explains some of the backlash.
The action and fight scenes are what we expect from Marvel, and it’s a set up for a new Avengers team to be formed, with Sam Wilson leading them.
If you’re into the Marvel lore, you’ll like this one. You don’t necessarily need to have watched the series Falcon and the Winter Soldier to understand this movie, but you will see familiar characters from the show.
There have been a few Marvel flicks recently that were skippable, but this one is not one of them. As much of a political thriller as it is a superhero movie, Captain America- Brave New World touches on hidden agendas, compromised institutions, and the manipulation of those in power by outside forces. Themes that have absolutely nothing to do with our current reality at all.. Nope.
In my assessment, there was a lot more than the usual “Marvel fatigue” going on with this film rollout.
If you’re a fan of the MCU, you’ll enjoy this film. If superhero films aren’t your thing, then this won’t change your mind.
I give Captain America Brave New World a thumbs up.