Last weekend, I had the pleasure to watch in theaters the new Marvel movie, Captain America: Brave New World, directed by Julius Onah and starring Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford. Honestly, I’m a bit disappointed; as a film lover I would say it is a good action movie, but as a Marvel fan I was expecting more from this story.
This text is meant to be a review, but after hearing what people think about the movie and having watched it myself, I’m starting to ask, is Marvel losing their superpowers?
First of all, not everything in the movie is negative. As I said before, it’s a good action movie that can be enjoyed in the theater, but as Sam Wilson’s first movie as Captain America it has an unsustainable script for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Without spoilers, I like the idea of how the new President of the United States turns to the first Avenger for help, and how Giancarlo Exposito’s villain gets in the way of Cap’s plans during the first part of the movie. The problem comes when they want to add Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk, as if that is all we fans want to see. This arises from a nefarious villain who remains unknown for much of the movie, and when he appears at the end does nothing but disappoint and ruin everything good that the movie has. In the outcome of the plot everything is very forced and ridiculous for a story that could have been used in a thousand different ways.
Researching the production of the film, I discovered that five different writers were involved in the writing of this script, nothing more to add. Also, the filming suffered a lot of reshoots, a fact that supports the disaster once again. On the other hand, I want to highlight the magnificent performance of Anthony Mackie. Personally, I love him as Captain America, he takes the whole movie on his back and holds it all by himself. To finish with the review, I want to add that as a story in a transitional era in the UCM, it does its job. It connects recent stories like Eternals and the exciting Thunderbolts, which will be released next May.
Criticism aside, I want to highlight a scene in the movie where Cap’s new sidekick, Joaquin Torres, confesses to him that when he was a kid, he dreamed of being like him. It makes me sad to think that superhero movies are not what they used to be. Those of us who grew up with the Avengers movies are the lucky ones in this aspect. We need superheroes in our lives! Referents with superpowers that fight injustice and protect us, idols that we want to be like and fictional characters that distract us from reality when we need it. Why don’t these types of justifiers succeed anymore? I have an answer. Because the production companies are more dedicated to making easy money, rather than deciding to tell a good story.
In the past, all kids wanted to wear Iron Man’s armor, or to be able to lift Thor’s hammer, and not because it was cool, but also because their stories thrilled and entertained everyone. They were great stories, well conveyed on the big screen. In those days, production companies still cared about telling well-structured stories with incredible connections, no matter how long it took for the production to be released. In my opinion that is what makes a superhero great, the adversities he overcomes on his way, and the history that precedes him.
Finally, we do not have to give up. Although superhero movies are not what they used to be, there is still hope for those who love comic book heroes. It seems that Marvel Studios has realized the disaster and wants to reward us for it.
In addition to encouraging, you to go see the movie yourselves so you can form your own opinion, I invite you to watch the latest Spider-Man series on Disney+. I understand that the animation does not attract the attention of the general public, but it should be noted that it is one of the best stories that Marvel has given us in recent years, if not the best. In addition, this year we will also be able to enjoy the new group of superheroes known as Thunderbolts, and the Fantastic 4 in the Summer. The latter has already won me over with the trailer; set in the 60’s and with Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby starring, a fan can’t ask for more.
That is it for the new Marvel Studios. They may have disappointed us with this latest installment, but at the same time they let us know that they have the confidence to get out of this rough patch and whisper in our ears that the show is still on.
