As I walked into the cinema to watch the newly released “Captain America: Brave New World,” I was not entirely sure what I was getting myself into. As this was my first time watching a Marvel film, I came in with a load of preconceived notions of what a Marvel movie would consist of: super-natural elements, elaborate costumes and action-packed scenes. This movie not only embodied these notions, but it went beyond them, leaving me amazed.
As a whole, I thought this film was quite entertaining. It contained engaging music and witty humor, and the attention to detail in the classic Captain America costume was absolutely phenomenal.
The movie’s plot is thrilling. It follows Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), also known as Captain America, as he works to help the American government on intense journeys to solve mysteries. The main mystery Captain America aims to solve is catching the culprit behind mind-controlling attacks on American President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), an acquaintance of Captain America, and other individuals.
In addition to the engaging storyline, I really enjoyed the musical choices in this film. Specifically, I loved hearing “Elephant” by Tame Impala, as it added to the overall excitement I felt as I watched.
However, the music was not the only component that made the movie incredibly engaging. The humorous moments in the film, namely in conversations between Captain America and one of his acquaintances, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), were hilarious. Throughout the movie, the two tease and make witty remarks at one another, which leads to many lighthearted moments.
Additionally, I appreciated the elaborate accessories of the Captain America costume itself. Even though the outfit consisted of just red, white and blue, the overall design did not disappoint. Specifically, it was incredible to see how the classic circular shield, the detailed wings and the other accessories worn each contained their own intricate details specific to the different characters. Having a highly involved costume brought the new version of the classic Captain America character to life.
Although there were many wonderful aspects of this film, I had a bit of trouble understanding some of the specific references to other Marvel movies and characters I did not have background knowledge on. Specifically, there were references to “The Avengers,” a group of characters featured in another Marvel series that I was unfamiliar with. As a first-time watcher of a Marvel movie, these references left me confused. If you are planning to watch this film, familiarity with Marvel characters and movies will make a difference.
Additionally, this film had male actors dominating many of the leadership roles. Parts of the movie included scenes with leaders from various nations like France, India and Japan, and most, if not all, of these leaders were men. I would have liked to see more gender diversity in these roles, allowing for a more comprehensive representation of world leaders, especially because that would have been more applicable to our modern world today.
Overall, I enjoyed watching this riveting film. Its components came together in a satisfying way, which created an engaging experience for viewers through the musical choices, humorous moments and elaborate costume designing. While I think this can be the perfect movie choice for anyone who enjoys action-packed films, it did lack gender diversity and could be confusing to first-time Marvel watchers.
