Story and tone

Sam, played by Anthony Mackie, begins his role as a captain. He visits community centers, settles neighborhood fights and makes street thieves stop before breakfast. At a summit, a bad tech attack forces Ross to increase global surveillance. Sam follows phony news videos and appropriated drones all the way to the Leader. The film alternates between sobering spy reports and lighthearted rescues from the rooftop to make a point that the shield is more than a dull weapon. When talking to Isaiah Bradley, played by Carl Lumbly, he demonstrates how much of a sacrifice the black hero had to make in standing for a flag that was once ignored.

Visual imagination

Cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau replaces the shiny look of the MCU with a gritty, urban one. Brick walls and handheld shots the favelas of Brazil in mural colors and tied them to the white buildings in Brasilia. Sam’s new Wakandan suit is made with matte navy armor rather than with bright white. During fights, his wings become tiny gliders that allow air battles on various heights. Most of the action is real and ILM just adds some digital stuff to cover up the wires and lengthen the backgrounds.

Voice performances

Mackie cares but he is confused because every call can be misunderstood in cable news. Ross works at Ford. He makes his soft words and pauses into veiled threats. Nelson is a leader. He is quiet but shows danger. He never raises his voice, and he does not squander any moment. Shira Haas plays Sabra, a helpmate to the Mossad. She is tense but few jokes are added. Danny Ramirez plays Joaquin Torres who finally puts into use modified Falcon wings to help out in the loft.

Music and sound

Henry Jackman folds his familiar brass fanfare into Afro-Brazilian percussion—surdo booms and cuíca whoops surface whenever the action heads south. Jet packs rumble, shield pings sparkle, and the mix drops to near silence during standoffs so a single line can land like a punch.

Themes

Brave New World is a book about the power of stories. Ross streams short soundbites from the Oval Office to shape people’s minds. The Leader (posting fake videos into social media). Sam says true leaders need to be in person, even if the story is kept changing by cameras. The movie states that contemporary heroes do rescue work and defend the truth.

How to watch Captain America: Brave New World

The film is still at cinemas, but with the option to watch it at home. You can rent or purchase it in 4K on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV and you can download and watch offline.

Pros

• Ford is sly enough to add seriousness, yet not ignore the new heroes.
• Morgenthau’s style of filming makes the movie special.
• The score combines classical Cap brass music with Brazilian rhythms to add local flavor to the movie.
• During the mid-credits, they hint on Phase Six without using a cameo or stunt.

Cons

• Stern’s complicated plot is difficult to follow if you skip a line.
• The subplot generated by Joaquin Torres comes rushed as soon as it starts.

Final verdict

Brave New World works well because it asks real hard questions today, not cool ideas. Sam Wilson’s first solo Captain America film still has the cool shield battles, but for the most part, the powerful moments are in small porch conversations and disagreements on public squares and the uncomfortable discovery that a symbol only matters if people and countries are behind it. It is a smart action thriller, making you think about headlines more than the fights.