David R. Walker

Archive for the ‘Julius Onah’ Category

Captain America: Brave New World

Director: Julius Onah

Cast: Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Tim Blake Nelson, Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Sebastian Stan

Running Time: 1 hour 58 minutes

Film Rating: 7 out of 10  

It’s been nine years since the last Captain America film and a lot has changed, hence the title of the new film Captain America: Brave New World.

Nigerian born American director Julius Onah takes the helm of this Marvel film with Anthony Mackie (Detroit, Gangster Squad, The Hurt Locker) in the lead role as the new Captain America Sam Wilson opposite Oscar nominee and Hollywood veteran Harrison Ford (Witness, Star Wars, as American President Thaddeus Ross, who is desperately trying to piece the world back together post Avengers: End Game.

Anthony Mackie does a brilliant job as the new Captain America complete with a new shield and some really cool gadgets along with his young sidekick Falcon played by Danny Ramirez (Top Gun Maverick) as Joaquin Torres. Mackie and Ramirez make a good team as they battle the so called evil American President played with considerable irritability by Harrison Ford. President Ross is trying to negotiate a special deal for the celestial island in the Indian Ocean with Japan, France and India, while taking special pills for his heart and trying to retain his equanimity.  

Things go wrong for Thaddeus Ross when he survives a strange assassination attempt supposedly by Captain America aka Sam Wilson’s friend Isiah Bradley played by Carl Lumbly (A Cure for Wellness, Men of Honour). Bradley is locked up and then tried to be disposed of by the evil Serpent commander Sidewinder expertly played by Giancarlo Esposito (The Usual Suspects, Do The Right Thing).

All of these characters seem to be out of sync, as the real villain only emerges much later in a complicated narrative concocted by scriptwriters Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Masson. That’s already one too many scriptwriters but fortunately what saves Captain America Brave New World is the appearance of the creepy villain, a shadowy Elephant man type figure named Samuel Sterns expertly played with gothic relish by character actor Tim Blake Nelson (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, The Bricklayer, Nightmare Alley).

Tim Blake Nelson is excellent as the mastermind who manipulates not only Thaddeus Ross and Sam Wilson but the entire Washington establishment. Funny how life is imitating art right now.

With high end production values and Disney’s affluence behind it, Marvel does a decent job of reimagining Captain America in the mid 2020’s. This Brave New World is one that is a media-saturated American society filled with devious misinformation, manipulation and megalomaniacs.

The action is cool, the suits are awesome and there is a big red surprise at the end of the film, so catch Captain America Brave New World in cinemas now.

Captain America Brave New World gets a film rating of 7 out of 10. This film is entertaining, action packed and filled with a unique quirkiness which elevates it firmly into the fantasy realm.

As usual with Marvel films, wait until the very end for a golden nugget.

Recommended viewing for Marvel fans only.