Captain America: Brave New World – Film Review

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

Director: Julius Onah

Synopsis: After an attempt is made on the life of the President of the United States Thaddeus Ross (Ford), Captain America must investigate a conspiracy which threatens to have major international ramifications…

Review: It has been quite the journey for Sam Wilson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since we were first introduced to him as Steve Rogers’ jogging buddy in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Since then, he helped to confront and Steve the nefarious HYRDA, took his friend’s side as the Avengers went to war with themselves, fought in the war against a mad Titan with the fate of the entire universe at stake. It all culminated in the passing of the torch shield to becoming his friend’s successor as Captain America. A mantle he momentarily relinquished before reclaiming what was rightfully his. Now in the wake of the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson is ready to take flight for his first mission, in a film which sadly fails to soar and reach the lofty heights of its predecessors.

It has been a few years since Sam fought with Bucky Barnes to take down the Flag Smashers, and in that time, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross has been elected as President of the United States. Despite having had their differences in the past, the new man in the Oval Office tasks Cap and the new Falcon Joaquin Torres (Ramirez) to foil an illegal arms deal in the first step of a more collaborative relationship. Ross later informs Sam he wants his help to rebuild the Avengers. During a summit at the White House concerning the emergence of Celestial Island and a rare new material, an attempt is made on the President’s life by veteran super soldier Isiah Bradley (Lumbly). With the US on the brink of a major global conflict, Sam must find out who was behind the attempted assassination of the President and uncover the truth behind this global conspiracy and clear Bradley’s name.

It is no exaggeration to say that in 2025, the world is a fraught and sometimes scary place, with entrenched and bitter political divides showing no signs of easing. In such times, making a tense spy-political thriller is a brave and dangerous move as the film has to navigate such a fraught political metaphorical minefield. However, it is not entirely without precedent, as the Russo brothers and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely successfully tackled similar themes with spectacular success The Winter Soldier and its sequel Civil War. Whether or not you feel the MCU has lost its way since the high of Avengers: Endgame is beside the point, as it was always going to be a tall order for Brave New World to follow in the footsteps of its predecessors.

“You may be Captain America, but you’re not Steve Rogers”, the President scornfully tells Sam after the foiled assassination attempt. “You’re right, I’m not”, Sam sharply retorts. It is a highlight in a film which doesn’t offer many, but also a statement of intent for the new star-spangled man with the shield that he will forge his own legacy as the iconic superhero. In his seventh big screen appearance in this role. Mackie is once again superb. He is fully aware that the legacy of the title he now has comes with an enormous responsibility, at one point grappling with the dilemma as to whether he should have taken the super soldier serum, but this is what makes him more than worthy of that shield. When you have gone up against what he has armed with just a wingsuit, what does he have to fear, especially since now he has the welcome addition of a vibranium shield, and the new Falcon by his side. Although, despite being one of the more interesting parts of the miniseries, Isiah Bradley is once again frustratingly forced to sit in a jail cell, when he really deserves a chance to show what he can do.

The irony is that this script, written by Onah and four other credited writers, could have benefited from some script serum to enhance it and give it some additional polish. One can only speculate, but given certain events that occurred in 2024, it seems that the political themes of the film may have been diluted due to the current state of world politics. In addition to continuing the story established in the preceding miniseries, the film serves as a sequel to both Eternals (good to see this underappreciated film get acknowledged) and The Incredible Hulk, as the villain is a character that audiences may have nearly forgotten. Portraying a role that was successfully played by someone for many years is never an easy task, but Ford does an excellent job as Ross, succeeding the late William Hurt. Along with his signature gruffness, Ross is grappling with the daunting challenge of leading a country on the brink of major conflict while also battling his own internal struggles and trying to reconnect with his daughter, Betty (Tyler). Given the current state of US presidents, especially now, you’d take Ross’s leadership any day of the week.

Despite Ford’s impressive portrayal of Ross and his complex (and possibly red) inner demons, the film’s action, while undeniably slick and well-crafted, fails to bring anything new or memorable to the MCU. It frustratingly adheres to a formulaic structure, which feels like a significant missed opportunity for what could have been a gripping political thriller, similar to its predecessors. The 35th entry into the MCU could have marked a bold new direction for both the star-spangled hero and the wider universe. Instead, it feels tired and stale, as if our titular hero’s wings have been clipped, leaving him unable to rise above this uninspiring and frankly bland story.

Despite stellar performances from Mackie and Ford, with the former more than proving himself worthy of the shield, Brave New World is a political thriller that seems too afraid to go for the jugular in these politically fraught times, while also lacking in thrills.

Abigail – Film Review

Cast: Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Will Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, Alisha Weir, Giancarlo Esposito

Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

Synopsis: A group of criminals kidnap the daughter of a criminal overlord, only to discover she has a penchant for drinking blood…

Review: As mythical creatures go, vampires are up there with the most iconic and recognisable and have become a staple of modern popular culture. Taking many forms over the years, from the instantly recognisable and iconic Dracula to the less iconic sparkly variety. If you had to imagine a typical vampire, they’d probably picture an imposing figure in a black cape gleefully drinking the blood of their victims. You’d probably never expect a vampire to appear as a ballerina-loving girl, which is precisely what makes the latest film from the filmmaking duo known as Radio Silence so fascinating and entertaining.

A crew of criminals, overseen by the ringleader Lambert (Esposito), are recruited to kidnap a young girl named Abigail and hold her captive at an isolated mansion. The crew, who are told not to use real names while they’re on the job, consists of former army medic Joey (Barrera), ex-detective Frank (Stevens), hacker Sammy (Newton), driver Dean (Cloud in his final onscreen role), sniper Rickles (Catlett) and enforcer Peter (Durant). They are promised a $50m reward to be split between them if they can keep the girl safe and unharmed for 24 hours. The crew then make themselves comfortable and try to deduce the real identities of each other, all while Joey is tasked with ensuring Abigail is comfortable throughout her ordeal. This is until when some of them begin to be picked off by a mysterious assailant and it soon dawns on them that Abigail is no ordinary 12-year-old girl who is obsessed with ballet but is, in fact, a centuries-old vampire who wants to feast on their blood.

Based on and a reimagining of the 1936 film Dracula’s Daughter, the opening scenes of the titular character pirouetting to Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake as she practises her ballet is probably the last way you would expect a vampire movie to open. It ensures the film stands out in a crowded genre by having a creature of the night feast on her victims while dressed in a tutu. In the same vein as how Ready or Not was a thrilling splice of horror-comedy and a deadly game of hide and seek, the script by Guy Busick (co-writer of Ready or Not and the two recent Scream movies) and Stephen Shields is cut from the same mythical cloth. Horror and comedy once again go splat, except this time it’s a heist movie that goes very very wrong for this crew of people, who frankly, are mostly so deplorable you are willing for Abigail to feast on their blood, because as she puts it “likes to play with her food”.

For a film centred on the premise of a ballerina-loving vampire, it is slow to get to the main course of the movie, where the crew realise what it is they are up against and how could they possibly defeat a creature of the night, which provides ample opportunities for some amusing and meta references from existing vampiric pop culture and how do they deal with the not-so-insignificant matter of a bloodthirsty vampire. Barrera, having been a central part of the revived Scream saga under Radio Silence, is the member of this crew who gets the most development. We learn about her circumstances and why she is in desperate need of some extra money. This plight, and her role as the one who is solely tasked with communicating with Abigail allows her to build trust between the two of them, which may come in handy when Abigail’s desire to drink the blood of every last member of this group of criminals takes hold. Every crew member gets a moment to shine, with no one having as much of a bloody good time as Stevens’ Frank.

However, the star of the show is unquestionably Alisha Weir as Abigail. Having announced herself onto the scene with her incredible performance as the titular character in 2022’s Matilda the Musical, this is another film where she not only plays the titular character but more than holds her own against her more experienced co-stars. She commits absolutely everything to the role in terms of the dancing and the twirling moves of a ballerina as she gleefully and gracefully hunts down her prey, effortlessly switching between the dual personality of a sweet and innocent ballerina-loving girl and a ferocious and bloodthirsty vampire.

Speaking of blood, because you simply can’t have a vampire film without it, after dabbling with the gritty real-world violence of the Ghostface killings, the switch back to the more supernatural setting allows Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillet to return to the over-the-top violence similar to Ready or Not. If you thought that film had a considerable amount of blood, it is nothing compared to the torrents of the stuff unleashed here. It would not be a shock to discover if it broke a world record for the most fake blood that has ever been utilised in a film. It takes a little while for the film to raise the stakes (pun absolutely) intended, but once she gets her fangs and the feeding frenzy begins, it is an absolute bloody riot. A monstrously fun time is to be had by all, well apart from those who end up having those fangs buried deep into their necks.

Another superb performance from Alisha Weir having the time of her life as the tiny but deadly titular vampire is the highlight of another deliciously exciting concoction of horror comedy from Radio Silence.