He’s a Black superhero who can handle his business. A Captain America who puts villains in their place.
At some point, Captain America, the Steve Rogers version with Chris Evans, passed his Vibranium shield to the new Captain America, played by Anthony Mackie. It was an easy transition with some key differences. The former was White and a good dude. The new superhero is Black and a good dude—a man who is self-aware and cognizant of this opportunity for an African American.
That’s the vision of Nigerian American writer/director Julius Onah (The Cloverfield Paradox). That’s the plan set forth by the socially conscious team of screenwriters: Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman, Dalan Musso, Peter Glanz and Onah. This is an Avengers warrior who is comfortable in his skin and able to express his point of view as he carries a legend forward: “If I’m not on point, I feel Iike I let down everyone else who is waiting for a seat at the table.”
Sam Wilson, a.k.a., Captain America (Mackie), should have been a bit suspicious when friend/foe President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) invited him to the White House for a gathering of international leaders. Yet there he was with his mentor Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly, TV’s M.A.N.T.I.S.) and his mentee Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez, Top Gun Maverik). Security, as run by Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas, Unorthodox), was tight.
Ross is being handled by Secret Service agent Leila Taylor (Xosha Roquemore, Precious). Prime Minister Ozaki of Japan (Takehiro Hira, Shõgun), Prime Minister Kapur of India (Harsh Nayyar, Men in Black) and the French President (Rick Espaillat, Dallas Buyer’s Club) are in attendance. The heads of state are ready to negotiate over a prime, coveted metal, adamantium. In what could have been a routine meeting, all hell breaks loose. Mayhem, shooting, accusations, investigations ensue.
The very intriguing narrative heads in a multitude of directions. Action scenes pop up frequently enough to keep the most fidgety kid, tween and teen mesmerized. Onah directs all scenes with a verve that is consistent until the final credits. He gets great help with the footage’s rhythm from editors Madeleine Gavin and Matthew Schmidt (Avengers: Endgame) who clip scenes right where they need to be sliced.
Production design by Ramsey Avery (10 Cloverfield Lane) is sufficient but not extraordinary. Ditto on the cinematography (Kramer Morgenthau, Creed III). The costumes (Gersha Phillips, The Woman King) are a tad better than those elements. If all the visual aspects where at The Dark Knight level, and the stunt choreography was good as that in John Wick: Chapter 4, but PG-13, this superhero movie would be great and not just good. Also, though Laura Karpman’s (American Fiction) musical score releases bursts of energy, there isn’t a playlist of chart-stopping rap, rock or pop tunes that could further capture a young audience’s attention span.
Fascinating, sci-fi trickery adds to the mix. Devious villains (Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad; Tim Blake Nelson, Old Henry) keep the heroes guessing and looking over their shoulders. Plot piece by plot piece, the narrative builds and builds to two big crescendos. The first is dazzling with dual story lines converging until they hit a climax. The second is all too typical of a comic book hero movie.
Strong performances abound. Ford, an octogenarian, still knows how to storm through a scene. Esposito and Nelson seethe with venom. Though Haas is petite, most won’t question her combat skills. In a very disarming way, Lumbly is the feisty older uncle we all wish we had. His scenes with Mackie peak when the latter tries to save the former. Bradley: “Man, no escaping this time. I’m gonna die in here. You wanna help me?” Captain America: “Yes!” Bradley: “Don’t come back.”
Mackie and Ramirez seem to share a charming, genuine brotherhood. An affability between the ‘captain’ and wannabe Falcon that adds depth. The younger Ramirez has the right amount of yearning, ambition and cockiness for twenty-something audiences. Mackie, always on the periphery in the Avengers movies, now heads his own film venture. His time waiting in the wings pass off. He’s come into his own, possesses leading man qualities and seems indestructible. Every scene he’s in, he owns. Using humor, sadness, anger and happiness he lets his emotions steal the spotlight. His version of Captain America is stalwart and in charge. Everything clicks.
There’s enough excitement in this action/adventure movie to entertain the whole family, whether they’re Avengers diehards or novices. That’s because this superhero film stands on its own. As does its lead actor. Mackie handles his business, and consequently so does the new Captain America.
