It brought espionage and intrigue to super hero fare.
It maintained that Captain America does not have that title to be a direct representative of he government, but due to his embodiment of American ideals.
it showed the key point of what makes Cap a super hero isn't his powers but his focus on protecting others and his refusal to give up.
Overall it told an excellent, complex story, with interesting characters and wild, but followable action scenes. I was impressed how one didn't need to see Falcon and the Winter Soldier to grasp the plot and arcs of this story. However, it made so many scenes of this film carry a great deal more weight, including the uncredited cameo of a certain congressional candidate. I feel like Thunderbolts will function similarly. (Woo!)
One superhero thing I'm a big fan of (especially as a "DC guy") is legacy. They covered that really well in multiple ways. Sam was not only living up to the legacy of Steve Rogers, but also the more present legacy of Isaiah Bradly. (Speaking of DC- He was played by Carl Lumbly, perfectly cast as the Martian Manhunter in the Justice League cartoon... and speaking of movies I like- as John Parker in Buckaroo Banzai.)
Anthony Mackie did a fantastic job working toward, and living up to those legacies. He also served as the legacy for Joaquin Torres- the new Falcon (very entertainingly portrayed by Danny Ramirez). There's something about including young, fresh faced heroes who are just as excited as we fans are about interacting with the established superheroes in-story that pulls me into their characters.
Make no mistake, this was Mackie's film, and he carried it and led it fantastically. He is Captain America. It was cool, and important to the character, that they remembered Sam was a counselor. He always sought conversation and understanding before combat. However, he also proved, based on the combination of his skills and knowledge, he didn't need the serum when a fight was called for.
Seraph didn't use her code name, but Shira Haas as another graduate of the Widow program proved she was super hero material as well. Starting on the side of the establishment, she quickly leant her combat and spy skills to the good guys as a key member of the team. I'm looking forward to her having expanded roles in future outings.
Facing our heroes were an array of bad guys that were each integral to parts of the tale, preventing it from seeming crowded by all of them. Giancarlo Esposito brought the same terrifying coldness to Sidewinder as he did to his part in the Mandalorian. He was scary, competent and intelligent. Yes, he wasn't clad in a bizarre snake inspired outfit along with a gang of similarly dressed and powered allies. However, that WOULD have led to overcrowding the film, as well as messing with the tone. Huh, looking up names, "Copperhead" was also in the movie, so either I fell asleep (unlikely given my state of excitement) or he wasn't wearing his goofy looking, snake themed outfit either. Holding off on the really "super powered" stuff until Red Hulk showed was the proper choice.
William Hurt was a fantastic actor in general, (shoutout to Dark City!) and as General "Thunderbolt" Ross specifically. His loss was a tragedy in many ways. The change to Harrison Ford served the story well, however. In the comics, there are basically two types of General Ross conflicts. A) He's blinded by his rage, and single minded quest to eliminate the Hulk, seeing violence as the only solution to almost any problem. B) The far more interesting ones where he genuinely has the best interests of both his country and his daughter at heart, but, can be absolutely awful at executing attempts to achieve them. This second mode makes moments of atonement and remorse for him much more strongly conveyed. And that's what bringing in Harrison Ford accomplished with his powerful presence at being both commanding and sympathetic.
The effects technology have reached the point where the Red Hulk appeared to be an enormous, out of control, crimson version of Harrison Ford, which made it far more unsettling. We haven't had good rampaging Hulk moments in the Marvel films for a while. Always cool to see that brought to life. Well, not cool, as they remembered Red Hulk also generates heat. Also, can we get a new name for "Red Hulk?" She-Hulk goes by Jen most of the time, but this is still the character's main name and comes off clunky.
Speaking of unsettling villains: THE LEADER! Tim Blake Nelson returns as Sam Sterns after an extended absence! His use of mass mind control coupled with overly complicated, yet expertly executed plans is a twist on villainy we haven't directly seen in the MCU. The Hydra saga featured unknown, hidden enemies with ulterior motives, and Zemo had layers upon layers to his machinations. But having the soldiers of the big bad not know they were in on the plot until unconsciously activated added new elements of terror. He was deeply creepy and intimidating in a non-physical way.
This film served as a call back to "Forgotten Marvel Films" In more ways than referencing The Incredible Hulk. Remembering there is a giant Celestial corpse in the Indian Ocean was a nice touch. Using it to bring Adamantium to the MCU, paving the way for many missing characters, was a bonus.
Not only did we get a fantastic film with a lot of depth to it, we got a good set up for future adventures. Anthony Mackie proved he will be excellent at leading a new incarnation of the Avengers. Plus, with so many characters from his first movie coming back, AND the addition of other elements from his mythology, we could get an excellent resurgence of classic Hulk stories on top of the continuing saga of Sam Wilson- Captain America.
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