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Vicky Kaushal is at the top of his game with back-to-back hits under his belt. He is now back with his new film, Chhaava, directed by Laxman Utekar.

The film has been released and has started off with positive word of mouth. Those who watched it in Mumbai are praising it highly, especially Vicky Kaushal’s

performance.

With strong word of mouth and impressive advance bookings, the film is expected to open solidly at the box office. Rashmika Mandanna plays the female lead, and her performance is also being widely appreciated.

Once again, she has delivered a hit with Chhaava. Now that the film is out for the public, it remains to be seen how the general audience will receive it.

Captain America: Brave New World, 2025.

Directed by Julius Onah.
Starring Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Tim Blake Nelson, Giancarlo Esposito, Xosha Roquemore, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, William Mark McCullough, Takehiro Hira, Harsh Nayyar, Alan Boell, John Cihangir, Eric Mbanda, Josh Robin, Sharon Tazewell, and Pete Burris.

SYNOPSIS:

Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, finds himself in the middle of an international incident and must discover the motive behind a nefarious global plan.

Early on in the utterly pointless overload of characters, story, and action that make up the forgettable Captain America: Brave New World, United States President Thaddeus Ross (now played by Harrison Ford, taking over the role from the deceased William Hurt back when the character was a military officer) pulls the new Captain America, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) aside, attempting to work through some political differences before issuing a wish to have him rebuild a new Avengers.

Given what we know is coming (Robert Downey Jr. revealed to be returning to the franchise, this time to play Victor von Doom) and that numerous other heroes and villains have been teased across ending credits stingers, it’s not a bad idea to make a film that’s primary function is to get that ball rolling. It would also be an opportunity to dive further into Sam Wilson’s character, figuring out what kind of leader he wants to be and what he would look for throughout a recruitment process. Such a thing would also give Marvel Cinematic Universe overlord Kevin Feige a chance to move forward and begin building toward something, anything that might bring back the major event feel of these blockbuster extravaganzas.

As the mention of Thaddeus Ross has already implied, Captain America: Brave New World is a sequel to The Incredible Hulk. It’s also a follow-up to the Disney+ series Falcon and the Winter Soldier with some expected references to Captain America: Winter Soldier and Avengers: Endgame. As soon as characters start talking it’s also evident that even Kevin Feige knows a significant portion of the viewer base probably hasn’t seen everything, meaning that the screenplay (from the obscenely crowded team of director Julius Onah, Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman, Dalan Musson, and Peter Glanz) is littered with noticeably awkward exposition bringing up past events and summarizing who they are, what they have been through, what they are currently feeling, and what’s next.

Not only is this an unwieldy jumble, but the film also doesn’t have much to do with putting together a new team. Instead, this MCU installment is centered on the truth behind an assassination attempt on the life of Thaddeus Ross, with the tortured and experimented-on original super soldier Isaiah Bradley (a returning Carl Lumbly) as the vengeful prime suspect. Due to Sam Wilson’s connection with Isaiah, Thaddeus Ross removes this new Captain America from the investigation. Naturally, he doesn’t abide, as he and his Falcon protégé Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) are convinced someone is pulling the strings.

They uncover something sinister in the process that I won’t spoil. Meanwhile, Thaddeus Ross continues working ahead on a Celestial Island treaty (look at that, I forgot one; technically, this is also a sequel to Eternals) where adamantium has been found. There is an additional layer of global intrigue with Giancarlo Esposito’s mercenary Sidewinder initially trying to steal and sell a fraction of it to a mysterious buyer. However, that opening segment feels as if it was initially part of something else, only for the script rewrites to come along and force it to connect to the adamantium. There is a lot of noticeable patchwork here that the filmmakers seemingly hope is ignored and buried underneath the copious amounts of weightless action.

These numerous battles seem to be putting Sam Wilson under a test, causing him to wonder if he should have taken the super soldier serum to make the superhero job easier on himself or if he is right in carving out his vision of Captain America. This somewhat ties into Thaddeus Ross’ character of hoping that his daughter Betty Ross (Liv Tyler in The Incredible Hulk) will notice that he has apparently tried to become a better person and that she will forget him. Aside from wanting to walk back his stance of initially being against augmented superheroes, there is nothing to gauge what kind of person or president he currently is. The rest of his arc is mired in a mystery that’s not so mysterious because, even though I am prohibited from spoiling anything significant in this review, the numerous damn trailers have already told you where this goes in the last 20 minutes.

It’s aggravating waiting and waiting for THAT to happen finally. Still, it also speaks to a larger problem here: Marvel is desperate to regain that box office glory to the point of outright spoiling key plot points in the marketing. There are still a few minor surprises, although nothing remotely exciting. Even the action, while abundant, feels driven by nothing and tossed in as a distraction from the outrageously convoluted plotting. The sole exception is CGI-fueled destruction at the end that, while still looking a bit unfinished if visually impressive, is mildly entertaining for the characters in the fight and its setting.

For those who thought Captain America: Brave New World would serve as a movie of the moment observing a problematic president when the actual United States currently has one, hoping that the fictional one might receive some comeuppance, that is not the case. The grand message here is eye-rolling, especially given what the real America is going through. What’s most frustrating is that for a “brave new world, “this is the same new mediocrity. Shield yourselves from this one.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com

 

Fire Movie Synopsis: A police inspector investigates the disappearance of a physiotherapist after his elderly parents file a missing person report. As the investigation progresses, multiple women come forward revealing a pattern of seduction and blackmail through secretly filmed encounters.

Fire Movie Review: When every other film claims to be a gripping thriller, Fire manages the peculiar feat of being both inflammatory and lukewarm. Director J. Satish Kumar’s debut feature presents us with a predatory physiotherapist named Kasi (Balaji Murugadoss) whose modus operandi is as repetitive as a broken record – charm, seduce, film, blackmail, repeat. Inspired by the real-life story of Nagercoil Kasi, JSK has put his own spin on the tale, complete with a twist in the second half.

The narrative follows Inspector Saravanan (played by JSK himself) investigating Kasi’s disappearance after his elderly parents file a missing person report. What unfolds is less a mystery and more a procession of testimonies from Kasi’s victims, each story following the same template: a vulnerable woman, a calculated display of virtue, and inevitable betrayal.

The film’s first half reveals its hand with the subtlety of a spotlight in a dark room. By intermission, we’re well aware of our villain’s proclivities – a physiotherapist with a penchant for recording his conquests, always careful to keep his face hidden while his victims remain exposed, both literally and metaphorically. The second half merely serves as a roll call of his misdeeds, with Inspector Saravanan collecting statements like a jaded census taker.

JSK’s performance as Saravanan is competent – a grounded cop who spends more time listening to testimonies than engaging in the usual heroics kollywood is known for. Balaji Murugadoss brings initial charm to Kasi, but like a trick seen too many times, the character loses its ability to unsettle. The obligatory commercial elements – songs, fights, and dramatic confrontations – feel shoehorned in, serving only to stretch the runtime.

Fire isn’t entirely without merit. It shows occasional sparks of promise in its premise. It is more of an exposition of how women can be exploited and abused by a sociopath. You do genuinely feel for them. Like Rust Cohle might observe in True Detective, time becomes a flat circle here too – each victim’s story echoing the same pattern of manipulation. The film’s scattered strengths just twist the knife deeper. The result is a mystery that generates about as much heat as a matchstick in a rainstorm.

Written By: Abhinav Subramanian