Captain America: Brave New World has received its share of criticisms. As of the writing of this article, it has an unimpressive 49% rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Then again, it also has a solid 80% rating among audiences, which perhaps is the more reliable source of movie reviews.
And perhaps a reason for its popularity among fans is the solid performance by Harrison Ford, who plays the role of President Thaddeus Ross, aka the "Red Hulk." It is both an action and a dramatic role, as his character is a deeply flawed politician who tries to suppress his dark secrets, only to embark on a journey of redemption. His finest moments come in his conversations with his daughter, played by Liv Tyler, as he attempts to reconnect with her, however briefly their conversations were. It seems that Ford, like fine wine, has grown greater in his acting with his age.
Maybe his finest triumph in this film is showing that age simply is not what it used to be. At the age of 82, Ford shows audiences that growing old is nothing to fear. The man is in impressive shape for someone his age, and his mind appears sharp. Ford even recently ruled out retirement anytime soon, explaining that continuing to work brings him "essential human contact." There is something refreshing when the current culture perhaps has an over-obsession with retirement. Harrison Ford shows us that working well beyond the typical retirement age is, perhaps, the modern thing to do.
Ford is also not new to the age factor. His first legendary role was of course 1977's original Star Wars, which he played in his mid-thirties. His signature role of the legendary Indiana Jones in 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark came in his late-thirties, and so many other legendary roles came well into his forties, fifties, and beyond. Sure, he has had his share of movie duds, but his resurgence ever since 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens has proven that a career does not have to end in one's sixties, and life does not have to lose purpose with age.
And finally, even if Captain America: Brave New World is not the best entry into the Marvel universe, seeing Ford play the role of the President for second time (after 1997's Air Force One) is enough to make this film worth seeing. Thank you, Harrison Ford, for your star power, your legendary roles, and your proof that some things get even better with age.
Captain America: Brave New World is currently in theaters everywhere.