Directed by Joe & Anthony Russo
(Scored out of ten; below 5 = not worth seeing, 6 = ok, 7 = good, 8 = great, 9 = fantastic, 10 = next to perfect)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (directed by Joe and Anthony Russo) literally takes off running and does not let up. Providing one of the most compelling on screen superhero stories since The Dark Knight (some might even say it’s better)! Taking place after the events of The Avengers, TWS gives Cap his most personal challenge yet and it is by far the best thing to come out of Marvel’s phase 2. Captain America is stronger, faster and more bombastic than he’s ever been while shaking up the entire MCU as we know it.
There is so much to like about this sequel it is difficult to know where to begin. This sequel manages to mix intense action with powerful emotion (that scene with Peggy killed me) while maintain the perfect balance between all of its moving parts. No one seemed under serviced (maybe a smidge more Bucky) and everyone got his or her time to shine. The thematic arc of the narrative was also handled quite nicely, the political intrigue and critique of national privacy laws are wildly applicable to our current society and it makes for an incredibly relevant film, while also staying true to its fun comic book nature. Many a viewer may not be a fan of his new look but I was a definite fan. I was honestly sad to see it gone so quickly, but thematically it made sense. His progression from full on SHIELD agent (stealth suit) to a conflicted party (civilian clothes) and finishing as the catalyst for change and freedom (ww2 uniform) was a powerful tool that helped land the message they were aiming for.
The Winter Soldier is well acted from start to finish. Chris Evans in his third turn as the first avenger brings his usual charm to the table but imbues the good captain with a sense of inner conflict not usually present in the character. Cap, known for his stark patriotism, is embroiled in the web of secrecy that is SHIELD. Believing in freedom and honesty, it doesn’t sit well with him having to tell lies for a living. Chris Evans does a fantastic job bringing this dynamic out in his performance. He manages to turn Cap from possibly one of the most mundane of Avengers into a character we can truly rally behind and are interested in watching time and again. Also of note is Scarlett’s depiction of the Black Widow. Her ambiguity in an already “grey” political landscape has audiences questioning where her loyalties lie. Johansson keeps fans on their toes until about 3 quarters of the film and brings some pretty impressive action sequences to the board. The Winter Soldier also offers us our best glimpse into the past of the Widow yet. While it doesn’t go into too much detail fans do get a peak behind the curtain with mentions of past run ins with the titular villain along with some nods to her ties in the KGB. This makes me want that long rumoured Black Widow solo outing that much more.
Also returning to the MCU is the ever-enigmatic Nick Fury (played by the dashing Samuel L. Jackson) and his trusty sidekick Maria Hill (brought to life once again by How I Met Your Mother’s Colbie Smulders). While they aren’t in the movie a whole lot they do get a lot more to do here than in their previous appearances. Fury’s chase scene in particular was one of many fantastic action sequences in the film. We get a little more backstory regarding his character in this movie; it is nice to see him as more than just the shadowy figure overseeing SHIELD or the Avengers. It adds a sense of reality to a character that, to me, has come off as a bit sarcastic and unbelievable at times.
Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce was pitch perfect. As head of SHIELD Redford brings the gravitas and star power necessary to pull off the imposing presence. His character serves as the source of the majority of twists in the film and he is undoubtedly a major draw for fans of the MCU and political thrillers in general. His appearance adds a huge boost of legitimacy to the proceedings and the movie is all the better for him being there. Also new to the MCU (but not really) is the Winter Soldier. Returning from The First Avenger, Sebastian Stan as the terminator like assassin is incredible. While he does not have much to say his physicality is undeniably menacing. Whenever he appears on screen you know things are about to go down. Stan’s Winter Soldier is the highlight of almost all of the action scenes from this film and it is a shame he was not in more scenes. While we do get a good sense of how he came to be I could have used maybe a scene or two more dedicated solely to his character.
Finally we have newcomer Sam Wilson aka the Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie. Mackie does a phenomenal job bringing a sense of fun to the proceedings. TWS is a much more serious film in comparison to the rest of Phase 2 and Falcon brings a sense of humour that would be almost completely missing had it not been for his character. He is also featured in some of the best fight scenes of the entire film. Those wings sure do come in handy. We also get an introduction to Sharon Carter (Emily Van Camp) a possible love interest to Steve Rogers. She isn’t a huge presence in the film but it is a nice nod to where the future of this franchise can go.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is rife with easter eggs, many of the blink-and-you-missed-it kind. Among them include numerous name drops of well-known Avengers (Stark, Banner) as well as a quick mention of the Sorcerer Supreme and a glimpse of the remodeled Stark Tower (now Avengers Tower). All this serves as a reminder of the broader universe as well as a set up for future installments in the MCU. The first end credits scene (there are two) introduces audiences to some new characters set to appear in Avengers 2, I won’t spoil it here but know that it’s awesome! With guest appearances by a number of familiar MCU faces fans will love the amount of service they are getting with CA:TWS.
The end of this film completely changes the MCU in a number of ways. Nothing will be the same going forward after this film, and that’s a good thing. It sets up a far darker tone, making the stakes all the higher, and therefore more interesting, moving forward. It will be fun to see how Joss plans on incorporating everything in phase 2 into his Avengers: Age of Ultron. The status quo of all our heroes has changed dramatically and the new dynamic going into the blockbuster sequel will be, hopefully, one of the more interesting pieces of the film.
Starting with a covert raid on a SHIELD vessel and ending with a literally world changing event,Captain America: The Winter Soldier provides fans and newcomers alike with a memorable and action packed entry into the Marvel Universe. Cap really comes into his own in this film, throwing the iconic shield with much more fervour than ever before and fully showcasing what a super soldier is capable of (now if only they could get Thor right).
Captain America 2 is without a doubt the best of phase 2 so far, possibly Marvel’s best solo film period. It takes what was established in TFA and the Avengers and ups it tenfold. The Winter Soldieris a fast paced, action packed political thriller infused with a super heroic tale. Fans and non-fans alike will love this movie and I highly recommend seeing it… more than once!
I give the film a 9.5 out of 10.
9.5/10