Around the time The Avengers was set for release. I remember thinking to myself that this can go only one of two ways. It was either going to be a success and confirm Marvel's place in cinema or it was going to be a disaster that would have taken the wind out of the sails of the studio. Luckily it was a very good movie and has paved the way for Phase 2. Unfortunately Phase 2 has been lackluster with both Thor and Iron Man being mediocre at best. This is where CA:TWS fits in.
I personally have never been a fan of Captain America. He never really appealed to me. I have always been a huge fan of Spider-Man and Batman. This film however has definitely got me invested in the character and I explain why in this review.
The overall plot is like a rollercoaster ride. There are so many twists and turns, re-affirming that Captain America works wonderfully with a thriller influence. This was the perfect way to bring Captain America into the modern world and it is great to see the contrast of past vs present. What makes the Captain appealing in this film is that he is doing his best to fit into society but is finding it awkward and during this film you feel like you are on a jorney with the character. The Captain views the world with a child like mentallity because it is so much bigger than when he left it. There are some great shout outs to pop culture and it helps to make Cap feel like he is a apart of our world.
Black Widow and Falcon are also featured in this film and I feel they help carry some of the weight because the Captain is quite a bland character. Scarlett Johansson is really beginning to make the Black Widow character her own and it will be interesting to see her in the next Avengers film.
There was some great comedy in this film and thankfully they did not go overboard, like they did with Iron Man 3. It was balanced and was used to lighten the mood rather than smother the film. Comedy done correctly in a serious film can really compliment it and in this film's case less was definitely more.
The action sequences were overall great. It was good to see Captain's abilities in full swing and finally the shield is fully utilised. If you are a fan of The Terminator you will definitely enjoy what the action has to offer in this flick. Falcon's scenes looked phenomenal on the big screen and they really gave you a sense of vertigo because of it. The choreography is really tight and fast. It is adrenaline pumping. There were a couple of shots that looked a bit hokey but all together the CGI was spectacular.
The only gripe I have with this film is a lack of character development for the Winter Solider. Now I know this will most likely be addressed at some point but because I am reviewing this film as a whole package, that does strike it down a point. The scenes TWS were in were great and he is a very memorable villain but he just was not given enough to do in regards to developing the character.
The only other thing that disappointed me was the lack of danger. Marvel unforutanely copped out again in my opinion. You will undersand what I mean when you see the film, but I just feel that Marvel need to be a bit more aggressive on that front because as of yet no one major has actually died. It's something that I feel these series of films lacks. Hopefully this issue I have will be addressed in the next film.
Also there is one more thing that I personally missed from The Avengers. The colour scheme. In this movie it is mainly washed out greys and dark colours. I personally am done with seeing superhero films that way. I want colour like there was in The Avengers because you can see it embraces it's comic book heritage. I feel like this film strayed away from what makes The Avengers so special. Also, I don't know wheher it has been the exposure to the other films being released this year but both Guradians of the Galaxy and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 are absolute eye candy. There are so many colours used in the trailers making them feel more comic book like. Just because a film wants to be dark does not mean it necessarily needs to adopt a washed out colour palette. One could argue that the colour scheme is a reflection of what world the Cap now lives in but I think a little colour here or there would have been welcomed. This does not ruin the film for me but I just think they could have made things a little more visually interesting. I kept asking myself at times, am I watching a Bourne movie or a superhero movie ?
What is exciting, is to see some of the ideas this film presents and how it all fits into The Avengers sequel. What this films embraces is the history of the Marvel cinematic universe and it expands on it. There are references to The Avengers throughout but it never is overwhelmed by it like Iron Man 2. There is also a fantastic reference to another film, that is priceless.
All in all, this is a great film and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only thing that stops me from giving this a higher score is the lack of time they spend with the Winter Soldier. There just could have been more in this department. I know the argument is that he will be around for other Marvel flicks but there could have been a more personal battle between him and Cap. Was it as good as The Avengers ? In my opinion... No, but it certainly gives it a run for it's money. I also still prefer Iron Man 1 as well but this film easily comes third. This is evidence that if treated correctly, Marvel are capable of releasing some fantastic films and this is one of them.
8.5/10.