There is no question that aside from being an excellent movie overall,
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is also something of a game changer when it comes to the MCU. The major talking point being, of course, the dissolution -- with extreme prejudice -- of S.H.I.E.L.D.; which will surely have consequences for all future Marvel movies as well as the
Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. tv show.
Of course this wasn't the only talking point.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is easily Marvel's most intense, dramatic movie to date. A more serious tone and a dialing back on the...well, silliness of some of their previous efforts means that -- probably for the first time -- we feel that there are actual stakes to the action, and as difficult as Cap may be to take down, we see that he can be hurt -- both physically and emotionally.
Which brings us to The Winter Soldier himself. Despite not getting a whole lot of screen-time, Sgt. James Buchanan Barnes certainly makes an impact, and Cap's reaction to finding out his true identity also leads to another Marvel first: a final battle with real emotional impact.
The movie does have as few issues though: It descends into the usual explosive, slightly convoluted combat that we're used to....and was I the only one that found some of the stuff with Fury, Widow and Pierce at the end a bit messy? Anyway, minor niggles for sure. What did you guys think? Vote below and sound off in the usual place.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.