Synopsis
Since the events in The Avengers, Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, has been globetrotting for S.H.I.E.L.D., taking care of this or that terrorist and generally doing whatever he's told despite his own moral misgivings; but when a close ally is victim of an attack by a mysterious assassin, Rogers suddenly finds himself a fugitive, uncertain who he can trust.
The Good
Marvel films are known for their fun, more comic-booky feel when compared to other comic book movies from Fox or Warner Brothers. Humor and levity are trademarks in this universe at this point. While there is some of that in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, this film is a departure from the usual Marvel style. Instead of a fun, summer superhero flick, the Captain America sequel takes a page out of The Dark Knight's book by building a superhero movie around a different, more mainstream genre, in this case the political thriller/espionage film. The result is a deeply engaging drama about a man struggling to reconcile his past and his values with the modern world and the business in which he works.
The performances from the franchise's cast are a step above any of the preceding films in Marvel's Cinematic Universe. Chris Evans elevates his Captain America from more than just the boy scout we met The First Avenger and the leader he became in the Avengers to a full fledged character worthy of a standalone franchise. Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson do the same for their supporting roles, fleshing out their characters and bringing them to a whole new level.
In my humble but clearly correct opinion, Marvel films have struggled to bring compelling villains to the screen with the obvious exception of Loki. Its worth noting here that the Winter Soldier is an interesting and frightening foe and he is portrayed excellently, but that doesn't mean I don't have some issues.
The Bad
I mentioned how I liked the Winter Soldier character, but i have a pretty big problem where he's concerned: he's greatly under-utilized! With the exception of two sequences where he and Cap fight, the Winter Soldier is shoved to the margins despite his name being in the title.
My only other gripe is that the action is way over the top even for a superhero movie and some of the effects are not as good as Marvel has proven they can do before. As I said before, this film is more of a political thriller than a superhero movie and in that setting the level of action seems out of place. Car chases and fist fights make perfect sense, but multiple giant airborne ships wreaking havoc over Washington D.C. seems like Avengers territory.
The Verdict
Despite my objections over some of the action and under-use of the titular villain, Captain America: The Winter Soldier succeeds in taking both the Captain America franchise as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe to new places and new heights with an excellent story, an intriguing villain and spectacular performances from its star-studded cast.
The performances from the franchise's cast are a step above any of the preceding films in Marvel's Cinematic Universe. Chris Evans elevates his Captain America from more than just the boy scout we met The First Avenger and the leader he became in the Avengers to a full fledged character worthy of a standalone franchise. Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson do the same for their supporting roles, fleshing out their characters and bringing them to a whole new level.
In my humble but clearly correct opinion, Marvel films have struggled to bring compelling villains to the screen with the obvious exception of Loki. Its worth noting here that the Winter Soldier is an interesting and frightening foe and he is portrayed excellently, but that doesn't mean I don't have some issues.
The Bad
I mentioned how I liked the Winter Soldier character, but i have a pretty big problem where he's concerned: he's greatly under-utilized! With the exception of two sequences where he and Cap fight, the Winter Soldier is shoved to the margins despite his name being in the title.
My only other gripe is that the action is way over the top even for a superhero movie and some of the effects are not as good as Marvel has proven they can do before. As I said before, this film is more of a political thriller than a superhero movie and in that setting the level of action seems out of place. Car chases and fist fights make perfect sense, but multiple giant airborne ships wreaking havoc over Washington D.C. seems like Avengers territory.
The Verdict
Despite my objections over some of the action and under-use of the titular villain, Captain America: The Winter Soldier succeeds in taking both the Captain America franchise as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe to new places and new heights with an excellent story, an intriguing villain and spectacular performances from its star-studded cast.
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