Anthony's Film Review - Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Captain America's second standalone Marvel Cinematic Universe adventure is full of intrigue and danger...

Following the events of Captain America: The First Avenger, the titular character is brought from the past to the present, from the 1940s to the 21st century. It's really cool seeing this same superhero, powered by Super Soldier serum while not having aged, in a different American era. It's an opportunity for Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, to be an American hero across generations. From a movie-watching standpoint, it is also a chance for a film sequel that is more original and not so familiar.

Let me first talk about one notable sequence somewhere in the beginning of the movie. Rogers visits a Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C., and views the exhibits about him and his actions during World War II in Captain America: The First Avenger. He gets to remember and reconnect with his past. This also includes moments where he gets to learn what military officer Peggy Carter had been doing since those days. They are done quite creatively here. I say all of this because it's a sign that the story centers on characters first, before the superhero action.

Speaking of which, there is quite a cast here. Samuel L. Jackson returns as S.H.I.E.L.D. leader Nick Fury, along with Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanov, a.k.a. Black Widow. Then you have wonderful new characters, like Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, whose personal technology gives him the nickname "The Falcon." Perhaps the most interesting cast member here is Robert Redford as S.H.I.E.L.D. official Alexander Pierce. He's one of those actors whom you wouldn't expect to have a role in a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, but when he does appear, it's a "wow" moment. It may be that lots of actors are realizing the boost that one can receive from being part of the MCU.

Let's talk about the action for a little bit. At this point, there is a level of intensity and excitement that you expect from Marvel Studios. A lot of times, an action scene in an MCU movie meets that bar and feels "standard." But once in a while, Marvel Studios gives us action that is out of the ordinary, such that even a difficult-to-please action movie fan cannot turn away. I'll give you one example. There's a scene where one character is being surrounded by a whole gang of men with heavy weaponry, while trapped in a bulletproof vehicle that can still shatter to pieces in a matter of seconds. It is followed by a daring getaway, only to be followed by a deadly car chase. Oh, and there still can be gunfire and close combat in these moving vehicles.

Of course, who are the villains here? Well, let me talk briefly about one of them. The Winter Soldier is a masked assassin with a metal arm who is quite formidable with guns and hand-to-hand combat. He could certainly give Captain America a run for his money. While the Winter Soldier is part of the movie's title, he's only one part of a bigger threat. Whoever else is involved on the side of evil, I shall not mention.

In fact, intrigue is one of the strong points of this movie. It has a way of stunning the audience with revelations, hooking the audience's attention, and repeating the cycle. There's one great scene where two main characters arrive at a secret abandoned location. The discovery of what lies in there makes the scene worthwhile. It's also a great example of how one MCU movie connects with others preceding it, a treat for fans who love to analyze the details of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Now let's put it all together. The ingredients of character development, intense action, and an intriguing plot all create one of the best entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Captain America, who was great during World War II, fits right in the 21st century. He battles modern-day terrorists just as well as he did with HYDRA agents back in the 1940s. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is definitely better than Captain America: The First Avenger, which was still quite good. This movie reaches my threshold of a movie I would rate 9 out of 10 stars. Again, Captain America is a hero across generations.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Captain America: The Winter Soldier, visit the Internet Movie Database.