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Next up in the "Marvel-thon" is the second installment in perhaps the only trilogy so far in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where it gets better with each one, and that is Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
It has been two years since the Battle of New York, and Steve Rogers is working in D.C. under Nick Fury for S.H.I.E.L.D. At the same time, he has continued to adjust to present-day by making a list of what he's missed through the decades, with his new friend Sam Wilson helping him catch up. After a mission to rescue fellow Agents from pirates where he is accompanied by Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, Cap goes to the Triskelion (S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ) to speak with Fury. He is simply told not to trust anyone. Not long after that, he discovers that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been compromised, and figures from his past have begun to emerge, with himself on the run and at the center of a conspiracy.
What Worked: While I do usually talk about the cast first, I have to make a couple exceptions this time in doing so. There are at least three returning characters from The First Avenger I cannot talk about because of spoilers, as well as one from The Avengers who shows up for basically the entire third act. Also, like the Iron Man 3 review where I could vaguely get into Ben Kingsley's character, I kind of have to do the same with who portrays the Winter Soldier in this movie.
For the cast members I can talk about, the one to start with is of course Chris Evans as Cap himself. This is his best portrayal of the character so far, and he has been developed even further as well. He still symbolizes freedom, but he has come to realize that freedom means something different now. It shows when he is told by Fury not to trust anyone; Fury not only tells him that, but how S.H.I.E.L.D. has chosen to react to the Battle of New York. He responds with, "This isn't freedom, this is fear." I'll get more into that later.
Those statements can also be applied to Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow. She contrasts with Cap, because she can have an agenda of her own, whereas Cap sticks solely to the one given to him. Nick Fury, played once again by Samuel L. Jackson, has a similar characterization in that he actually does have his own agenda, but his comes with consequences. The two of them thus morally conflict with Cap: they both think he should accept how S.H.I.E.L.D. operates now, while Cap thinks keeping it that way is wrong.
Having gotten the only returning characters I can really describe out of the way, on to the new characters. The first one to talk about is the first one introduced in the movie: Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson (AKA The Falcon). He's very likable, actually very funny when he needs to be, and also proves to be quite a useful partner for Cap.
Then there is Frank Grillo (The Grey) as Agent Brock Rumlow, who leads the rescue mission at the beginning of the movie. He's great in this, even though he's not in it that much. Regardless, the time he's in it does allow for some good moments, and yes, he comes into play later.
There is also Emily VanCamp, whose character is tasked with protecting Cap. She has two different names, similar to Natasha, but going into either of them might be a spoiler. One she reveals to him, and the other is revealed by Natasha and connecting to one of the other three characters from the first movie. Even so, she gives a good performance and introduces the audience to an interesting new female character, and a strong one at that.
The last new one to talk about is Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce, an older member of S.H.I.E.L.D. and a friend of Nick Fury. He is excellent in this, and he brings about a side you perhaps never thought you'd see from him.
Then there is the Winter Soldier himself, the character who's a bit of a grey area; considering his ties to the first movie, he's an older character but reintroduced under a new identity. He is a fantastic villain, with a shroud of mystery surrounding him, and you never know when or where he'll show up. There are two great examples: one takes place on the highway, and the other is a scene similar to one in The Accountant (they're both in the dark). When I closed out the review for The First Avenger, I said that each Captain America movie would prove to be better than the previous one, and so would the villains. It holds true here. Will it continue with the third movie? You'll find out soon enough.
Now let’s get into the technical aspects. This movie is directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, whose work includes shows like Community and Arrested Development, as well as films like You, Me and Dupree. You wouldn't know that from watching this movie; you'd think someone with more experience in the superhero genre (or at the very least the action genre) directed it. With this being their first superhero movie, they knocked it out of the park.
Then there is the tone. Whereas The First Avenger was more of a war film, this is absolutely a spy film. It feels like an older James Bond film mixed with the conspiracy aspects of the Bourne franchise. Even the closing credits look like something you'd see in the opening credits of a Bond movie.
The action is some of the best in the MCU. Whenever the Winter Soldier comes in, he is just relentless. He will not let anything stand in his way. The most intense sequences are his first fight with Cap, the highway fight, and a chase scene with Nick Fury.
The visuals are very impressive. There may be some CGI, but it's not really noticeable for the most part, as the more realistic tone meant leaning towards practical effects and stunts.
What Didn't Work: I did have a couple minor nitpicks. The main one is that sometimes, the pace slows down a little bit. For me, it actually wasn't because of a certain moment in the middle. It was just in general. The other one is that the score, while really good, doesn't stand out as much as it did in the first movie. However, this is like The Avengers where it has some minor flaws that I would be more than willing to overlook.
Overall: Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the best movie in the MCU since The Avengers, the best sequel so far, and the best solo movie since the original Iron Man. It's right in between those two for me. In addition to breaking away from the villain problem, it serves as a commentary on whether or not people can trust their own government, and if not, who can they trust.
If there is one thing this movie proves, it's that by this point, you can tell that Marvel knows what they're doing: continue to surprise their audiences by choosing directors you would not consider pulling off a superhero movie, and yet somehow, they manage to do it. This applies to the weaker installments to an extent because while some aspects of them don't quite work, it's still interesting to see what the director can bring to the table.
Like with Thor: The Dark World, there is a mid-credits scene and a post-credits scene, even done the same way as they were there. The former gains further significance two movies from now, while the latter ties back to this movie. This one also has the best Stan Lee cameo in Phase Two so far.