From the moment I learned that the Captain America sequel will feature the Winter Soldier, I couldn’t wait. I was able to see an advance Thursday night showing and it didn’t disappoint one bit.
To date, with The Winter Soldier there has been nine films that now make up the Marvel Cinematic Universe. TWS is easily one of the best. As far as sequels are concerned, it’s the very best with all due respect to Thor 2, which I enjoyed very much. What separates this film from the others is that TWS plays more like a political thriller than a straight up generic superhero film, and that’s okay because it works. It works because Chris Evans as super soldier Steve Rogers gives you a hero that stands for something honest and true. This makes him very easy to root for.
The 2011 original had a nostalgic charm to it given its time period and ranks among the very best origin films of any comic book hero. Now we have a sequel as worthy as its original. Marvel for the most part has done a great job building their universe and having them interconnected as we build towards Avengers 2. Simple references to Tony Stark or Bruce Banner go along way in rooting this in “reality”. And I think fans in general enjoy such references.
Without spoiling anything, the films main message is how much are we willing to sacrifice for a “safer” world and who decides? Seems simple but it’s anything but. The only thing I will say about the plot itself is that it builds from what we know from the past through the present. There is a greater story arc being developed here and who to trust is at the center of it.
Joining Captain America’s quest for the truth is Scarlett Johansson once again as Black Widow, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and newcomer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson aka Falcon. All three put on worthy performances. Most notably Mackie. Screen legend Robert Redford gives a solid performance as Alexander Pierce a senior leader at S.H.I.E.L.D. and Sebastian Stan does a solid job as The Winter Soldier/James “Bucky” Barnes.
The action sequences and fight scenes are extremely well done. It’s fast paced and a lot of fun. When Cap and The Winter Soldier finally face-off (that’s not a spoiler, it’s in the trailer) it makes the Obi-Wan-Anakin showdown from Revenge of the Sith look lame. And lets not forget how cool Falcon is when he straps on that jet pack. I’m looking forward to seeing him in future installments.
In the end, more questions arise and the future is as unsure as it ever was. What I do know is that after a lackluster Iron Man 3, both Thor: The Dark World and Captain America
One final note, make sure to stay through the ending credits. One will be a direct link to the Avengers and the other to a third Captain America
Captain America: The Winter Soldier ***1/2 (out of 4)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier ***1/2 (out of 4)
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
