Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Welcome to another episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!

Today's review is Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Written & Directed by Anthony & Joe Russo.

Based on the Marvel Comics character Captain America created by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko.

Review #248

MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, gunplay and action throughout.

Run Time: 136 min

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Cast

Chris Evans...Steve Rogers / Captain America

Samuel L. Jackson...Nick Fury

Scarlett Johansson...Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow

Robert Redford...Alexander Pierce

Sebastian Stan...Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier

Anthony Mackie...Sam Wilson / Falcon

Cobie Smulders...Maria Hill

Frank Grillo...Brock Rumlow

Maximiliano Hernández...Jasper Sitwell

Emily VanCamp...Kate / Agent 13

Hayley Atwell...Peggy Carter

Toby Jones...Dr. Arnim Zola

Captain America: The First Avenger was an average film at best. I had major problems getting behind this one. The biggest being the casting of Chris Evans as Steve Rogers. He just didn't look the part and still doesn't after three films. His persona is too class clown than captain. He knocked it out of the park when he played The Human Torch in the unwatchable Fantastic Four films. That's who I saw every time cap was on screen.

The rest of the film was way too boring and mishandled by director Joe Johnston. What was the point of having a super soldier if you weren't going to show him being super. I'll get into that later. The bottom line is that this character got off to a slow start in his first solo film since the mid 90's. Then Joss Whedon breathed new life into the character. He gave cap more of a purpose and reality while sharing screen time with the rest of the earth's mightiest heroes. So here we are with Phase 2 of Marvel's cinema universe and the captain kicks off the roster of films hoping to right the many wrongs his first effort displayed.

I'm pleased to announce that the captain's mission was accomplished.

Plot

Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and battles a new threat from old history: the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier.

What gave this film so much promise was the introduction of The Winter Soldier. What happened very early on was the real and better story behind this film which was cap's continued adjustment to the "real" world he lives in. At least a year has gone by since Rogers return to the living and the events in NY and he still has time to tell jokes about not having plans because all the members of his barbershop quartet are dead. He's still coming to grips with a world and time that's passed him by while dealing with a much more important issue. The fact that he still doesn't trust Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D.

This comes to a head after the initial action scene which was pretty impressive by comic book action standards. Cap finds out that he's rescuing hostages that were taken captive because of S.H.I.E.L.D's trespassing. It stings cap to his core. In fact he protests early on by saying to Black Widow that he's tired of being Fury's janitor. This is the main plot point of the film that I loved the most. The Russo brothers did the right thing and tackled the issue that made the most sense to Rogers at the moment. This film would have sucked major balls if they just went the typical hero vs new villain route. Instead the fused that narrative with a more compelling one that in turn became an intricate yet simple story that made nothing but sense for THIS character.

That's important to remember. The story laid out in this film only works for Captain America. The rest of the Marvel universe would have failed miserably if tossed into this kind of plot. I wish I could divulge more but there's way too much that goes on that requires your full attention and getting into it will cheapen the experience. I know I'm gushing about this film but it's not perfect. That being said, it does a whole lot right. The biggest being making Black Widow not only important but likeable.

I've gone on record saying that both Black Widow and Hawkeye were completely useless in The Avengers. I still feel that way but for some reason this film softened me up to The Widow. Her role and purpose was expanded to be more than just the ass kicking T&A. Her involvement was vital to the story and cap's journey. A lot of this has to do with the core story but also her background as a former turned Russian spy. The web (no pun intended) of intrigue that surrounded her character was interesting to see play out. You were never quite sure where she was going or who she was playing. Her loyalties come into question which played into the mindset of Rogers as he discovers how misled he's been while working for S.H.I.E.L.D.

This at the core is what made this film so good and a nice departure from the fantastical and supernatural stories that Marvel has churned out over the past few years.

The final two things I'll comment on this film revolve around 2 new characters. The first being The Winter Soldier. Anyone who read the comics know who he actually is and the film does a pretty good job shrouding his identity. However, if you pay close enough attention you can put 2 and 2 together before you get his full reveal midway through the film. What I enjoyed about The Winter Soldier's involvement was that there was an enemy capable of taking the captain to task. This was a problem with the first film. Johnston did a disgraceful job showcasing the captain's extraordinary abilities when it came to going up against "normal" enemies.

A good example of how the Russo brother fixed that is in this picture above. You see the aftermath of the carnage left by cap but this fight showcased his proficiency with close quarter combat and taking on multiple enemies. You truly saw his power and ingenuity going against seemingly un-winnable odds. However the best example takes place in the opening action scene. There were several shots of cap running along the ship at top speed taking out thugs with ease. The camera catches the action from far angles so you can appreciate the cap's speed and timing during this action beat. There's no cuts til he takes on more than one thug. It was a nice touch and the PROPER way to showcase Captain America's supernatural power.

Finally let's touch on the Falcon played by Anthony Mackie. The announcement of his involvement in the film was curious to me. In the comics, Falcon is not looked at as a popular or particularly strong character in the Marvel universe. The Russo brothers did what most smart filmmakers do with soft characters. They made him stronger. Gone was the one piece jumpsuit and feathered wings. In it's place was a "practical" design for the Falcon. It was a very nice touch that displayed a conscious effort to normalize even the most over the top characters. Falcon doesn't necessarily fit that mold but his inclusion to the film and future installments serve notice that Marvel is taking their characters seriously and will do what they can within reason to give us the best of both worlds.

The final word on this film is simply. Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a good film. A MAJOR improvement from it's predecessor and the good sign for the character and it's journey when it takes on The Caped Crusader and The Man of Steel in 2016.

It's going to be an interesting battle.

On the 5 star scale. Captain America: The Winter Soldier gets 3.5 stars with a "Go See It!" recommendation.

That's a wrap for today.

Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"

"D"