Chris Evans leaps back into action as Captain America in the new movie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the sequel to the 2011 movie. I love the original for its stellar production design and old-school comic book feel, but this film changes in tone, falling more in line with a Jason Bourne movie. It offers politics, espionage, treachery, but never deviates too much to lose sight of its camp value. Whether this floats the boat or not, I feel depends on one's expectations for the film.
Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), or Captain America, as many Americans know him as, is adjusting to modern life, living in Washington D.C. as a permanent member of the top-secret homeland security branch S.H.I.E.L.D. An original citizen of the 40's, he tries to catch up, learning about the developments he missed while frozen in ice due to a plane crash. And while he's adjusting to the technology, he struggles to find where he belongs.
However, when he and colleague Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson) uncover a sinister plot brewing in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secret underbelly threatening millions, it's up to them to save the world, facing betrayal, tragedy, and the rise of a new enemy known as the Winter Soldier.
While the end of the first movie and The Avengers focuses on the shock value of being thrust into a unfamiliar modern society, this movie shows a Captain America who, despite not knowing everything, is well-adjusted enough to function.
Because of this, the movie abandons the nostalgia of a period piece, taking its cues from political thrillers. The lines are blurred, motives are questioned, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) tells Cap to "not trust anyone." Unlike the first film, the point of contention comes from ideologies, not labeled so colorfully: the need for personal freedom vs. the need for societal order. At first, the mystery creates suspense, but as soon as the second half comes around, the movie straightens the line, bringing it back to familiar "good vs. evil" territory. It's not executed poorly, but I would've liked to have seen this path explored; this is a topic debated since the dawn of human grouping, and a realistic debate would've fit well with a more realistic tone.
Nick Fury, the badass eyepatch-wielding leader of S.H.I.E.L.D., plays a larger role than in previous movies. While S.H.I.E.L.D. has been an enforcing agency over superheroes, keeping them in line, this movie puts them to the test, watching the watchmen, so to speak. More details of both their and Nick's past are revealed, including his relation to Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), the visionary senior S.H.I.E.L.D. official. Samuel L. Jackson does great as usual; he adds an extra layer of humanity to Nick's snappy wit and no-nonsense attitude.
The other main development introduced in the film is the Winter Soldier. A mysterious long-haired cross between Prince of Persia and the Terminator, he proves a formidable match for Captain America, meeting him blow for blow. (The image in the trailer where he catches Captain America's shield looks phenomenal on the big screen.) His story ends up getting put on the back-burner, but provides one of the surprisingly best emotional anchors of the film.
The rest of the movie kind of fares like one would expect it: the action is okay, the side characters funny and charming. Captain America remains our heroic main lead; this is the role that will define Evans' career going forward. His humor, good-natured personality, and unrelenting pursuit of justice is infectious. (Let's see Henry Cavill try to pull off half the charisma he has.)
Ever since The Avengers' reveal, Marvel's masterwork lays in the back of our minds. We pay more attention to detail, the nerds point out connections between series, and Stan Lee's cameos are funnier every time. However, since The Avengers, I have to wonder if our expectations are now skewed. Iron Man 3 and Thor 2 underwhelmed me, and I can't help but wonder if this is because Marvel is placing its efforts on the next Avengers movie. It's already hooked its audience, so these movies have less to prove. As a result, I feel these movies take less risks, feeling like shells of their inventive counterparts, who tested what audiences could and would accept with their off-kilter heroes, design, and genre. (A Norse god with a rainbow bridge in the era of The Dark Knight? Unthinkable!)
It's this line of thinking that Captain America: The Winter Soldier falls under. It's not bad, by any means. I'm invested in the story; never did I feel the movie overstayed its welcome. Comparing it to its counterparts Iron Man 3 and Thor 2, I'd place this film on top. It's just not up to par with the original. If you're looking for a satisfying two-hour superhero/action film, I'd recommend it. Thank you all for reading, STAY FOR THE CREDITS!
I can't believe that you people STILL leave after the movie's over! It's a Marvel movie; there ARE after-credits scenes. Not only are these scenes fantastic teasers, they provide last-minute insight into the characters' stories. I'm not sure if people just take to YouTube to watch the scenes later, but I find that in a world, where patience is rarely rewarded in a timely manner, Marvel movies always do it for me. Just my advice: stay till the end, there are two credit scenes, not just one. stick around. Thank you all for sticking around until the end of this review. I'm the Man Without A Plan, signing off.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SlILk2WMTI
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