Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) Review

"Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?"
-Steve Rogers



As Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) continues to work with S.H.I.E.L.D., he becomes more and more disillusioned with who the good guys and bad guys are.  Things become even more complicated when one of Rogers' friends is killed and a conspiracy within S.H.I.E.L.D. is uncovered.  On the run and not sure who he can trust, Rogers has to reveal the enemy within and take on a legendary assassin in order to save the day this time.


What Works:

Up to this point in the MCU, I think The Winter Soldier is the strongest film.  What helps it most is how politically relevant it is.  This movie was released about a year after Edward Snowden and the NSA reveal; confirmation that the government is spying on us.  This movie takes that and dials it up to 11.  The threat of HYDRA poses in this film is terrifying.  Their goal is to wipe out 20 million people who they believe would cause problems if HYDRA was to try and seize control.  That's insane and it makes the threat easier to be affected by.  We are all threatened, not just a specific city.  The stakes and relevant nature of the plot make this film extremely effective.

On the same note, this really doesn't feel like a superhero movie.  It's more like a Bourne film with a superhero in it.  That's an awesome idea.  Making Captain America and the Winter Soldier the only characters in the film with any superpowers is very interesting and further isolates them from the other characters in the story, which is very important for both of these characters.  It feels like a very different movie than the rest of the MCU and I appreciate that.

I'm stunned that they got Robert Redford to be in this movie and play the villain.  It's absolutely crazy.  The guy is an extremely well-respected and old-school actor, but he does an amazing job.   He's the only villain in this universe that doesn't have a super suit or any powers, yet he's just as dangerous.  He's a well-written and well-acted character and one of the better villains in the MCU.

Giving Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) a larger role here was an excellent idea.  Jackson is always fun to watch and it's great that he gets his own action sequence here.  It's an especially effective sequence because you believe Nick could actually die here.  You know Captain America is going to make it, but Fury's plot armor isn't necessarily there.  It brings stakes to an already intense sequence.

The introduction of Sam "Falcon" Wilson is excellent.  He's a really fun character and I like the chemistry he has with Steve.  Anthony Mackie does a great job and has excellent charisma.  

Finally, the action sequences are all fantastic.  Nick Fury's escape attempt, the elevator fight, the attack on the bridge, and the entire 3rd act are all a blast to watch.  The Russo Brothers know how to direct an action sequence and they get their career with Marvel off to an amazing start here.


What Sucks:

I got nothing for you.


Verdict:

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is still in the conversation for best MCU movie to this day.  The action, the performances, and the story are all fantastic and the political aspects have aged well.  I have nothing bad to say about this film and it has absolutely got it going on.

 10/10: Amazing 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Argylle (2024) Review

Image
 "The human skull is shockingly brittle." -Aidan Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) is a very successful spy novelist.  She draws attention from the espionage community when plot points in her books come true.  When Elly is attacked on a train by a group of spies, she is rescued by another spy, Aidan (Sam Rockwell), who needs her help with his mission and to do that, she needs to write another chapter of her latest book. Spoilers Below.  Go ahead and read on because I don't recommend this movie, but either way, you've been warned. What Works: Argylle has a really fun premise that really works in the first half of the movie.  It's a fish-out-of-water, buddy-cop, spy movie, and it's a blast.  Watching Ellie predict where to go based on what the characters in her books would do is a lot of fun.  It's what the whole movie should have been. The opening sequence follows Agent Argylle (Henry Cavill) on another dangerous mission as he pursues the villainous LaGrang
Read more

Top 10 Movies of 2023

Image
2023 is finally over and it's time for me to put my Top 10 list together.  2023 was definitely a weaker year for movies.  There were definitely some great movies, but there were also plenty of disappointing and bad movies as well.  I still managed to put together a great Top 10 with a couple of worthy contenders that just missed the cut.  Let's take a look! #10. They Cloned Tyrone They Cloned Tyrone is a wild and fun sci-fi tale that takes place in the hood.  A drug dealer, a pimp, and a prostitute discover a cloning conspiracy and the results are intelligent and hilarious.  This is a really smart and funny movie with some amazing performances across the board.  This was a movie that kept me guessing the whole way through.  What an absolute blast. #9. Renfield I'm guessing Renfield will be the most controversial entry on my list as I feel like I'm the only person who liked this movie.  I love the old Universal monster movies and the fact that we get a direct sequel, whi
Read more

Madame Web (2024) Review

Image
 "When you take on the responsibility, great power will come." -Santiago Cassie Webb (Dakota Johnson), a New York paramedic, hits her head in an accident, which unlocks the ability to see glimpses of the future.  When she sees Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim) attempting to murder three teenage girls, Cassie intervenes to save them.  As Cassie learns to understand her power, she also discovers the connection between her, the girls, and Ezekiel. What Works: I think the core idea at the center of this movie is a good one and has the potential to be interesting.  Cassie's superpowers are kinda lame.  It's not like they're going to help in a combat situation.  Ezekiel is basically evil Spider-Man.  He has legitimate powers and is a massive threat.  That's an interesting conflict.  How does someone with lackluster superpowers take on a supervillain.  It's a fun idea that I would like to see tried again with greater success.  What Sucks: This movie was embarrassing to
Read more