Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Starring: Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
While previously Steve Rogers has been discovering the conveniences of today’s modern world, we now find him contemplating his place in said world and particularly how his values and what he fought for are being comprised. The situation becomes all the more convoluted when a Russian genetically altered equal of his known as “The Winter Soldier” is tasked with hunting him down, when he and Shield operatives “Black Widow” (Scarlett Johanson) and Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson) are said to have gone Rogue.
The prevailing theme of increased safety at the cost of personal freedom rings true throughout and with the rampant utilization of Drones taking out enemy forces in our modern day military, Captain Americas world doesn’t seem like that much of a long shot.
Captain America has never been the most exciting of the Marvel heroes he is faster and stronger than the average man and uses a shield, he is a character of a bygone era for a bygone era. Thankfully the good folks at marvel have realized that a little something needed to be added to the good Captain and have implemented a new style of combat that merges fighting with more acrobatic moves and almost a parkour style. The chained combo fight moves allow Cap’n to seamlessly go from one fight to the next without skipping a beat it’s a seamless succession of moves that brings something new to the table. The other improvement is the almost thriller mystery element that leads Cap’n and Widow to find out who is behind the massive conspiracy to shut them down.
Add to the mix the first African American Super Hero Falcon played by Anthony Mackie even if this falcon lacks the power to control birds, in its place he is given a military background that included flying in a prototype bird wing suit. Mackie is a welcome addition even if his wing suit looks like a childs toy compared to Starks Iron Man suit.
It’s refreshing that Marvel is creating highly layered storylines with mature themes and not just pushing hyper stylized trash that preaches flash over substance. That’s not to say there isn’t an extensive amount of CGI it’s just tempered between an actual storyline. They also have implemented multiple easter eggs that reward a keen eye. (Keep an eye out for the Fridge and a tombstone)
While the Winter Soldier lacks the iconic red skull of the first it does have Redford as Nick Fury’s boss and I will take Redford over Red Skull every time.
Grade – 87