Good day to all who may be reading this blow, today is an important day I’m finally able to review Captain America: The Winter Soldier! I have waited for AGES for this film and avoiding spoilers has been a frigging mission for me. But after all the waiting I finally saw it yesterday and I’m ready to share my thoughts. So how did the film fare? Read on and find out!
Set after the events of The Avengers, Steve Rogers/Captain America is trying to adjust to the modern world and while working for S.H.I.E.L.D. he starts to realize that there is a lot of secrets and complications hat come with working for an organization that has so many secrets. Soon a new enemy emerges known as the Winter Soldier and it require not only Cap, but the help of Black Widow and newcomer Falcon to join in and help.
I thought the story was great, it was action-packed, dramatic, dense, thrilling and complex. There is so much to love in the film like:
- Steve Rogers trying to adjust to the modern world
- The secrets and deceit of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- The introduction of the Winter Soldier
- Getting to know more about Black Widow
- How this film not only links to the past of Captain America but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general
One of the great things about the film is that it doesn’t feel like a typical superhero flick, it feels like a mix between a thriller and a your usual comic book material. If you know of films in the political and spy thriller genres then you’ll totally see elements borrowed from that here and it is used to great effect. The story emphasizes the themes of trust and the price of freedom, plus since this film is all about secrets and lies nothing is black and white, just loads of grey. The Russo brothers do a great job with this film’s direction, it seems like they have a good idea of what Captain America is, how to handle him in film and change things up while giving the fans what they want.
Oh and by the way, there are things in this film that basically change the whole of the Marvel Cinematic Universe forever. I can’t say what they are, but when you see this film, you’ll be looking at everything in a totally different light and will be trying to wrap your head around things for ages after the film ends.
When it comes to the cast they are all really good and there really isn’t any weak links. So let’s start with Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America, honestly Cap has gone from being one of the most bland superheroes to being one of the coolest. Evans embodies the character so well now as he feels cool, serious, yet vulnerable and emotionally versatile, the guy really gets to spread his wings and shows off why he’s a badass seeing more of his strength and combat skills in a way unseen before now. Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow is also very good in the film, we get to learn more about her, see more layers get stripped away and see more of her personality too. Johansson really does well as this character and I would love to see her continue in this role for a while longer. In addition to that Johansson and Evans have such a great screen chemistry as Cap and Widow whether it humour-based or action related.
And then there’s Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier, oh how I loved him. This villain here is cold, merciless, scary and relentless, he’s like the frigging Terminator and had an intimidating and screen-dominating presence. And Stan just does such a great job as the character, he’s stepped into this role so well and I he’s just awesome. Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon is an awesome new addition to the MCU. Wilson is cool, funny and capable action man, he’s not just thrown into the film, he is key to the plot and has some cool key scenes. Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce is simply amazing. I knew that he’d be awesome after I watched All Is Lost, but here is great because his character has a lot to do with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the main plot and he was really awesome. And then there’s Samuel L. Jackson who is still killing it as Nick Fury. In this film we get to see more of Fury emotionally and see how he fits into the world of lies and deceit that S.H.I.E.L.D. have created. Jackson is still cool and badass as hell and he has such a good handle on the character that it would be hard to see another person do the ultimate version of the character.
And the there’s all the other people that show up in the film and even if they’re only around for a little while, they still have relevance. Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill was cool, Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow was intense and smooth and Emily VanCamp as Agent 13 did a good job in her role too. By the way there is a cameo of a character that is from a certain TV show, I won’t say who it is but when you see him you’ll know and for me it was a great moment.
As for the presentation MY GOD it is GORGEOUS! Honestly this might be the best presentation of the Marvel Studios films just behind Avengers. The action sequences and scenes are done with such precision, scope and style that you’ll be hard-pressed to fight something you didn’t like. There are fights in the sky and on the ground and it is a mixture of hand-to-hand combat, gunfights, car chases and so much more. The best part for me what the fight scenes, they were some of the sexiest fight choreography I have seen in years, i was tight, well-down, hard-hitting and SO cool to watch. Also the CGI in this film is very clean and works well to give us some of these larger-than-life set pieces. The soundtrack by Henry Jackman is also very good and in my opinion is better one then Alan Silvestri’s score for The First Avenger. While this film doesn’t have any stand-out themes, the music just amps up the action, drama and tension and it just felt so good in addition to what was going happening on-screen. And seeing this come together on a massive IMAX screen just made it SO much better. 😀
In conclusion Captain America: The Winter Soldier just night be the best Marvel film yet! The direction, story, characters and action is simply incredible and this film really does change the game for future comic book films. Forget Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World, this is the best Phase Two film and possibly the best film from Marvel Studios. 2014 films have finally gotten awesome and The Winter Soldier sets the bar really high for future films. Do yourself a favor and check this film out, it is mint.
Rating: 9/10 (Another win for Marvel with a kick ass action-based thriller)
So what did you think of Captain America: The Winter Soldier? Have you seen it or are you gonna see it? And how do you think it stacks up against the previous Marvel Studios films? Whatever your thoughts are drop in the comments below and I’ll see ya on the next film review yo! 😀
The Hypersonic55's Realm of Reviews and Other Stuff 
Great review. I loved the film and thought the new thriller aspect of the film took Marvel into a new Genre even if in a relatively small way. Very much looking forward to the next one 😀
Also how funny is that knife fight picture? Looks like they are afraid of the knife 😀
Indeed, I feel like changing the genre for this film changed things up in a really nice way and I hope it is adopted in new Marvel films too. And yeah totally man I never looked at it that way until now, gotta look out for that knife, its dangerous lol.
Thanks for commenting as usual man 😀
I do like the idea of the changing genre adoption, they’ll need change to avoid super-fatigue (coining that). Heard they are getting a horror director for Dr Strange, that could be very interesting 😀
Terrific review. So much to talk about, I’ll touch on some things that first come to mind. Falcon is a great partner for Cap, I loved how his flying action scenes complimented Cap’s ground and pound fights. That’s a great description of the Winter Soldier, I’m invested in his connection to Cap which I assume will be explored more next movie. I also loved that there are a number of call backs to the first movie, that scene with old Agent Peggy is so good. I hope to watch this again!
Thanks for commenting dude, so happy you were feeling the film too. I loved Falcon, he was a great character and his action sequences were amazing. I really want to see more of him and his interactions with other members of the MCU. I just thought the Winter Soldier was a beast and I can’t wait to see more of him. And yeah that scene with Peggy was so touching, made me so sad and it wasn’t what I was expecting at all.
Aw man I saw this last night!! I had to let you know I realised who you were talking about when you said a familiar face from a TV show.. at first I thought you meant the lead girl from Revenge – but then I saw Abed and did a little squeal! Haha!!
Yes mate, can’t wait for your review yo. And you’re the first person to mention the fact that you saw the person I was talking about. I too had a giddy little moment when I saw him. 😀