Movie Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

There is something about superhero movies that attract people of all ages. Perhaps it is a combination of actions, the larger than life characters, the high adventures, coupled with fantasy elements providing some escapist fun, with emphasis on stories about good vs evil, freedom vs oppression. It's a winning formula. We tell a lot of stories based on this formula, again and again, but we never get tired of it, because they are good stories, we love them, and we find them inspiring.

In the past 15 years, Marvel has made a considerable number of superhero movies, from Spiderman, X-men, Iron man, The Hulk, Thor, The Avengers, and Captain America. Yes, Captain America, while the idea of a hero dressed in the iconic American symbol, stripes of red, white, and blue, might sound like a cliché today, but when the first Captain America movie came out in 2011, it was a hit, and it attracted many positive reviews from general audiences and critics alike. Personally, I really liked the first Captain America movie, I liked it more than other major Marvel movie franchises, such as The Iron Man, X-men, or The Avengers. I favor Captain America, because he embodies all the good virtues, such as honor, courage, love, and sacrifice, he is also very straight forward. While he might sound a bit old fashioned, but I like his ways, I find him a very likable character, in my mind, he is everything a superhero should be.

This is why, when I saw the trailer for the sequel, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, I was excited and couldn't wait to see the film for myself. Finally, I had the chance to see it in the cinema today, and here is my review:

Synopsis:

After woken up from 60 years of cryogenic sleep, Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, now works for SHIELD, combating global crimes and terrorism. Rogers struggles to adapt to the modern world. In the meantime, a new threat arises, following its wake it endangers the fate of the world, but it also threatens to tear SHIELD apart. Rogers and Natasha Romannoff (aka Black Widow) set off on a desperate mission to thwart this threat, where they confront one of the most deadly nemesis Rogers has ever encountered, the mysterious Winter Soldier.

What I think about this film:

The Winter Soldier improved vastly over its predecessor. In fact, in my opinion, The Winter Soldier is probably the best Marvel superhero movie up to date. First of all, in terms of story, The Winter Soldier has a very intricate, and interesting story that's far superior than other Marvel movies. The story feels more like a political thriller, with some good twists and turns that will surprise you. Furthermore, the story of this movie recreates the atmosphere of paranoia found in political thrillers of the 70s, by tapping into the anxieties post 911, exploring the argument about security, freedom, and (most recently) Obama drone wars and IT security following the events surrounding Edward Snowden. This is a superhero movie that is culturally relevant, and personally, I like this kind of story, because after the movie finishes, I can actually take something away, and think about the world I live in.

The characters in this movie, are portrayed brilliantly by a strong cast of actors and actresses. The heroes of this movie, from Captain America, the Black Widow, to Nick Fury, all show moments of vulnerability. This make them more human, giving the audience a sense that these characters, are not invincible, but they try their best to do what is right. The acting in this movie is superb, the portrayal of Chris Evans as Captain America is believable, it feels like he was meant to play the role of Captain America. In the middle of a culture clash, the character of Steve Rogers, tries to re-determine his place as Captain America in a modern world, while trying to uphold his principles. Scarlett Johansson was great as The Black Widow, portraying her as a confident, skillful, and funny character. Robert Redford portrayed the character of Alexander Pierce, bringing a lot of dynamics that contributed to the vibe of a political thriller. In the meantime, The Winter Soldier is a very successful villain, he is intimidating and deadly. The audience will really feel the sense of danger for the heroes, as they go toe to toe into grand conflicts against this villain.

The action scenes are spectacular, with the aid of CGI, some of the scenes are truly jaw dropping. Overall, this movie is a visual spectacle, especially if you watch it in 3D. In fact, if you can, I would recommend viewing this film in 3D.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier, exceeded my expectations of a Marvel superhero movie. It has a complex story that will intrigue you, good acting and very likable characters, and explosive action scenes that will keep you at the edge of your seat. Out of all of the Marvel superhero movies I've seen, this one is my favorite, two thumbs up. I highly recommend it. Also, it is definitely worth paying a few extra dollars to view the 3D version of the film.