While it does take some of its cues from ‘The Avengers’, its script is much tighter and provides the Captain America film that fans have long awaited.
After S.H.I.E.L.D is compromised, Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Sam Wilson as Falcon (Anthony Mackie) must fight against those within the organization and outside of it –i.e., the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), an assassin by the Russians with a metal arm and a rival to Captain America’s strength—to prevent a greater threat to the entire world from deep inside S.H.I.E.L.D’s facilities.
Directors Anthony and Joe Russo haven’t just given us a great Captain America film but have also brought us a political thriller in the form of a blockbuster. As they—along with screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely—address Captain America’s adjustment to the 21st century with a few comical scenes, Captain America, in his studies and in his interactions with Nick Fury, uncovers things being done in S.H.I.E.L.D that suggest flaws in foreign policy and the differences in each of their opinions as to what freedom means. It’s themes like these that make one think, especially about our own government’s policies involving security, threats and rumors of threats, and foreign intervention. While everyone may have his or her own opinions about these issues, it’s a little dose of reality and, therefore, much appreciated. Additionally, it only adds to that of Captain America’s character and makes him more of an interesting character (on top of all of the really cool moves for a guy who’s also equipped with a Stark-made shield).
Compared to the montages in ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ and a few shining moments in ‘The Avengers’, the action sequences involving the boy scout (at least, on the Marvel side), ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ blows these out of the water. Steve Rogers/Captain America takes more of a leadership role and, as attitude reflects leadership, he doesn’t just command, but he leads by example taking down many adversaries, repeatedly having to get himself out of extreme situations, and make quick, yet vital decisions. These new responsibilities only prove more difficult with the arrival of The Winter Soldier.
As seen from the trailer, The Winter Soldier’s combat skills mask that of Captain America’s and his hope for defeating him seem shattered when, he [Winter Soldier] catches Captain America’s shield (a big deal after seeing ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ and ‘The Avengers’). Close to halfway within the film, there’s a reveal surrounding the Winter Soldier that turns this action-packed, political thriller into a slightly psychological drama. While the bulk of his performance weighs heavily on menacing stares, yells, grunts, and the occasional lines, Stan’s role as the Winter Soldier is a surprisingly emotional one.
On top of additional action sequences under this franchise’s repertoire and some brilliant themes to take away from the film, we are introduced to Sam “Falcon” Wilson, a soldier, having spent 2 tours in Afghanistan, who is all too familiar with the hardships that come with serving one’s country, is a refreshing character. Falcon not only provides sufficient help when dealing with the corruption within S.H.I.E.L.D., but also with Captain’s shift into this “new world”. As Marvel continues to follow Captain America’s story arc beyond ‘The Avengers: Age of Ultron’, his character along with Cap’s, will be interesting to explore.
For the most part, ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ slightly surpasses ‘The Avengers’ in script, characterization (mostly, however, because it’s focused on one character), and entertainment. One of the subplots involving Nick Fury takes its cue from ‘The Avengers’, which seems more like a plot scheme rather than a necessary step to take in the story. Additionally, the CGI, while much of the film wouldn’t exist without it, seems to continuously make feats even more impossible that the last. Indeed, this is to be expected in a blockbuster, but as the film progresses, the CGI becomes more ridiculous taking our focus out of the film, if only for a moment.
As S.H.I.E.L.D. is technologically advanced, the tools utilized throughout the film is impressive, but at certain points (again surrounding Nick Fury’s subplot), it gets a bit too convenient in order to help characters get out of dire situations. It’s a trope that many science fiction, action/adventure, and fantasy films are known for doing. While understandable, it’s a bit lazy and far-reaching relative to the past, countless films that have suffered the same lapse in scriptwriting.
Despite these technical flaws, ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ is the proper start to this year’s blockbuster season and a great platform for this franchise. It’s a completely different film than its predecessor and a well made film worthy of a viewing in IMAX (or a few in standard screenings).
Jim’s Rating: 8.6/10