The Marvel cinematic universe just gets bigger and bigger. And in my opinion, better and better. From the TV show "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." to the newest edition of Captain America they are doing a wonderful job bringing very entertaining stories from the pages of the comics to the screen. All while weaving a much larger story with every installment.
I have to admit Captain America has a soft spot with me, but after the first movie I didn't have the highest of hopes for it's sequel. Don't get me wrong, I of course enjoyed "The First Avenger", but It was in my opinion the best character in the weakest film. See that review here >"Captain America: The First Avenger". Or don't because I just read it and it's a terrible review. He also didn't seem like he could compete physically with the other Avengers.
I feel Marvel's success has not just been from the stories it tells, but by the characters that help tell those stories. The actors really bring these heroes alive. I had my doubts back in the day when I heard Chris Evans was going to be Steve Rogers. To me he was the Human Torch, and I wasn't sure if he could be who Captain America should be. However, he is. He is the American icon. A hero in every sense of the word, inwardly and outwardly. He is the icon that other heroes in the comics look up to, That YOU want to look up to. So he is basically the opposite of Zack Snyder's Superman. They also give him a much more super feeling in this film by giving a good showcase of his abilities. They take an interesting avenue in trying to humanize The Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). She is of course the secret agent ass kicker we know and love, but she has a very friendly relationship with Cap that chips away that hard outer shell and makes thier interactions fun. Samuel L. Jackson is just a bad mother f&@ker as Nick Fury. Everytime he shows up he's as cool as they come. It's probably because I don't follow his career... well, at all really. But it's good to see Robert Redford back in the game. He gives a really strong showing as the partial antagonist of the film. Anthony Mackie is the Falcon, He is a fine sidekick, and constant comic relief. He also gives a strong contrast against super soldier Steve Rogers and the normal soldier. Emily VanCamp is makes a brief appearance. I wish to have seen more of her lovely face, but I suppose we will all have to wait until the next installment. And so their are no spoilers Sebastian Stan is also in this film. His role is a spoiler to most so click his name at your own risk.
From a technical aspect this movie also looks significantly better than it's predecessor. I saw this one in IMAX 3D and it looked crisp and clean. IMAX is always just the best viewing experience. There weren't any of the weird ugly green screen moments that were in the first one. Just super huge action and awesome explosions! The SUPER shaky action cam during the fight scenes was a bit much at times, but the fist fights and car chases were intense and cool looking. There is also plenty of neat flashy tech to look at. The only one that was really dumb to me was a kind of hologram communication, and they kept an actual chair for the holograms to sit in and I just caught my self wondering why they needed it.
The story is of course the big draw for those of us who enjoy the comics. This one doesn't disappoint. Like all adaptations there are variations on this and that, but they always weave in references to the rest of the Marvel universe. I always give a mental "ooh!" when I hear them say Stark, Banner, or... Strange. Captain finds himself on the opposite side of the law from the organization that helped him so much. He has to fight the underlying menace that threatens to take what he feels is every person's right. FREEDOM! It also at times feels like a high action spy movie. Very much in the line of the most recent "Mission Impossible." Explosion heavy spy work. The Winter Soldier is the cause of may of these explosions. He is a worthy adversary for Cap, probably because he was built to be just that. As with every super hero movie the script can have those awesome one liners and moments of goofy "we must do this ridiculous thing to stop that ridiculous thing" dialogue, but that's part of it. That is one of the things that make these comic stories fun.
The comic lover and little kid inside my rejoice! Captain America: The Winter Soldier is one of the best Marvel movies to date. It really does have implications that will affect the rest of the Marvel universe. Well, at least on Earth (Cannot wait for Guardians of the Galaxy!). Captain America is a hero among heroes and they do a wonderful job making him look that way. Also Please stay seated all the way through the credits for 2 after credits scenes.
