Rating 10/10
Wow. In what has been referred to as the Phase 2 of films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by Marvel Studios, this one takes the cake. Granted I expect it to be dethroned by next summer's blockbuster "Avengers: Age of Ultron" but "Winter Soldier" may just have given it a run for its money.
What made the first Captain America film so good was its atmosphere and Chris Evans' amazing performance. The same can be said for this film, but in a whole new light. It's the modern age and Cap is slap dab in the middle of it. Praise right away has to go to the directors and writers of this movie. First the Russo brothers, whose only theatrical film credit before this was "You, Me, and Dupree" and who have mostly done television comedies, this is a master stroke, for both of them. The writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (who also wrote the first film) bring a screenplay of depth and character as well as action and thrills. Combined together all these gentlemen have brought us a great comic book film. Kudos to them as well for going straight to the source material writer Ed Brubaker for tips about how to approach the film and his own material. Other filmmakers and companies looking to adapt comic books in the future could learn a great deal from them.
But how is the movie overall? Well, as perfect a comic book fan could want really. But more than that, I think general audiences will find this film captivating, smart, funny, and action packed. The Russos pull an almost Nolan like move where they disguise a political thriller as a superhero movie and its beautiful in its execution.
But as I said comic book fans will be pleased. Fans of the Captain America arc "Winter Soldier" especially. Its not a step by step adaptation but few things are in this business. What you see on screen however is the story of a man named Steve Rogers, lost in time, trying to find his way, not only in his job but the politics that come with it. With his 1940's demeanor, some things he's able to cope with and others he finds his worst nightmares come true. One of them is the Winter Soldier. Considered a ghost by official government record, he comes in full real force to test Cap to his limits, and when Cap finds out who the Winter Soldier really is, it will bring him to his breaking point.
The movie's real hidden message however is the age old question: What is the price of freedom? While the movie never really answers it, I give the company Marvel a thumbs up for trying, finally, to raise their entertainment level in film and start connecting the hero's issues to reality (or as close to reality as the Marvel Cinematic Universe dares tread) and real problems. The fact that we don't trust our government or being able to keep our own privacy. The fact that we can feel isolated and out of time. Of course, like I've stated, Marvel, the filmmakers, and writers are smart enough to know when to add the comic book twist to it, putting it into a whole other realm of adventure and espionage. Still the other level is there, and finally we get to see the same level of storytelling and double meaning like we do in the Marvel comics.
I can't really go into too much else without really spoiling the movie. I can say without a doubt, if you liked the other Marvel films you'll definitely leave the theater satisfied with this one. It's up there with Joss Whedon's "The Avengers", it's that good. Hell, even if you're not a comic book fan, there's something to enjoy here. Special notice should be paid to Robert Redford, who like Tommy Lee Jones in the first Captain America film, brings his season veteran acting to a political character, who I must say helped bring the movie to the next level for me. Also Samuel L. Jackson does a great job, finally being able to utilize his Nick Fury character the most since he started the whole Marvel gig. The same can be said for Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. Really, the whole cast is great, the whole movie is great. What are you doing here reading??? Go see it! Now!
