Member review

After the controversial “Iron Man 3” and the unremarkable “Thor: The Dark World”, some people wrongly assumed that the MCU had reached its downfall, that the quality of their films was on a decline. But then, a true Marvel masterpiece blasted onto the stage, surpassing every naysayer’s expectations and proving that a Marvel movie could be deep and thrilling at the same time! “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is perfection, it features the best action sequences in the MCU yet and excellent character work! It’s not my personal favourite MCU film (although it’s absolutely in the top three), but it’s arguably their most technically well-constructed movie! So let’s jump shield-first into one of the best comic book movies ever made, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier!”

This film (in my mind) set the precedent that many later MCU outings would follow, that being that each movie feels distinct and unique with its style and tone. Although other MCU films played with this idea (“Captain America: The First Avenger” is a 1940s period piece) they were still very much superhero stories. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is not a traditional superhero tale, it’s more akin to 1970s cold-war thrillers, in which uneasy alliances are forged and trust cannot be taken for granted.

The cast in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” are phenomenal, I’d argue that each returning actor gives their best performance in the whole MCU. This is the best Cap movie, the best Black Widow film, the best Nick Fury narrative and the most compelling use of Falcon in the franchise!

Chris Evans is at his best here, he is incredible at both being an immensely likeable protagonist and punching people, whilst also adding a new level of depth and conflict to the character! This is the best Captain America cinematic story because it brilliantly deals with the concept of Steve Rogers being a man out of time. Cap is no longer a part of a black-and-white world where the heroes and villains are clearly defined, the 21st century is a grey world with complicated motivations and double-dealings. What makes this modern upgrade of Captain America so gripping and enjoyable is that (unlike Zack Snyder’s butchering of Superman in “Man of Steel”), Steve Rogers doesn’t change as a person to fit in with the modern age, he’s still a man who fights bullies and has a reliable moral compass. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is such a compelling study of Captain America, the Russo brothers and Chris Evans must be commended for crafting a Marvel movie that’s better than “The Dark Knight” (yeah, you heard me right!)

Scarlett Johansson gives her best performance as Black Widow yet, Natasha doesn’t feel forced into this film but is an integral part of Cap’s story. She has great chemistry with Chris Evans, Cap and Nat’s friendship is one of the most interesting parts of the movie because the two characters have polar-opposite world views.

Samuel L. Jackson is as fantastic as you’d expect in the role of Nick Fury, he’s mysterious, complex and cool. The only thing I dislike about Fury in this film is an issue of hindsight, that being that two awesome and dramatic moments with him are completely ruined by the recent “Captain Marvel” (I’m obviously talking about that the infuriately idiotic way that Fury lost his eye!)

A great new addition to the MCU in this film is Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, AKA Falcon. Mackie is so likeable and fun here, he never feels like Cap’s sidekick but a proper hero on his own.

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” has some of the MCU’s best antagonists in the form of the formidable Winter Soldier and S.H.I.E.L.D. higher-up Alexander Pierce. It’s very difficult to talk about these two characters without spoiling the film’s two big twists. Even though everyone’s probably seen this movie already, the twists are so well-played I wouldn’t want to ruin them for anyone. Winter Soldier is terrifying, he’s an unstoppable force of nature that even Steve Rogers has trouble standing up to. Robert Redford brings gravitas to the story and almost manages to convince the audience that he’s in the right.

Even though they have directed some of the MCUs biggest movies, my favourite Russo brothers Marvel film is still “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” They nailed the fast-paced Captain America fight scenes, making the sequences in previous films feel slow by comparison. They perfectly balanced serious and light moments; the jokes in this film are some of my favourite in the MCU because they feel less like trained comedians quipping and more like real people having a laugh (“On your left.”) I’ll have to wait and see if “Avengers: Endgame” is their best directorial effort in the MCU overall!

The final aspect of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” that I have to mention are the action sequences because HOLY HYDRA they are spectacular. The opening scene on the Lemurian Star is amazing, masterfully setting-up the grittier and more realistic style of the film. Nick Fury’s car chase is absolutely outstanding, it moves at a break-neck pace with jokes and tension blended together seamlessly (it’s one of my favourite car chases in any movie ever!) I adore the freeway/ city battle sequence in the latter half of the movie, it’s brutal, relentless and hard-hitting but never too quick or shaky (this may be the best and least sickening use of shaky cam in a film that I’ve seen.) And the finale on the Helicarriers is SO great, even with all the action and suspense, the filmmakers never lose sight of the emotional core of the story. Even though the Battle of New York in “Avengers Assemble” is my favourite action sequence in the MCU, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” has the most consistently excellent set-pieces of any entry in the series to date!

In conclusion, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is yet another feather in the MCU’s cap. The action is breath-taking, the story is intriguing and the characters are extremely engaging. If you haven’t seen it, what are you doing?!