Captain America: The Winter Soldier

That's the poster that I got with my trip to the theaters on a Thursday night. A brilliant piece of Marvel propaganda that feels like...well...propaganda. Straight from the Cold War. Straight from the 70s. As I waited patiently for the movie to start I studied the poster and admired one thing and one thing only (other than Scarlett Johansson):

"It's just an eye patch Robert. Quit staring"

How completely dominant and ahead of the game that Marvel is right now. They have this, this comic-book-turned-blockbuster-movie, down to a science. They are the Walter White's of their craft and it damn well seems like they just keep hitting home run after home run. Other than a slight misstep with Iron Man 2 I consider every Marvel movie since the original Iron Man to be cut from a fairly well-made cloth. Sure some have been less thrilling than others, but then we are presented with gems such as the original Iron Man, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, and I would listen to an argument to include the most previous Thor on that list.

So now we open up yet another blockbuster summer with a Marvel movie as they are always the first to punch into audience's wallets. *Speaking of which, remember to check out my Coming Soon: April post on J&J Productions with a rundown of this month's films. CLICK HERE* Sooner or later I think that Marvel movies will dwindle in their quality and people will get over it. My prediction would be that that's a long, LONG way down the road. Especially if we keep getting delivered movies like Captain America: The Winter Soldier.


"My mother says I cant be Captain America because I'm too ugly"
:-(

Cap: "Do you think that Rath's Review
guy is hot?"
Black Widow: "I'm sorry did you say something?
I was day dreaming about that Rath's
Review guy. He is SO hot."
/Wish over

To tell you much about The Winter Soldier's plot would be to ruin it, as is the case with most of these films. The beginning synopsis is that Steve Rogers (aka the Cap himself for those of you living under a rock) is becoming accustomed to life in 2014. He is SHIELD's top soldier and their go-to guy for tough operations. He just doesn't seem to know why or who or what he's fighting for anymore. As I'm sure you know, one things leads to another, and the Marvel mayhem begins. BUT, this time there is an extra layer of something that Marvel has never really had before. Or at least something that they have never been able to accomplish successfully...mystery. The film pulls the rug out from under you a couple times and there is an air of nostalgic spy movies afloat. This is a WWII era man, living in the modern day, with Cold War nervousness biting all around him. It's amazing that the combined generation style doesn't bog down and it really gives The Winter Soldier a unique feeling that makes it feel distinctly different from the other Marvel bunch, in a good way. I was able to predict a few of the storyline's twists but I can really only accredit those to some lucky guessing and a bit too much foreshadowing/telegraphing early on by the film. Without giving anything away, I had a big problem with how the "bad guys" were targeting the people that they wanted to kill with their "weapons". It was so ridiculous that even in a world of aliens, Hulks, and gods that I had just had to laugh at the film's reasoning. Another chief complaint that I am beginning to form, and this is more for the Marvel universe as a whole so I wont count it against the Cap, is that I really wish there would be some acknowledgement of the other Avengers. The timeline is starting to confuse me a bit and it's hard to believe that with all that went down in Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World that Captain America would really just be training and running around Washington D.C. Just a couple nods here and there to know that everyone else is busy with their own thing would be appreciated.


"YOLO!!"

As is the norm for Marvel movies nowadays, it's a perfect platform for some of Hollywood's brightest to shine. They aren't Oscar worthy performances mind you, but they are played so well and so convincingly that we cant imagine anyone else replacing them. Chris Evans shines as Captain America more so than any other film. Anthony Mackie is a welcomed newcomer and slides into the role like he had been there since Iron Man. Samuel L Jackson is given a lot to do in the movie and he handles it with ease. Robert Redford brings a huge package of credibility to the spy genre aspect of the film, and like Mackie, slides into the role easily. And if they ever get around to making a Black Widow film, consider this the prequel as Scarlett Johansson has just about as much to do as Evans and does it just as well. The two share great chemistry both on and off the battlefield and I wouldn't be adverse to seeing them end up together. Another shout out goes to Emily VanCamp because she is incredibly gorgeous but fits a lot better into the Marvel universe than I thought she would after seeing her in Revenge (don't judge me). Her role is small but I have a feeling it will be significantly larger in Captain America 3. The villain, The Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Stan, doesn't get as much screen time or focus as the title may suggest but I found that a lot less irritating as time went on. He is a cold-blooded badass who is mechanical in his actions. One goal: complete the mission. He is much more menacing when he is wearing the mask but either way its a delight to see when he is on screen.

There go all our tax dollars! Thanks Obamacare!

I spoke before about sciences and how Marvel/Disney has these films down pat now. The Winter Soldier is no different. The jokes may not be as funny or as numerous as Iron Man or Thor's last entries, but that's because this is one of Marvel's more serious films. Not quite Dark Knight level by any means but looking back I would definitely say that this is the darkest one by far. Rest assured some jokes are still there and most of them will still elicit a smile or a chuckle. What The Winter Soldier really excels at is it's action. One of my bigger complaints about the original is that the action just didn't measure up, especially when you hold it against the other films. This film however makes the Captain A LOT more able and I was thrilled. I felt kind of bad for the Cap in The Avengers because he really was just a human compared to the Iron Man, Hulk, and Thor. But The Winter Soldier rectifies that issue by making him a true super soldier. His shield throwing skills have perfected, he can run faster, jump higher, and do a ton more moves than he used to. The action scenes are impeccably choreographed, especially with the hand to hand combat. I find that most Marvel films have a hard time ending with the best battle of the movie. The Winter Soldier suffers from this, but not to the degree that earlier films in the Phases do. I think The Avengers taught them to save their best for last and The Winter Soldier's best isn't it's last action sequence, but its still very well done. The action, along with the darker tone and sense of mystery, really had me on the edge of my seat every time that shield went swinging.

"Hot potato! Hot potato! Hot Potato!"

Captain America The Winter Soldier is a Marvel movie through and through. But it's also very unique in its own right which is something that the brand needs this year and should get later with Guardians of the Galaxy in August. Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World were both awesome, but also pretty cookie cutter versions of each other at the end of the day. People might need to be reminded why we love these films so much and The Winter Soldier helped me to fall in love with Marvel all over again. If I had to rank it, it would be The Avengers, Iron Man, and then Captain America The Winter Soldier. It represents a high point for the Phase 2 batch of films when I thought the high point had already been achieved.

The Winter Soldier is an accomplishment as a superhero film, it exceeds expectations as an action film, and it more than holds its own as a spy film. It's a shining moment for the Cap and one of the very best comic book movies to ever be made. I highly recommend that you go enjoy it in theaters this weekend.

Captain's orders.

CONS:

• I'm starting to wish for a bit of a nod towards the other heroes...at least just to know the timeline of everything
• The movie's explanation of the targeting system for the "weapon" is silly
• For a film with the subtitle "The Winter Soldier" he was really more of a secondary villain
• A bit heavy-handed with the telegraphing on some of the twists

PROS:

• One of the better stories for a Marvel film. Mixes the superhero genre with the spy genre nearly flawlessly
• Every actor brings their A-game and makes you believe that they are irreplaceable as their respective characters
• I enjoyed the additional focus on Black Widow. She is an awesome character and Johansson owns the role every time she is in it
• The Winter Soldier is a badass and definitely a foe to be reckoned with whenever he is fighting
• Speaking of fighting, some awesome action with superb hand to hand choreography
• As a stand alone film, Captain America The Winter Soldier is one of Marvel's best
• Definitely has some lasting implications to the overarching Phase 2 plot
• The post credits scene has to do with The Avengers sequel. Pretty exciting stuff
• Marvel's quality of films is already crushing the competition (other than Nolan's Dark Knight) and The Winter Soldier is near the pinnacle of that

Rath's Review Score: 9.5/10