“When Cap-tain America throws his mighty shielllld….”
Yeah, that 60s cartoon is what comes to mind still when I think of the Star Spangled Avenger as he’s been known. Captain America’s iconic stature (both in and out of the comic) is something that’s never gone away. The First Avenger film covered this though while flashing through his life.
The newest one to unofficially start the summer blockbuster season (in spring) is entitled Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and it brings everything down to the man himself Steve Rogers (Chris Evens) who simply likes to go running in the morning throughout Washington DC. He keeps running circles around another veteran who’s not quite as fast but determined in his own way. When they both finish their run, Steve meets Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), a former soldier who looks after veterans with problems. They come to relate to each other pretty well just as Natasha Romanov (Scarlet Johanssson) drives up as recruits Cap for a rescue mission at sea, where he has to help rescue a ship of hostages from pirates led by the French mercenary Batroc (Georges St. Pierre).
Afterward, Steve goes to discuss the ramifications of the mission with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), who has been working on ways to give SHIELD greater security ever since the New York incident (AKA The Avengers movie). Fury begins to have concerns with his latest project though and talks to his boss, Secretary Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford). Steve meanwhile tries to assimilate to his newer surroundings after having been frozen for about 70 years, learning about such things as Star Wars, Marvin Gaye and the internet. Along the way, he learns about the fates of his World War 2 friends and tries to make some new ones, such as a cute neighbor named Kate (Emily VanCamp). Eventually though, it all goes to hell and the action kicks in, with much of the craziness surrounding a mysterious operative called The Winter Soldier…
Wow… where to begin on why this movie is so good….?
Well, we’ll start with the story here. The First Avenger was a good movie but it was done with a different purpose than this one. It was done to establish who Steve Rogers is as a person and why Captain America had achieved the legendary status he had in his lifetime leading up to the creation of The Avengers. The biggest problem is that the film flash forwarded thorough Steve’s life and all his exploits are given a tiny window to be seen, and antagonists such as the Red Skull aren’t given enough focus.
The story of The Winter Soldier has no such restraints and actually works on multiple levels. We’ve seen Captain America built up with back story in two films now and he gets to cut loose in the modern world and can help change things as needed. Heto has a specific goal now which will likely carry on to future films. He gets a lot done here but much like the comics there threat never ends and there’s still so much to do.
Speaking of the comics, the screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely uses much of what made the Captain America comics by Ed Brubaker and the SHIELD comics by Jim Steranko such effective action stories so engaging. There’s a tremendous mix of Marvel lore and spy thriller intrigues which make this screenplay work. At one poin halfway through the film when Cap and Black Widow begin to see what’s really going on, my inner comic fanboy came out big time, indicating these scriptwriters knew very much what they were doing. I’ll have to re-watch again to see just how many Marvel-minded easter eggs were laid throughout the film. Also, much like Bruce Timm’s animated works from Batman to Justice League, there’s a lot to be gained from a shared / integrated universe. If you’ve been watching all of the Marvel universe movies as well as Agents of SHIELD, you’re rewarded with the experience here as many things can come back to haunt you at any time.
Now I have to talk about the action sequences, which are just plain incredible. Cap is very active and exactly the way I’d imagined him from the comics. It’s one thing to see him in animation but seeing the movements and use of the ricocheting shield in live action is something else entirely. The action gets a little long some times but still very entertaining and 3D effects did help in a few scenes. The Winter Soldier’s used very effectively as Cap battles him and many other adversaries. The camera gets right up into everyone’s movements and hits you hard in every sequence.
Actually, everyone gets to shine as the film moves on. Nick Fury is still a badass. The Falcon gets to emerge and become Cap’s best friend. Redford seems to channel his Nathan Muir character from Spy Game here, giving Pierce increasingly confident arrogance as the film goes on.
Black Widow though… to be honest, I hadn’t really been into her character much the previous times she showed up. In Iron Man 2, all I could think of is Scarlett Johansson in a nice outfit because she’s not used much except as eye candy for much of the film. I got to like her a little better in The Avengers (especially her interrogation of Loki) but I never really thought of her as a threat that much. Martial arts, marksmanship and infiltration seemed to feel a little out of place against alien invasion (though she did acquit herself well in the big battle). Here though, in a story of intrigue, secrets and character development, she’s wonderful. Her abilities and character really strengthen the overall product. Also, she’s a good sibling of sorts for Steve to bond with in the quieter scenes. This is the best use of The Black Widow out of all the Marvel movies, and I’d honestly love to see her with a solo film now.
In the end though, this is Chris Evans’s movie and he brings the goods big time. He gets to show full emotional range to make Steve a believable character. Actually, he’s done so in the previous two Cap features (first film and Avengers) but he’s much more physical and gets put through a lot more emotionally. Seeing him look up everyone from the past was a bit heartbreaking to watch as much as it is to see him face the loss of what he holds dear in the present. I’ve seen many people say for years that Captain America is boring because of his moral center but the one thing I’ve always maintained is that a character is only as entertaining as the conflicts he has to face, and for Cap, the conflicts are tremendous here. Evans performance makes you give a damn what happens to Steve Rogers, and I hope to see him bring life to this role (with more well-written scripts and good direction) for years to come.
In the end, this is probably my second or third favorite Marvel movie to date. The Avengers remains tops for me, and I rank this one alongside the first Iron Man. With the tremendous momentum this, Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers Age of Ultron will likely build up, I can’t understand why WB would want to open Superman / Batman against the next Captain America movie. Marvel’s line of directors and scriptwriters are constantly keeping a good standard for both comic fans and general filmgoers alike, and currently show no signs of slowing down. I can’t wait to see what comes next.
Grade: A