 |
| Courtesy of Marvel |
Wow.
Almost a week later and I’m still coming down from the experience of Captain
America: The Winter Soldier on the big screen. I know it sounds like I’m
angling for a blurb on the DVD cover, but sometimes being honest sounds like
sucking up. If you’re even a slight fan of superhero flicks, don’t even bother
with the rest of this review. Make plans to see it as soon as possible.
Serving
as a sequel to both the first Captain America and The Avengers, it’s the
best Marvel movie so far in terms of both action sequences and character
development. Not only does Chris Evans continue his stellar work as Steve
Rogers, but he does so in a story that doesn’t even need him in a superhero
suit to be interesting.
Soon
after the events of The Avengers, Rogers is living in Washington, D.C. and
trying to adjust to life in the modern world. But his work with S.H.I.E.L.D. is
beginning to weigh on his conscience. The bad guys aren’t as obvious as they
were in WWII, and Rogers is uneasy with the methods Nick Fury (Samuel L.
Jackson) utilizes to catch them. His concerns soon explode into a full-blown
crisis after one of his colleagues is attacked by the Winter Solider, an
assassin so deadly and secretive that most people don’t believe he exists.
Soon,
Rogers is deemed a threat to national security and he’s forced to go
off-the-grid in an effort to clear his name and uncover the roots of a giant
conspiracy. Fortunately, ally Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and new
friend Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) offer their considerable services to the
cause.
Even
when stuff’s not blowing up, the cast’s chemistry – especially among Evans,
Johansson and Mackie – keeps the story exciting. Honestly, Mackie is so great
as Falcon (his character’s superhero alter ego, which is introduced in a
natural and refreshingly low-key manner) that I’d love to see him get his own
movie.
Jackson
is finally tasked with something to do besides look tough and deliver exposition,
getting several action hero moments of his own. Robert Redford – a veteran of
the 1970s conspiracy thrillers that Winter Soldier emulates – adds considerable
dramatic weight as a powerful politician who muscles S.H.I.E.L.D.’s interests
through bureaucratic red tape.
The
identity of the Winter Solider won’t come as a surprise for comic book fans, or
those who closely follow pop culture, but I’ll be vague here just in case. The
film develops a compelling relationship between hero and villain, meaning
Rogers can’t just kill the bad guy and go on with life. They’ve got significant
ties to each other, which Evans and the actor who plays the Winter Solider effectively
communicate.
Christopher
Markus and Stephen McFeely’s screenplay immediately hits the gas and doesn’t
let up until the final scene, while also remembering the movie should still be
fun in spite of its admittedly dark subject matter. Directors Anthony and Joe
Russo handle giant action set pieces and important exposition scenes with equal
assurance, proving their time helming television sitcoms (including Community and Arrested Development) perfected their sense of timing.
I
also love that Winter Solider has actual stakes, not just the typical “hero
saves the world yet again” plot. What happens in the film has ramifications for
both upcoming Marvel movies as well as ABC’s currently struggling Agents of
S.H.I.E.L.D. If the drama gets a second season, I’m not even sure how it can
still function as currently designed. There’s no way it can ignore the
consequences of this installment.
For
those interested in easter eggs and inside jokes, I’d be remiss if I didn’t
mention the film has one of the greatest not-so-hidden references I’ve ever seen.
The audience in my screening exploded in laughter and applause when it popped
up. It would be a crime to reveal it here, but Samuel L. Jackson fans will get
it immediately.
I also
shouldn’t have to tell you to stick around during the end credits of a Marvel
movie. This time, they offer a promising look at two new characters who will
appear in next summer’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, as well as an intriguing continuation
of a particular character’s story arc.
Winter
Solider succeeds because it not only tells a compelling stand-alone story, but
also because it makes viewers question everything they’ve been told in Marvel
movies up to this point while simultaneously building significant bridges to
future films. I can’t recommend it enough. Bring on Captain America 3.
Captain
America: The Winter Soldier is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence,
gunplay and action throughout.
Grade:
A-
Comments
Post a Comment