Captain America: The Winter Soldier Review

Blurring the lines.
Film review by Isaac Handelman

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Cap -- almost two full years, in fact, since he made his last big-screen appearance in The Avengers alongside all of his super buddies. Now the first Avenger is back for his second solo outing, The Winter Soldier, which aims to reposition Cap as the central figure of the Avengers team by giving him an epic narrative fit for an ensemble piece. The result is a rip-roaring ride that ties together suspense, intrigue, and some of the most engaging, hard-hitting action that’s yet been seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. All in all, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a triumph that stands near the best of its kind.

Boiled down to its most basic, The Winter Soldier is a conspiracy story that centers on a threat aiming to dismantle SHIELD from the inside out. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a.k.a. Captain America, is framed for a crime he did not commit and finds himself a fugitive, unknowing of who can be trusted, faced with the prospect of single-handedly finding out the truth behind all of the deceit. Despite his predicament, the screenwriters behind Winter Soldier have succeeded in making Cap far more dynamic and likable this time around; this outing is likely to propel him to “favorite Avenger” status in the eyes of many fans. Along the way, Cap gets some help from fellow SHIELD operative Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), whose chemistry with Evans goes a long way towards elevating both characters’ standings with the audience. Soon enough, the duo find themselves the targets of a mysterious assassin known only as the Winter Soldier.

Marvel’s films have gained substantial acclaim over the course of the last half-decade, but one consistent criticism leveled at the franchise is its lack of memorable villains, sans Loki. The studio has finally remedied this issue with the Winter Soldier, a truly chilling character and one of the most engaging onscreen presences in a film chock full of engaging onscreen presences. The character is a physical match for Cap, making each of their encounters incredibly tense, with both Cap and Winter giving their all at every moment. The film’s unconventional-yet-stellar, high-pitched score highlights the Winter Soldier’s appearances, making the villain truly frightening and intimidating.

I only wish their was more of him. In a film called Captain America: The Winter Soldier, you’d expect the narrative to revolve around Captain America and...the Winter Soldier. And yet, the Winter Soldier is relegated to a side-arc; his story fails to hit a dramatic high-note. If you’ve somehow managed to avoid the massively disregarded spoiler regarding the Winter Soldier’s true identity up to this point, then I won’t tarnish that accomplishment here. Suffice to say that the character’s narrative potential is seemingly saved for future installments. And as a side note, why doesn’t the Winter Soldier wear his mask at all after his identity is revealed to Cap? It’s as if the man had some senseless desire to conceal his identity only from the star-spangled Avenger.

Aside from the Winter Soldier himself, the villains of the film are mostly ridiculous, serving only as cannon fodder for the final confrontation. Their motives are hazy at best, and tenuous if we’re being entirely honest, but their plot does make for a wholly entertaining adventure, so let’s allow them some slack. When Cap is set loose to wreak havoc on his enemies, The Winter Soldier becomes truly fantastic.

The action on hand is kinetic and often downright brutal, assisted greatly by the Russo brothers’ energetic direction, highlighted by a few particularly impressive shots and an ability to seemingly always keep the camera moving whilst maintaining coherency. The action highlight of the film manages not to be its effects-laden finale (though that sequence carries with it several clever surprises), but a relatively simple melee-centric confrontation between Cap and the Winter Soldier involving only a shield and a knife.

Cap’s on-hand allies may not be fellow superheroes, but they serve their purpose with ease. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) has his best role yet in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, headlining one particularly memorable solo action-sequence towards the beginning of the film that effectively kick-starts the remainder of the proceedings, all the while proving that Fury is capable of holding his own just as confidently as any of his underlings, albeit using less conventional tactics. The other friendly face on hand is newcomer Falcon (Anthony Mackie), a military man with a set of mechanical wings. Mackie’s joke-spewing buddy persona feels relatively cliched, even within the context of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but his genuine friendship with Cap and implied-to-be-troubled past leave open plenty of avenues for exploration in future films.

Above all else, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is confident; it’s willing to throw all sorts of blockbuster conventions out the window, all while forging a genre-combining path of its own. The film is consistently engaging, full of well-crafted characters (friend and foe alike), and carries with it enough surprises to drastically change the landscape of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yes, Cap’s second solo outing proves he doesn’t need Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to garner rabid excitement for his next appearance.