Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014): Review

I have been anxiously awaiting the release of Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier and I am so very very happy to state that it was amazing. I had been hoping that it would be good but trying to not get to exited for this movie because when I get my expectations up I tend to be disappointed. With this movie, I don't think that I would have disappointing no matter how high my expectations were because for me it was one of the best action movies I have seen in a while and that is saying a lot with the movies of this year.  Captain America: The Winter Soldier is definitely one of my favorite movies so far this year and I think it is a must see for everyone.

In Captain America: The Winter Soldier Chris Evens continues to play Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America following the events of the Avengers (2012) movie. For an account of what happens to the Cap in his previews movies click the following links ( http://myreviewsbyjane.blogspot.com/2014/04/captain-america-first-avenger-2011.html and http://myreviewsbyjane.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-captains-role-in-avengers-2012.html ). The Captain has been adjusting to being in modern day and has been taking on missions assigned by S.H.E.I.L.D, which is headed by Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson. He has been teeming up with Natasha AKA Black Widow, played by Scarlet Johannson, and working with elite shield teams to complete his assigned mission. He discovers that people are not telling him all the information about what he has been doing, specifically Fury.  When it is discovered that more is going on with S.H.E.I.L.D The Captain finds that he is being drawn into all the deception and discovers that HYDRA may not be as gone as he thought it was.  Can The Captain relay on Black Widow and new ally Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie to figure out what is really going on with HYDRA and overcome the link between The Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Stan, and Roger's past.

I really think that this movie has the right balance of all of its elements, the only week link was that nothing happening in the plot was that surprising or full of suspense. I think the balance of action sequences, fights, changes of pace, story, back story, Roger's journey, and banter was fantastic.  I think that some of the CG was obviously CG, but it seems like some of these graphics are so sharp that they go past realistic for me. I did see this movie in 3D and it worked as there was a bunch of stuff being thrown around (i.e. The Cap shield.) but I don't think you will really need it to be in 3D to enjoy what it going on.

I was surprised to say that I really enjoyed the chemistry between Rogers and Natasha in this movie and think that the banter and relationship growth between them really worked.  It was a way to have a female in the picture and have her build on a relationship with the male lead but without making it a romantic love interest.  I liked how she kept trying to bring up people who he could go out with and introducing the banter between them while The Cap was always the chivalrous soldier.
Overall the cast of this movie was spot on and how they all came together and played off each other was perfectly balanced.  Even the smaller roles worked in the whole scheme of things, with enough about them to work for what they were but not too much to seem out of place.  The only character who I feel should have had a bit more in the general plot was Agent 13, played by Emily VanCamp, because although she had some focus on her nothing would have been missed if she was not there.  I understand this is probably a set up for the story arc between her and Cap or just an obvious Easter Egg for fans.

One of the reasons that I think I am putting this action film above a lot of other ones is I feel that it didn't go OTT with the action sequences.  I have noticed that recently they have really extended out action sequences and the CGI battles, but in Captain America: The Winter Soldier they kept them at a good length and focused it on what the characters where working to achieve, not just focusing on the destruction and how cool the graphics looked.  Although worked in were some scenes of plot and story which broke up these sequences.

I really like Captain America as a character and think that Chris Evens is great in the role. This movie got top marks from me because I was drawn into the journey that Cap was going through and I wanted everything to work out for him.  He was able to touch the emotional connection that I as an audience member want to actually care about him and whats happening.  There have been some movies recently that missed this and I found myself watching the movie but not really feeling anything for the main character and therefore not really caring what happens to them or forgiving their faults.  Captain America, although at times preachy doesn't get pushy because you like you as a character.

My Rating: 4- (almost a perfect movie)

Side Note- Make sure to stay through the end of the all the credits because there are two after movie scenes, one a few minutes into the credits and one after they are completed.  The first one is important for the development of Marvel's Phase 2, and the second hints as another characters personal development and journey post movie.

I am not that familiar with all of the dynamics of the Marvel universe, so if someone could explain to me the general role of the people introduced in the first post movie scene, I would appreciate it.