Not Just Another Action Flick

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

A Review By Ben Hunter

4 Out Of 5 Stars

April 4, 2014

GET TO THE POINT BEN!

Not just another action flick.  There’s something for everyone, even non-comic book related!

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“You know me, I’m not going to fight you [drops his shield, lost forever].  Your name is James Barnes.  You’re my friend.  [Now bloodied and bruised] … Then finish it … because I’m with you … … ‘til the end of the line.”

Amazing how Captain America can bring a tear to my eye.  This scene of two best friends fighting to blood and bruises is a good representation of The Winter Soldier, a film with not just action and fighting, but with emotion and heart.  There’s something for everyone here as our intellect is stimulated with the plot of who’s the rat within S.H.E.I.L.D. an espionage law enforcement agency that basically governs the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) is now working for S.H.E.I.L.D. in D.C. and adjusting back to life in the present day.  So naturally, the story nicely introduces Rogers’ interest in love, even tying in his romantic engagements from before (The First Avenger). 

I liked how this became a vehicle for other characters who maybe fall by the wayside when the major players come together (for stories like The Avengers); in particular, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), not just because she’s my girl.  In The Avengers she was out of her element, which was a nice touch to really intensify the element of danger for the big project. But in this film of one particular character, to see her as the sexy, mistress of true espionage and mischievous, subtle seduction to accomplish a mission that has nothing to do with sex and romance was such a pleasantry to watch.  Every man’s highly welcomed, worse nightmare.  It’s like I forgot all about the time, who I was, where I was, whenever she was on screen.  LOVED HER!! 

However, with this aspect to introduce other characters, in particular to see director Nick Fury kicking butt and taking names and not just a pencil pusher in the main office barking orders, I felt the focus ever so slightly was taken away from our main hero, the one we all paid our money to see, Captain America.  I thought Rogers was going to come along and aid Fury in his escape or something along those lines to not take away focus from this being Rogers story of readjustment to society. 

It was really just this part to address this issue.  The use of the other characters were all intertwined in this “Rogers Readjustment” theme quite nicely.  Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) was like a breath of fresh air to see a new face in this universe of familiar ones.  His superhero of the Falcon is one the common person is unfamiliar with, so the “new” feeling just overcame me completely with him.  I would love to see more of Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) in future Marvel films.

I liked the tie into Rogers’ involvement with WWII and that classic American history feel that I esteem in the highest fashion with the last film (The First Avenger).  So to revisit this and tangle it into a present day story, kept my interest all the more. 

This story definitely is successful at keeping your interest in the world of Marvel and what they’re going to do next in my opinion.  It’s both critically and generally acclaimed, so it’s all around a great film!

There’s even a little plug, non-comic book/non-Marvel related, for us movie geeks!  See if you can catch it!

Captain America: The Winter Solder

Action & Adventure, 136 Minutes, PG-13

Based on the comic book by: Joe Simon and Jack Kirby

Concept & Story by: Ed Brubaker

Screenplay by: Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely

Directed by: Anthony & Joe Russo

Cast: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Robert Redford, Cobie Smulders, & Samuel L. Jackson