Captain America: The Winter Soldier Review

Rated PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Violence, Gunplay and Action Throughout)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 16 Minutes

Cast-

Chris Evans-Steve Rogers/Captain America

Scarlett Johansson-Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow

Anthony Mackie-Samuel Wilson/The Falcon

Sebastian Stan-The Winter Soldier

Samuel L. Jackson-Colonel Nick Fury

Robert Redford-Alexander Pierce

Cobie Smulders-Maria Hill

Emily VanCamp-Agent 13/Sharon Carter

Hayley Atwell-Peggy Carter

Frank Grillo-Brock Rumlow/Crossbones

Toby Jones-Arnim Zola

Georges St-Pierre-Georges Batroc/Batroc the Leaper

Maximiliano Hernández-Jasper Sitwell

Garry Shandling-Senator Stern

Alan Dale-World Security Council Member

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

The Winter Soldier--one of the most terrifying and relentless Marvel villains to grace the big screen.

Note: Screened on Thursday, March 20, 2014 at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13. The film was not shown in 3D at the advance screening I attended.

'The price of freedom is high...and it's a price I'm willing to pay.' For over seventy years, Captain America has remained a staunch defender of the American Dream, a comic book character that transcended its jingoistic roots and has come to represent not only the highest principles of the American spirit but also what we as a nation should and can aspire to. With Hollywood seemingly afraid to even approach the subject, comic books was one of the first visual mediums to directly acknowledge 9/11 and I remember reading the first issue of John Ney Reiber and John Cassaday's Captain America Vol. 4 where the eponymous character witnessed an Arab teen about to be stabbed by an angry, grief-stricken father who lost his daughter in the terrorist attack. Quickly switching into his costume, Captain America manages to save the teen and then confronts the father, explaining that he understands his grief but what he's doing 'isn't justice.' 'Save your anger for the enemy,' he says to him.

That sense of idealism, of a nation proudly rising above its shared tragedy and becoming better for it has now been replaced with a pervading sense of cynicism where the lines between good and evil aren't so cut and dry anymore. That cynicism is what dominates Marvel Studios' latest film "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," the highly-anticipated sequel to 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger" and 2012's critically-acclaimed billion-dollar hit "The Avengers." This time, the 'enemy' isn't Nazis, terrorists, or even aliens masquerading as gods; it's the American military-industrial complex. Up till now, the various characters in the Marvel cinematic universe have faced clear-cut threats that they can usually punch their way out of (Iron Monger, Abomination, Whiplash, Loki, Red Skull, and Malekith) but "The Winter Soldier" finds the Star-Spangled Avenger going up against a 21st century America that has become more jaded and more willing to employ extreme measures in the name of 'safety and security.' It's harder to punch the enemy when they happen to wear the same symbol as you do. This is Marvel at their most daring and it's that risk-taking that allows "The Winter Soldier" to become not only one of the studio's best films since "The Avengers" but also one of the best superhero films of all time.

It has been two years since the Avengers saved New York City from Loki and his army of Chitauri. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) now resides in Washington, D.C., where he struggles to adapt to a contemporary society while also serving as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D alongside his fellow Avenger Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), aka the Black Widow. During a routine mission to liberate a S.H.I.E.L.D cargo ship from French pirate Georges Batroc (Georges St-Pierre), Steve discovers that Colonel Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) had assigned Natasha to retrieve valuable S.H.I.E.L.D intel from the ship's computer instead of helping to rescue the hostages, which includes Jasper Sitwell (Maximiliano Hernández). The fact that Fury deliberately withheld this information doesn't sit well with Steve and following the successful completion of the mission, he goes to confront the Colonel. With the world now a more dangerous place since Loki's devastating attack on New York, Fury reveals to Steve that he commissioned 'Project Insight', where he plans to launch three state-of-the-art S.H.I.E.L.D helicarriers that can safely neutralize any threat from the air. These airborne ships can also analyze data from personal and public records in order to spot potential hostiles before they even materialize. These revelations leave Steve uneasy and he voices that 'this isn't freedom…this is fear.' However, Project Insight hits a roadblock when Fury is unable to access the intel that Natasha retrieved. He asks Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), his old friend and comrade on the World Security Council, to convince the other members to delay the launch while he investigates but this attracts the attention of a mysterious assassin known only as the 'Winter Soldier' (Sebastian Stan). A critically-wounded Fury warns Steve to 'trust no one,' putting the Avenger at odds with Pierce and forcing him to go on the run with Natasha. To get to the bottom of this conspiracy, Steve turns to army veteran Samuel Wilson (Anthony Mackie) for help but not far behind is the Winter Soldier.

Marvel Studios set a high bar when they released "Iron Man" back in 2008 and then they raised it even higher with 2012's "The Avengers." Well, get ready for that bar to be raised again as "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is by far Marvel's most mature work to date. Ostensibly, this is a superhero film/sequel but it's also so much more than that. This is a seventies-styled espionage thriller, a spy movie, an action-adventure, and a serious drama that examines the sociological and political implications of our nation's increasingly pervasive surveillance culture. In fact, "The Winter Soldier" practically feels overstuffed with the amount of genres it tackles yet despite its two hour and sixteen minute running time, there's not one ounce of fat in the film. Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely's script is tautly paced, with the central mystery gradually unfolding while scenes that don't directly relate to the plot serve to add depth to the characters. The first few minutes of the film is a perfect example of the latter and finds Steve enjoying an early morning jog with Sam Wilson. It's a funny little scene as we watch the Avenger literally run laps around the frustrated army veteran. Later, a very out-of-breath Sam tells Steve that Marvin Gaye's 1972 album Trouble Man should be on his list of things to catch up on. Now, people nowadays keep lists or reminders on their smartphones but Steve is an analog dinosaur living in a digital world and so he takes out a notepad and writes it down instead. The audience is treated to a glimpse of what he has on his list so far, which includes Steve Jobs, Thai food, "Star Wars" and "Star Trek," and "Rocky," with "Rocky II" in a question mark. It humorously reminds us that Steve is a 'man out of time' but the story also doesn't ignore how huge a burden this is during an emotional moment he shares with an elderly Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), now a sickly invalid suffering from Alzheimer's. Chris Evans pulls off an amazing performance that captures his character's inner turmoil of being a constant outsider. The world may have changed but Steve's sense of what is morally right and what is morally wrong remains the same and he will fight for what he believes in even if it means going against his own country. Captain America has always been a shining ideal of America's heart and soul and to see the film wholeheartedly embrace that image is refreshing. Sometimes, patriotism doesn't mean blindly following orders.

The amount of ground the script covers is impressive as it doesn't just build off of "The First Avenger" but also from previous Marvel Studios films. Maximiliano Hernández's Jasper Sitwell and Garry Shandling's Senator Stern return and the revelations about their characters force us to re-examine every supporting player we've encountered so far. What side are they on? What are their true motivations? What is their endgame? This sense of paranoia adds to the thriller aspects of the film as well as heightening the drama and emotional stakes. Without giving away any spoilers, the ending of "The Winter Soldier" has lasting consequences for the entire Marvel cinematic universe, consequences that will even affect the ABC television series "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." This is one of the few instances where 'nothing will remain the same' actually means something and I can't wait to see how all this plays out in future Marvel projects.

When it was announced at San Diego Comic Con 2012 that brothers Anthony and Joe Russo would be directing the sequel to "The First Avenger," I was skeptical. After all, these two came from the world of television comedies (like "Community" and "Happy Endings") and while Marvel films have always had their fair share of laughs, the Russos just didn't seem equipped to handle a big-budget blockbuster of this size. Hell, their last feature was 2006's "You, Me and Dupree," which received largely negative reviews from critics with a paltry 21% on Rotten Tomatoes. Well, color me surprised as "The Winter Soldier" currently stands as the most action-packed Marvel film to date. There are thrilling car chases and epic set-pieces galore but it's the visceral fight sequences that shine as the Russos' camera captures every punch and kick with an intensity that will leave you breathless. In fact, I was somewhat amazed at how much violence the filmmakers were able to get away with. The majority of the CGI is set aside for the final set-piece, which actually manages to achieve the difficult feat of topping the citywide battle in "The Avengers." Joss Whedon certainly has his work cut out for him for next summer's "Age of Ultron."

As I've already mentioned before, Chris Evans delivers a great performance as Captain America and he leaves a definitive mark on the character in the same way Christopher Reeve, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, and Robert Downey Jr. left on their respective superhero portrayals. He's backed up by a strong supporting cast, one of the best ever for a Marvel feature. Both Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson get to delve into the moral grey area that their characters occupy while Anthony Mackie brings an immensely likable charisma to Samuel Wilson. Sebastian Stan's the Winter Soldier leans more toward the physical side but he cuts a formidable presence and is by far Marvel's strongest villain since Loki. While he only has a handful of lines, Stan's sheer intensity makes the brainwashed assassin 'the Terminator of the superhero world' as IGN aptly describes him and the actor is both legitimately frightening and heartbreaking in the role. Finally, there's Robert Redford, whose role as Alexander Pierce is no mere paycheck cameo. Although his view of superheroes as little more than cartoon characters is disappointingly simplistic, Redford treats the material as if it was a prestige picture and the weight of his cinematic legacy is on full display here, lending his performance both power and authority. The only cast member that is shortchanged is Emily VanCamp, who only makes a cursory appearance, with her character's first name not even revealed until the very end.

To be released on April 4, 2014, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" has received overwhelmingly positive reviews so far with 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. I don't see the picture straying too far from that number once release day approaches and judging from the audience's overly enthusiastic reaction at the advance screening, it's bound to be a huge hit at the box office. How much could it potentially earn on opening weekend? Well, if the film received a similar bump as last year's "Thor: The Dark World," then an $85 to $90 million opening isn't out of the question. That number could go up to $100 million if critical reception remains extremely positive, which it most certainly will. At this point, Marvel is such a strong brand name that they're pretty much unstoppable. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is an incredible film, one that proves that the studio isn't lazily resting on their laurels with the way the story boldly shakes up the entire Marvel cinematic universe. With great performances, spectacular action scenes, and a timely script, it's hard not say MAKE MINE MARVEL!

Final Rating: 5 out of 5

"Captain, in order to build a better world, sometimes it means tearing the old one down—and that makes enemies." 

Make sure to stick around during the end credits for two extra scenes, with one setting up next summer's "Avengers: Age of Ultron"!