CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER – It’s Shield-Throwing Time!

 
Steve Rogers / Captain America (Chris Evans) is back in this latest offering from Marvel Studios. The last time the Captain graced our screens was briefly in ‘Thor 2: The Dark World‘ and the ‘Avengers Assemble‘.
 

Steve Rogers is struggling to embrace the modern world. Things are different now than they were then. One of the strengths of the first movie was it’s setting – during World War II, it had a historic and nostalgic sweetness. How would this be recaptured in the modern world.
 

For those that haven’t seen the first film then I would watch it as there are some links back to it, nothing that doesn’t make this a stand-alone film. This film will certainly stand alone on its own. I am not going to give away too many spoilers but Hydra is back and another important character from the first film comes back to haunt the Captain.

 

 
During some morning training runs he meets Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and they have a conversation until he gets a call to come to S.H.I.E.L.D., and then Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) turns up to take him to HQ.
 

The film is basically centered on S.H.I.E.L.D and the Captain trying to adjust to how things are now done. Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) and Steve discover that the organisation has been compromised and that someone is out to kill them both.
 

Rogers meets the mysterious and powerful Winter Soldier who, after killing one of his colleagues, seems to have a familiar face. Steve has to decide who he can trust and turns to Natasha. Luckily he had befriended Sam who turns out to be a big help, and we are introduced to the Falcon.
 

There is so much action in this film and at approx. 140 minutes long, if you are bored, you must be watching another film! This keeps you on your toes and guessing to what is actually going on all along. The first fight scene takes place on-board a large ship within the first 10 minutes of the film, and the pace doesn’t slow down after that. To give the film heart and not make it all about action, there are two scenes that really grab at the heart strings, the first is when Steve Rogers visits an exhibition of himself (it’s hilarious and moving with footage from the first film) and then when he meets old love, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell).
 

Peggy was the person in the first film that really got Steve to open up and talk about himself, and in the second film to give him Natasha as a colleague was a good move as he starts to open up and talk to her. There is some real on-screen chemistry between the two which is brilliant, and sometimes you think to yourself oh go on “just kiss her”.

 

 

Robert Redford is convincing as Alexander Pierce, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and his actions to take away your freedom in favour for a false sense of security are so believable. It’s great to see this movie is based on world events much more than before.
 

Steve doesn’t question what he believes, but questions whether anybody else does any more. He doesn’t question his foundation but he questions where he has ended up and what his role must now be. You just want to root for him and believe what he is doing, so you are taken on a journey sharing his belief.
 

As Marvel films normally establish character early, and some of them have taken some time to do, this one doesn’t. It starts out fast and certainly doesn’t slow down. With good character depth, this helps the action deliver more punch.

 

 
If you are looking for a film that is full of conspiracy, thrilling, adventure and action with a dash of humour then Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a must see!

 

I give it 5 stars out of 5.

 

I absolutely loved it and think it is probably the best sequel that I have seen, and I loved the Iron Man movies and two Thor outings.
 

We still have some more amazing blockbusters to come in 2014. ‘The Amazing Spiderman Two‘, ‘XMen: Days of Future Past‘, ‘Godzilla‘, ‘Transformers: Age of Distinction‘, ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes‘, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy‘, ‘Hercules‘, ‘Noah‘, ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1‘ and ‘The Hobbit: There and Back Again‘. They all have a very tough act to follow.
 

Oh and a tip as usual with Marvel movies don’t leave as the film finishes and the credits role. The credits are awesome and there is not one but TWO scenes for the next Avengers film.

 

 

Reviewed by: Mark LEGOBear MacKenzie