Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier   8/10

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Starring: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson
Plot: Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) battles a new enemy, The Winter Soldier, as well as a new threat from SHIELD.

Marvel seems to have hit the correct mark with sequels – Thor: The Dark World – and missed it with others – Iron Man 2. Whether you prefer the sequel to its predecessor or not, you cannot deny that Marvel always strive for better, and The Winter Soldier is no exception.

Whilst the first Captain America film immersed itself in a slow-burning origin story, The Winter Soldier is a bolder and more exciting film. To begin with, the action scenes in the film are relentless; the film opens with a giant boat, capture sequence which cranks up the momentum and lays the foundations for even bigger set pieces later on. Certain sequences in cars are phenomenally staged and flawlessly assembled; there are steering wheels ripped off, giant battering rams thrown about and enough explosions to put The Avengers to shame. We should be thankful to Marvel for this film, because there’s always been a sense of their films holding back for the next one – whereas the $170 million budget here says otherwise.

Though the action sequences are some of the best you may see this year (let alone from a Marvel film), the entire production wouldn’t quite succeed without its acting royalty. Chris Evans returns as the titled character and he manages to delve deeper and deeper, by exploring his character’s traumatic memories of war. Samuel L. Jackson makes a comeback – yes, again – and plays perhaps his largest role in a Marvel film to date. Those that may not be his biggest fan should remain seated; as he plays a crucial role in one of the most spectacular car chases you may ever see (take note of a giant battering ram which you yourself will want to own). The real star of the show here though is Scarlett Johansson. Her close-combat kicks and punches are so gut-wrenchingly powerful, that you wonder why she hasn’t had a film of her own yet. Also, Johansson and Evans get to play out together here in a Brad and Angelina-type ensemble, yet you constantly question where their real intentions lie.

There’s little to criticise here. The story itself is gripping but a little difficult to follow at times. It’s a film that is loyal to its most trusted followers, as it leaves little for those that haven’t seen the first film recently. The 3D – which was spectacular in IMAX – is a decent conversion but not entirely necessary. It isn’t on the scale of Gravity or Avatar, but the option is there (you won’t miss anything seeing it in 2D).

In Conclusion: Captain America: The Winter Soldier is ginormous and far bolder than any other Marvel film. The story plays out like a giant cat-and-mouse, espionage thriller, rather than the typical good guy, bad guy flick we’ve become so familiar with – this is a must see. Plus, stay through the credits, there are some post-credit scenes you won’t want to miss.