Quarter this Soldier in your House!

Rating: 9/10 (30 August 2015)

This film is one of those pleasant surprises: the sequel that is better than its predecessor. Not that Captain America (1) was bad, but it somewhat underwhelmed and the villain was a bit goofy. But this film has all the engrossing action and witty dialogue of the Avengers, with a dash of Bond-esque adventure, and is easily viewable more than once.
The Winter Soldier himself virtually steals the show. Someone give an award of some kind to the director for taking his time to slowly introduce the Winter Soldier, and even more slowly reveal who he is. The Winter Soldier is a textbook case of how you do a villain. He's dangerous, effective, doesn't mess around, and is equal to the Captain. Perhaps the most telling scene is when he knocks the Captain down and we see him standing there with Cap's shield, like a boss! The music score also enhances the Soldier with an accent of horror film dread and Matrix-esque insuperability.
To him, I would add Robert Redford's Secretary character, who lends the film a Bond-esque debonair villain who overseas a credible global threat. Redford brings class to his character, to the point that you kind of like him despite his evil plans.
There are probably some foibles to this film, but come on, it's a summer popcorn film that kept me engaged from beginning to end, so who cares!