A huge improvement over the first with a touch of tone from The Avengers! Let's hope it carries on that way.

Rating: 7/10 (12 April 2014)

It's been three years since the First Avenger made it to the big screen and has made his move going through the Marvel marathon starting with his first solo movie and then continuing with 2012's crossover Avengers movie. He's played by Chris Evans, the guy (the actor not the other one) that played Johnny Storm/Human Torch in Marvel's Fantastic Four movies if that sound's familiar to some.
As Captain America/Steve Rogers still struggles settling into the world he's living in after defeating the Hitler-like villain Red Skull in World War II and then waking up in the modern world in the disappointing first movie, a new threat comes in sight: the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier. But with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Nick Fury (the 65-year-old Samuel L. Jackson), Falcon (Anthony Mackle) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) beside him, he can defeat the threat once and for all. If it is possible to stop him.
Unlike many badly developed super villains like Parallax from the dreadfully disappointing "Green Lantern", Red Skull from the first Captain America movie and General Zod from the last year's dreadfully unevenly paced Man of Steel, the Winter Soldier is not a badly developed super villain; he could be one of the best. He wears a mask that seems far more complex than the one Tom Hardy's Bane wears in The Dark Knight Rises. At one point I thought it was played by The Hobbit's Richard Armatage (Thorin Oakenshield) but he wasn't, it was played by Sebastian Stan.
There's a new hero in town: Falcon (Sam Wilson, real name), a new superhero that can fly like a talented bird of prey. He is played by Anthony Mackle who you may recognise from last year's "experimental" Gangster Squad. When he and Cap have screen-time together, I thought it was familiar to the Iron Man duo (Robert Downey, Jr. and Don Cheadle). Scarlett Johannson's Black Widow probably has more screen-time than in previous films. Her hair style's changed from short to long, but her fight scenes certainly haven't changed.
This is probably a Marvel movie we've been waiting for. If you've watched 'Avengers Assemble' you may find a few elements in this a little familiar. This is proof that the Marvel movies are getting better. Before 'Avengers Assemble', some of the Marvel movies were average. It was the 'Thor' and 'Captain America' predecessors that sucked, and a little of the Hulk remake (not completely) but no way the Iron Man predecessors sucked, although it was said that Iron Man 2 wasn't as good as the original, it doesn't mean to say it sucked.
So this is how the sequel is and should be taught as: bigger, better, and darker than its predecessor. Because the predecessor was set back in World War II time, it had old fashioned superhero set-pieces meanwhile this one has modern Avengers-like set-pieces. Although this is way better that The First Avenger, I'm not sure whether this even beats off Iron Man 3 but it is the best Marvel film since it though.
Like I've said, it keeps close to 'Avengers Assemble', but doesn't beat it (probably next year's Age of Ultron will very well do). The action is exhilarating but unlike Iron Man 3 and Avengers' action, this action had less excitement in its heart to thrill me. I'm not completely criticising it all, but one little inch in perspective. This is a BIG sequel but its action had no heat-pounding substance to blow me away; I don't know it may be me or 'it'; you'll have to see for yourself.
Ah yes, the one I must never forgot: the 3D. Now here's my verdict: good but not challenging enough. It's eye-popping, with the close-ups of faces, but in this one no stars and stripes shield comes flying at you or other catchy effects. It could be worth seeing in 3D if you're really bothered, but I don't think it matters, the experience is probably mainly for 2D but it's up to you.
Like Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World, The Winter Soldier is a "true" sequel, even if it's trapped within the Marvel universe. It's not like Star Trek into Darkness where you could actually watch that sequel before the first one and it actually makes sense, the first Cap America you need to see before this one otherwise you probably won't know what the heck is going on (well maybe in the first act).
Although this is probably the best one since Iron Man 3, its hero probably isn't the best of the Avengers. Some may find him a little boring. He has a steel shield that can be used for throwing and bouncing off things like a boomerang; without it, he can only use his fists. Not many powers for him. He's like Thor: he has a steel hammer that he throws and comes back to him unhanded. Don't you like superheroes with only one piece of weaponry and that's it? I don't really notice that. I just respect superheroes the way they are; not with how much weaponry they've got.
Marvel still goes on with humour, especially after 'Avengers Assemble' that was funnier than probably any other superhero movies at the time. A little amusing when Sam Wilson/Falcon asks Cap which people would be the bad guys during a fight. I would ruin the answer for you. There are still some wacky action moments too. There's one when Cap single-handedly takes down a ship in less than 10 seconds. But it's too quick to get you enthralled.
Captain America is going well and hopefully will keep doing it as well in the future. Who knows what he has in store for his next outing. And by the way, stay for the end credits; otherwise you'll miss something special