A Thrilling and Surprisingly Complex Movie, with the Best Action Marvel has ever put to Screen!

Rating: 9/10 (9 March 2019)

This was one of the movies that actually started my love for the medium as a whole: back in 2014, it was the most thrilling cinema experience I had thus far, and it still stands as one, if not the best action movies I have ever seen. Marvel can be truly proud of this!
Acting:
Chris Evans in his third outing of Cap is perhaps his most subtle and mature performance yet. He plays the part of a disillusioned, somewhat broken yet optimistic and kind warrior, and he does it brilliantly. It is by no means award-worthy, but it shows how much Evans has grown as an actor the last few years.
Scarlett Johansson plays a very different Black Widow since Avengers and Iron Man 2, and goes for a more playful and sexy personality, while still maintaining the badassery and cold-blooded killer attitude that she was introduced with. It is very effective, and she gets a vulnerability that is fresh and interesting. She plays really well opposite Chris, and I would've liked to see this performance a bit more in sequels.
Sam L. Jackson is back as Nick Fury, and while his role has always been fairly simple as the brooding and stoic super-spy, he gets a lot more character and personality here that I really dig. In addition, he is getting his own action sequences to carry as well, equally impressive. Samuel is never doing a bad job of course, and I give him high praise everytime.
Sebastian Stan:
Going into SPOILER territory here:
Sebastian is the Winter Soldier.
For a guy who hasn't had much big films on his resume yet, Stan does a terrific job as the silent and deadly, yet broken, Winter Soldier. He had to do a lot of physical demanding stuff in here as, well as show some heavy and subtle emotion, and he pulls it all off.
Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce is clearly one of the lesser characters. Redford is a veteran, actor and gives a realistic and strong performance as the layered bureaucrat. The character however, isn't that interesting in the end, and can quickly be forgotten.
Anthony Mackie as Falcon is a nice addition to the MCU as the grounded soldier guy who has a good heart and a strong sense of duty and loyalty like Steve Rogers. The two play well against each other, and Mackie delivers in both the calm subtle scenes and the tense action sequences. Can't wait to see more of him.
Emily Vancamp and Frank Grillo are compelling side characters as Sharon Carter and Brock Rumlow, the first one being a kind and realistic love-interest/badass, and the second one being a likable and also brutal brawler. Both actors are giving grounded and well-acted performances.
Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill is also a bit of a surprise, given the fact that her role is quite small. She still pulls off a compelling and subtle performance that adds a lot to the small character that Smulders plays.
Direction:
For merely having directed "Office" episodes, it is astonishing how well the Russo brothers have handled the transition to big action blockbuster, their first big movie being the best of the whole MCU. They handle pretty much every aspect of it as if they have done it for years, ranging from subtle emotional scenes to cgi-heavy brutal action scenes and comedic stuff. This is a golden pick from Feige if there ever was one.
Cinematography:
While the MCU movies have been critisized for their lack of compelling camerawork, i think that "grey" style fits this movie really well. Trent Opaloch utilizes a surprising amount of interesting camera positions and lets certain shots linger just long enough to speak to you from an emotional level. That is quality shooting. The action sequences are pretty much perfect in terms of camerawork, with exactly the right balance of shaky-cam and quick cutting.
Plot:
This is not your typical superhero movie, and perhaps that is what makes it work so well. It is a political spy thriller, with a superhero touch. Its themes are surprisingly relevant, and full of character and subtle emotional touches that still make heavy impact. The pacing is just right, and there is a great balance between EPIC action and story progression with character development.
Music:
Again a great surprise from Marvel, who have again been critisized for their forgettable scores. Henry Jackman delivers a thrilling and exhilarating score, while at the same time leaving room for the emotional calm tunes that are necessary. Not everything is as memorable or fun to listen to, but it is really impressive work.
Editing:
The style in which this movie is cut together, is surprisingly subtle and effective for a blockbuster movie. You feel the impact of each transition to a different segment of the story, and the action is just well enough cut together that you can still tell what's happening while at the same time experiencing a break-neck pace.
Production Design:
Nothing really interesting to mention here: mostly offices and modern buildings, with a slick and clean style, but not really elaborate. The same goes for costumes and make-up: efficiency over style. Maybe that's exactly what they where going for, and it works for the most part.
Sound:
High-quality work here, ranging from startling gun shots and heavy explosions, to screeching cartires and crashing vehicles. Some of the best sound Marvel has given us since Iron Man.
VFX:
This movie got an Academy Award nomination for this, and I can see why. Not since Avengers has there been such a great blend between the real environment and digital, particulary in the action sequences.
Tone:
Until Infinity War, I would call this the darkest movie the MCU has brought out. Perhaps because it is so realistic at the same time. There is a lot of humanity to be found in here, and it ends in a way that may even leave a few tears. There is still room for comedy however, and that works equally great because of the pitch-perfect cast. The action sequences are staged in a way that adds a LOT of adrenalin to it, and when they eventually finish, you are still feeling the weight of every epic thing that you just witnessed.
Overall Concensus:
This is my favorite MCU movie, even next to Infinity War and Black Panther. Aside from feeling like a comic-book movie with a bit of goofiness, it does pretty much everything right or achieves what it wants to go for. Not to mention that it is absolutely spectacular in terms of entertainment value. 9.0/10