An exceptional return to form from Marvel. A superior superhero thriller.

Rating: 8/10 (27 May 2014)

Well, despite how "average" the first one was, I went to see the second. And oh boy I am glad I did (you can already tell this is a positive review). More to the point, the film is one of, if not the strongest individual Marvel installments to date. One part spy thriller, one part character journey, one part action movie, and one part straight-up superhero adventure film, The Winter Soldier hits all of the right notes and serves as an example of the very best of what comic book movies have to offer. I was extremely surprised at how much I enjoyed the film in the first place. The beginning of the movie is a sort of message from the directors, "Welcome Back to the Marvel Universe". In The Avengers, Captain America acted like just a normal soldier who can jump high and punch hard but in The Winter Soldier, his powers really do shine. His superhuman strength and agility is shown perfectly, like the comics, and this is one of the main improvements from the first film and The Avengers. Captain America: The Winter Soldier benefits from a great story, solid actors, realistic CGI, action and also a mysterious, haunting villain, The Winter Soldier. Character isn't sacrificed for the sake of plot, though. The Winter Soldier is a well-balanced film that involves comedy, drama, and action. The big and small moments are equally thick with tension and there is some powerful development in this film. In fact, Chris Evans' Steve Rogers / Captain America in some ways becomes the most relatable of the Marvel heroes in this film, which is, of course, a bit odd, given his origin.
Story: Post-Avengers, Rogers is a useful asset for superspy organisation S.H.I.E.L.D., but also a pain in the backside. During a great opening set-piece in which Rogers, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and a squad of S.H.I.E.L.D. goons take out a crew of pirates, our hero complains of being forced to play "Fury's caretaker". This is not what he signed up for. This is not what America should be doing. History has seen the nation gradually diminished from world's saviour, to world's policeman, to a "caretaker" over the course of decades. For Rogers the moral decline appears instant, and it rankles intensely. Then, the viewers are warned, that there is a mole inside S.H.I.E.L.D and Cap needs to find who it is and from then on...disaster strikes. The Winter Soldier makes his appearance and Cap has his most challenging enemy. The story has an old-school thriller vibe and is certainly Marvel's most mature film even though there are pretty much no explicit scenes. It's a sort of action epic conspiracy thriller mystery all in one. And the filmmakers, Anthony and Joe Russo, nail it all. The Winter Soldier doesn't fall in the cliché pit like it's Iron Man brothers and therefore makes it one of Marvel's most enjoyable movies. 8/10
Action and Acting: The Winter Soldier's action is one of the most surprisingly visceral of all and The Russo Brothers definitely show how powerful Cap is. From punching baddies to throwing his SHIELD (haha) against packs of goons, knocking the living daylights out of them. It's brutal and is actually really cool to watch. Agent Romanoff's agility is unmatchable and The Winter Soldier's power is underestimated. There is much more to admire and The Winter Soldier has plenty of epic action scenes hidden up it's sleeve. The Acting in The Winter Soldier is also great as you expect from a Marvel film so there is nothing to judge about. 9/10
The ending may be a bit negatively unorthodox but the film Marvel is made is one of the best they have ever made. A perfectly enjoyable thriller epic that hits all the right boxes. Go and see it. I rate it 8.7 out of 10.