A Spectacular Blend of Bond Derring-Do, Paranoid Government Conspiracy, and "Star Wars" Aerial Acrobatics (and of course a Superhero and a (maybe) Supervillain)

Rating: 10/10 (3 July 2015)

"Captain America: The First Avenger" was generally a hugely satisfying, if somewhat rushed, introduction of a superhuman patriot who forthrightly fights for truth, justice, and the American way. Before we could find out how his '40s and World War II experiences shaped Cap's (Chris Evans) outlook, battles with sinister Nazi scientific/military organizations cryogenically thrust him forward into our shockingly unfamiliar world. Of course, part of the reason for this was that he had to be available for "Avengers" movies. Nevertheless, this time travel motif set up the always engrossing and recurring conflict between Cap's straight-arrow traditional beliefs and today's more obscure, ambiguous, and even cynical concepts of right and wrong. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" (hereafter Cap A:WS") explores this conflict, and many others, with soul-stirring action, rousing battles, labyrinthine, twisty, secret government agendas, and the near-Kafkaesque difficulty in telling the good guys from the bad guys in today's world.
"Cap A:WS" begins in Washington, DC with Cap (aka: Steve Rogers) literally running circles around his new friend and partner Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), an aerial rescue expert whose alter ego is the high-soaring Falcon, at the Reflecting Pool. Cap is still trying to get accustomed to 21st century modern life in his own unique version of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Sam works at the local VA hospital and invites Steve to hear about wounded veterans' experiences and put his own into perspective. Despite his on-going culture shock, and his suspicions about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ultimate objectives, Steve/Cap still ably participates on missions under the watchful eye (literally) of the stern, enigmatic Colonel Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson).
On Fury's orders, Steve/Cap, along with exquisitely martial-arts trained Russian (double?) spy Natasha Romanoff (aka: Black Widow) (Scarlett Johansson), goes on what he thinks is a routine mission to save some S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel held as hostages aboard a ship by brutal mercenary Georges Batroc (Georges St. Pierre). After a bruising battle, Steve/Cap and Natasha succeed in freeing the hostages, but then notices that the mission had another purpose unknown to him, but quite known to Natasha: retrieve a flash drive disk containing important information. Steve angrily confronts Fury about this deception; Fury responds that the data pertains to the Insight Program, a type of national defense shield programmed to neutralize all hostile threats. However, S.H.I.E.L.D is unable to decipher the flash drive's data, prompting Fury to see an old acquaintance, World Security Chairman Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) to persuade him to delay implementing INSIGHT. Pierce apparently acquiesces.
Subsequently, while driving home, Fury is ambushed by mercenaries disguised as cops and led by the Winter Soldier, an unidentified masked assassin with a metallic left arm who has superhuman abilities equal to Steve's/Cap's. Despite grievous injuries, Fury escapes to the sanctuary of Steve's/Cap's apartment, gives Steve the flash drive disk, warns him to "trust no one", and expires. Now it's up to Cap, Natasha, and Sam to avoid the Winter Soldier and his hordes (and other, unexpected people) and find out what is on the disk. Eventually the trio uncover another organization with a name straight out of Greek mythology (and an apt name, too, if you know your Greek mythology) with short-term plans to seize S.H.I.E.L.D. satellites to kill millions of people, and long-term plans for world domination through promises of security. Not only do the trio have to stop this somehow without getting killed, they have to find out if S.H.I.E.L.D., the INSIGHT program and Councilman Pierce are complicit in this, AND defeat the Winter Soldier and uncover his identity (Hint: It's somebody from Steve's/Cap's past, a most unexpected somebody.)
"Cap A:WS" certainly zooms (often literally) above a typical mindless superhero brawl and even a "Star Wars"-type dogfight, and is certainly more thrilling, emotionally draining, and substantial. As my review title mentions, "Cap A:WS" is an enhanced, more muscular, more windingly complex (you have to pay attention) and even more relevant update of the Bond movies, dealing with national security and fear and the sometimes tyrannical lengths government will go to preserve one and banish the other. The movie deals with the paranoic effect corrupt agencies have on human loyalty, trust, and integrity and the psychological toll it can take; for example, even though they are effective partners, Natasha's shady, double- crossing, mendacious past makes Steve feel a wee bit distrustful of her. Ditto for Steve's testy interactions with Fury. The movie even finds time for Steve/Cap to encounter reminders and would-be lovers from his past, and the bittersweet, nostalgic feelings they produce. Not least important, "Cap A: WS" illustrates the strength of friendship, even if one person is more committed to the friendship than the other, and the sacrifices that committed person is willing to make to resurrect that friendship. You'll recognize that friendship if you see the movie.
And I most enthusiastically recommend you do see "Cap A:WS", both a critical and commercial triumph, because it is that oxymoronic rarity, the "intelligent action movie" It stimulates your adrenaline and emotions, and it challenges your reasoning and your ethics, and it reassures you that despite the lies, deceit, disillusionment, hatred, and betrayals that seemingly overwhelm our modern world, you don't have to be Captain America, Black Widow, or Falcon to have the will to defy these bad things and do the right thing (you'll recognize that scene when you see it).