The first movie should have been like this

Rating: 7/10 (8 September 2014)

When I first saw the trailer, I thought the movie was going to suck even more than its predecessor. Well, I'm glad to say I was wrong, this one is actually pretty decent. It follows the Cap's adventures in the present day, where/when he finds himself on the run from SHIELD, which turns out to have been infiltrated by his old enemy, Hydra. This is a nice twist, and doubly so because this time Hydra is actually efficient for a change. They take over the very organization that was founded to counter threats like them, they have a solid plan for world domination, and Captain America actually has to break a sweat to bring them down. He is assisted by the Black Widow, but she mostly plays the part of the token woman, along with the token black guy, although she has her moments. The titular Winter Soldier feels tacked on; he turns out to be the Cap's old buddy, but, since he lacks his memory, or any personality to speak of, the revelation feels pointless. Essentially, he is a badass with a metal arm who acts as Hydra's unthinking enforcer, so his background is completely irrelevant and only serves as a distraction. Fortunately, this aspect of the story doesn't take up too much screen time. Most of that is taken up by action and good old butt-kicking, which is what a movie like this is supposed to be about, although one can't help thinking, "Where was Iron Man during all this?" There are also unobtrusive references to classics like Star Wars and Pulp Fiction that I enjoyed. I recommend this movie.