Oh yeah, that's how you entertain!

Rating: 8/10 (8 April 2014)

"Marvel's Best!", "Epic!", "Better than The Avengers!" There's no doubt the ad execs were having a ball with this one. Marvel's been on a roll lately. They seem to have found a groove within the perfect balance of pandemonium-infused action, literal laugh out loud humor, and the perfect pinch of campiness. And now they're on cruise control. Normally I fault studios hard for complacency, especially when the motive is profit. But if in return the people get pure 100% entertainment, why should I complain?
Not a bad lead in if I do say so myself. Enter Captain America; The Winter Soldier. Directed by the dudes from Arrested Development and Community, and written by the dude from the Narnia movies. Yeah. But the usual suspects are in front of the camera, at least. With a couple of pristine new faces, and Robert Redford's half-melted Ken Doll face. Any way, after a hostage situation on a S.H.I.E.L.D. cargo ship is diffused by our hero, a series of events are set in place that lead the to questioning of sides on everyone Captain America holds in the highest regard. And *spoiler alert* the world will need saving.
I should rewind. At this point you're probably scrolling back up make sure you read my star rating correctly. Now you're probably feeling confused. Captain America is not better than The Avengers, or even equal. Captain America follows the same exact formula as The Avengers, but it ticks the excitement factor from a 10, to about an 8. Joss Whedon's steady camera is greatly missed, especially in the action sequences, where the camera jumps and jives and makes your head spin. The acting at best is merely expedient, which isn't a big deal in these kinds of movies, but occasionally the script takes a breather and gets deep. Which I love, but Evans and Johannson aren't quite up to snuff to pull it off. But there's no doubt the biggest surprise of this film is their chemistry. Where did that come from?
So why a four star rating given these sacrilegious defilements on these pillars of filmmaking? Because unbridled entertainment is a virtue that defies any kind of reason. And it's a virtue that Captain America; The Winter Soldier has in spades. It's a mind warping experience, and if my parched mouth and pounding hear are anything to go by, it's proof that when it comes to delivering good old fashioned fun, this film is right up there with the best. Sure it's devoid of cohesion, but it's so simple and uncomplicated that your attention is immediately focused on enjoying yourself.
To summarize, Captain America; The Winter Soldier is a film so entertaining, so full of attitude, that I feel like a buzzkill just for critiquing it. It isn't better, or even as good as, The Avengers, but it's a close second. And that is praise indeed. Marvel seems to be churning out awesome films like this without any apparent effort, and while they are laughing all the way to the bank, in the end, we are the winners. And we're left with tingling synapses, elevated heart-rates, and the delusion we could take on anyone who crosses us. Oh and mad brownie points are in store for anyone who saw the reference to Pulp Fiction.