Overall it is enjoyable, but it suffers from the same pacing problems that we witnessed in the first fiilm

Rating: 6/10 (30 December 2018)

Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is struggling to adapt to life in the modern world after being suspended in a coma for a number of years. However, he is forced to put his objections aside when director of SHIELD Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) is shot down by an unknown assassin. After some digging, Rogers learns that there is a much bigger conspiracy involving Fury being gunned down and sets to work to get to the bottom of said conspiracy...
Captain America: The Winter Soldier overall is a decent enough film (certainly in the second half), but sadly the same problems that plagued the original film seem to plague this film and the main problem being;
PACING; the first 10-15 minutes or so are great; some fast paced action and a basic set-up to the story, but then things kind of grind to a halt. Some of the scenes in the first half of the picture revolving around Captain America seemed a little too self-congratulatory and don't serve as much purpose as the running time suggests (there is some purpose to some of what we witness which becomes apparent as things manifest later in the film, but personally I felt that proceedings dragged on more than they needed to).
Having said that when the main story does develop it is actually pretty good and is more expansive and deeper than the story that we witnessed in the original film. Once you're hooked it's pretty involving and I did like the way that director Anthony Russo retained the light-hearted approach that Joe Johnston applied to the original film. The humorous exchanges and light touches within the film made it palatable and digestible which did serve the film well over its rather generous 120 minute plus running time.
The acting from the principal cast is mostly good with Evans really getting into the skin of his character; it was more difficult for him to achieve this effect in this first film (for obvious reasons), but he does a solid job here. Anthony Mackie is also excellent and offers strong support. Scarlett Johansson is also very good and I think I may have finally fallen in love with her voice; she could read me my miranda rights and I would still take notice and that's not even acknowledging that she looks hot as hell here. If we're talking about acting then Samuel L Jackson does OK, but this particular role is not really stretching him, but what does let this film down slightly is Robert Redford whose inclusion in the film seems a little too obvious and I would suspect that most people would be able to see who is and what he's about more or less straight away.
Overall, Captain America: Winter Soldier does work as the plot is richer and more deeper than the first film, but it does suffer from the same pacing problems as the first film with one cast member who is too obvious as highlighted in the above paragraph. However, in summary, like the first film this is worth watching, but also like the first film it isn't quite the spectacular blockbuster that it thinks it is.