Another Solid, But Nothing To Write Home About Marvel Studios Film

Rating: Null/10 (4 August 2014)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier has one of the strongest first halves of any of the "Marvel Studio Films" to date.
We learn the fate of Peggy Carter (the best female character in the MCU), Captain America's (Chris Evans) old squeeze from the first film and see the effect it has on Cap.
We see Cap struggling to find his purpose in life and questioning the shady SHIELD and Nick Fury (Sameul L. Jackson) at every turn.
There is some good character development of the Nick Fury character that goes beyond "Here's Samuel L. being bad ass" that hasn't been seen before throughout the films. This goes double for Captain America, as Evans proves he can carry a film here.
The first half of the film is a solid blend of action and interesting character development that is tight and well constructed. Having been one of the MCU's hardest critics for its lack of focus on characters and their own personal journeys as opposed to almost every film feeling like a setup for the Avengers, the first half of the film integrates everything very well. Nothing feels like it's building towards something that we'll see three films from now.
Everything feels like its grounded in the present, characters that have been glossed over (Fury, Cap, Black Widow) are actually given time to breathe and grow here, and the action scenes are very well choreographed and and shot.
But then, like so many of the films from Marvel studios, the film collapses under its own weight in the second half.
There are so many story lines that come to fruition throughout the film that it gets ridiculous. The presentation becomes so over the top that any feeling of danger that the characters were in, in the first half of the film, flies out of the window. Conspiracy theories and back stabbings that were quite interesting becomes way too bloated and convoluted for its own good.
The film outstays its welcome in other words and gives us so much to chew on, that as an audience, it's like we've been fed a great appetizer and then been force fed an overdone 38 ounce steak. The flavor is great, but it's just too much to take in.
Robert Redford provides an interesting take on the proceedings in his role as Alexander Pierce, a high ranking member of SHIELD and one of Fury's most trusted comrades.
Technically, the film is well shot and edited. The direction is crisp and as mentioned, the action scenes are very engaging and pulse pounding. Technically, this may be the best Marvel Studios film since the original Iron Man.
Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Jackson carry the film and do a very good job, it's just that once you figure out why everything is transpiring the way it has been, it's almost too ridiculous and far fetched to believe, even for a comic book film.
So once again, a solid first half, and a bloated second half produce another solid, but nothing to write home about Marvel Studios film. While it is miles ahead of Thor 2 and Iron Man 3, writer/directors Joe and Anthony Russo's film is definitely the best Marvel film since the Avengers, and maybe since the first and still king of the MCU, Iron Man.
It's a step in the right direction for a studio that seems to have rested on its laurels in trying to be all about universe building without making me care about the characters in the universe. This really is the first film since the original Iron Man that feels focused on the present and the here and now as opposed to feeling like a setup for another Avengers.
I am interested to see if the third film in the franchise can improve on what was a solid second chapter.