Still one of the best MCU movies to date.

Rating: 10/10 (4 April 2020)

Honestly. Where to begin? Look, I adore Tony Stark. A personal favorite character in the entirety of all MCU, but I gotta say, Captain America always busted out the best titular solo films in MCU and this movie is proof of why Captain America has the best movies.
Just everything. EVERYTHING about this movie was just so amazing. Couldn't live with watching it only once, so I went back to watch it 4 more times and it was still great. You got direct reccuring conflict from the first Captain America movie. Bringing back old foes and having them conspiring underneath the good guys noses and exposing S.H.I.E.L.D for its own corruption by its own commanding Nick Fury. Just to show you even the 'good guys' get their hands dirty too for selfish reasons when they feel they have to.
You get a building companionship between two of the core Avengers that DID NOT end in a romance. Which was surprising to me that this movie didn't just go for the classic guy and girl work together and eventually fall in love trope that Hollywood uses so often. And the best part was that Johansson and Evans lovingly sold the chemistry, and it almost lead me to believe that they're characters would begin a relationship. And despite everything those characters went through together, the bond between them stayed professional and comforting in the end. How very well played Marvel. Very mature.
The Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes is still one of the most intimidating and most formidable villains in the MCU of all time. He still beats Thanos. Every time he showed up on or before he showed up, you could always feel a lingering sensation of eerie dread for what's about to come next. It's thrilling and terrifying. The Winter Soldier is the epitome of 'Silent but deadly.' Sebastian Stan was just outstanding as the Winter Soldier. Easily one of the strongest performances in the film. He nailed that deadly assassin with no remorse or second thoughts and also nailed the confused and lost feeling of not knowing where to find the true Bucky he was. Sebastian had to play two completely different sides to one character and nearly made me cry in his final moments with Cap. Also, not only was The Winter Soldier a great character, but it was smart that they reintroduced this semi-minor sidekick friend character from the first Captain America movie who we all thought was dead, dug him out of his 'grave' and turned him into a shadowy deadly villain who struggles to break from the mind control that's forcing him to become a soldier of death. The strongest aspect of the film.
Also loved how this movie gace screen time to Natasha and Nick Fury to really show off their skills in espionage more so than the other movies they were featured in. It did right by both of the characters by giving some levity to them and established them way more. Especially Natasha because we are only told of her skills and shown that she's capable of weaponry, but we didn't really see a lot of her espionage to use. We got a bit of it in Iron Man 2, but this movie highlighted her for who she is. Also, even though we know what kind of a character Nick Fury is, it showed us how capable, strong and manipulative he really is. I just loved seeing him during the Car scene assassination attempt on his life. Samuel L Jackson always knows how to give a performance.
I'll just say it again, EVERYONE gave a delightful performance. Evans, Johansson, Jackson, Stan, Mackie, Redford, and everyone else brought their A-Game. Great acting, realistic conversations, and epic lines that are just so fitting to the characters they portray. The emotional sentiment in some scenes was just right on the money.
Ok now. Now, we're talking fight choreography. My heart could give out, but whoever choreographed those fight scenes needs more than just an Oscar. I cannot reiterate how and why the fight choreography in this movie is the best in all MCU. Maybe Civil War comes close, but this movie has some of the most bone-chilling fights I've ever seen in any action film. Just...that highway fight between Cap and The Winter Soldier terrified me with glee if you can understand. Some of the most intricate fight I've seen. The way the shield and knife were handled was just above and beyond. As much as I adore the elevator fight in this movie, the highway was better.
Music was chilling and emotional too. Nothing more can be said. I just love how the composer was so dark on incorporating Bucky's scream from when he 'died' in The First Avenger and mechanalized it into the theme for the Winter Soldier. How eerie and devastating. Just love it.
Gosh, what a movie. Best MCU movie ever. Even after Endgame and Infinity War, still the best movie ever. The only movie that could possibly beat this would have to be Civil War. That being said, as far as a spy-action thriller, it was just right about everything. Still incorporating that nice humor for a darker toned movie like all Marvel does. The best understanding of these characters since Iron Man and The Avengers.
Just brilliant.
10.3/10