The most exciting this franchise has been in years

Rating: 10/10 (27 March 2014)

When Fury(L. Jackson, tough as usual, for him and these) is attacked by an unknown enemy, the Captain(Evans, will of steel, heart of gold) and Black Widow(Johansson, sultry and devious – this uses her right, finally) find themselves(they have a great chemistry, with a charming running gag of her wanting to pair him up with a girl, going through a list of ones they both know; and with his straightforward nature, and her relative lack of integrity, they both affect the other towards them, benefiting both) with no one else to trust, except perhaps the veteran Falcon(Mackie, amiable), as they uncover a genuinely devastating truth, while on the run from a considerable force – including the elusive assassin, The Winter Soldier(Stan, terrifying, pure awesome pretty much every second he's on screen).
This is just short of the level of The Avengers. It uses the strong continuity of the cinematic Marvel(as in, their own studio) universe better than any of the others, and does justice to many different elements, most of them set up prior to this. Events occur in this that will have serious consequences for future entries. The plot-driven nature and approach of a 70's political thriller(where some characters, all credible and with something to do, happen to wear a flag or the like) in a contemporary setting and with biting satire(on foreign policy, something not entirely new to these, but never before this sharp commenting on mass surveillance and executions taking place before any trial against the (supposed) perpetrator) is spot-on. From a 40's war flick, with heroism and defined lines between good and evil, to the modern method of taking on the opposition – with spying, and questionable tactics(compared to one army versus another).
The action all comes about naturally, it's personal, hard-hitting and, on account of next to no CGI, it's "real". Each intense set-piece is varied(fighting, shooting, chasing both on foot and vehicular), you will remember them, and except for one bit, they feel fresh and original. Among the very few weaknesses are that Sharon(VanCamp, another compelling and strong woman) has nothing to do in this, appearing as if her important scenes were cut, and/or that she was setup for the next one. She is the only one that that goes for, a pleasant surprise considering the seemingly bloated cast of characters. This explores S.H.I.E.L.D., and how the iconic super soldier fits into it or, whether or not he does, at all. The 3D is unobtrusive, adding depth and atmosphere, similar to Avatar.
There is violence and disturbing content in this. I recommend this to any fan of, well, blockbusters. 10/10