Still the best Marvel movie made, "The Dark Knight" of Marvel

Rating: 10/10 (17 April 2019)

I hadn't seen this movie in a while, probably since Civil War came out and I forgot how amazing this movie. The Russo brothers crafted a tight script and made one of the best spy-thrillers probably since Casino Royale or the good Bourne movies.
This has everything you could ever want from a Marvel movie. Superb action, so well choreographed and fully realized. The story is dripping with mystery and feels exactly like a spy drama, but with the added Marvel flair for action. It vastly improves on Black Widow's character as she wasn't fully realized yet in IM3 or Avengers, but also add a Falcon that is realistic and not in red & white spandex.
The cinematography in this one is stellar and easily the best in the MCU. It just feels so different from any of the others. It matches the spy drama with cool blues and greys. This is probably the only MCU movie of them all that I could see being in my top 10 movies of all time. For the most part I enjoy them all. Some more than others, some are just pure entertainment and fun to enjoy, but The Winter Soldier is something above that and on whole new level.
It'd probably be overkill to compare this as "The Dark Knight" of the MCU, but it's pretty damn close. It's almost TDK with CGI action and over the top set pieces, rather than the stellar practical effects and solid action sequences. It's like a more comic-esque version of TDK.
Everything about this movie just feels so goddamn great. I like it a little better than Civil War overall, but this and Civil War are pretty much the perfect Marvel movies. Civil War expands on The Winter Soldier and incorporates Bucky into the story so well that even comic diehards probably don't care that it doesn't follow the comic book story. The Russo's have made the best three Marvel movie in the MCU and it's gonna be hard for anyone to top them. Here's hoping Endgame continues their perfect streak in the MCU.