Good film, but the first was better

Rating: 7/10 (4 April 2014)

Don't believe the hype. I heard one reviewer declare that this is the best Marvel film. "The Avengers" was the best Marvel film--I felt that before and after I left the theater.
Captain America is a bit too serious and on the verge of being cranky in this film. Scarlett Johansen looked a bit too gaunt. She--along with Morgan Freeman and Sam Jackson--has suffered from overexposure in films. I'm frankly tired of seeing her. I also couldn't watch Robert Redford without wondering how horribly he has aged. Stan Lee's cameo was funny.
This film had little of the first film's charm--and patriotism for that matter. The best scene was in the elevator when Captain America beat up a bunch of would-be assassins.
In summary, this was good but nowhere as good as the first film and certainly this was not the best Marvel film. I noticed that the newer generation of Marvel films (IM3, Thor 2, CA2) were distinctly inferior compared to their respective predecessors. I shudder to think with such a trend what the second installment of "The Avengers" holds.