Fits the Marvel standards and blends the past and present of the story well.

Rating: 7/10 (25 September 2014)

So far, this ranks as my second favorite movie of the year behind the Amazing Spiderman 2. However, it will likely fall to third after I see the Battle of Five Armies. It adopts the popular theme of being a superhero movie that can appeal to more than just (please excuse this term) comic book nerds (I feel okay saying that because I am a nerd of various things myself). It isn't as cinematically dignified as the Dark Knight trilogy, but it comes closer than most. The action and plot line are a step up in intensity from the previous film from 2011. Steve Rogers is one of very few modern action characters that can be a one man wrecking machine without using any form of firearm. Even with modern weaponry, he can still be as potent as he was in the forties and more. As to the plot, it is fairly intricate with many double crossings, mostly involving Nick Fury. It keeps the trend that Marvel has been sticking with of basing the conclusion on the placement of a certain small but powerful object. Some of Steve's past comes back into play as well. Obviously, there can't be too many of the same characters from the first movie considering the time-lapse predicament. Still, the main role is the same and there are a few familiar faces from Avengers. Captain America wins the selfless superhero award. In all three of his recent cinematic appearances his intents are never focused upon himself. Now, this particular trait may not be humanly plausible, but most people alive now don't know what kind of things were valued back in the forties. Still, his selflessness becomes contagious in this installment as he convinces Nick Fury and Black Widow to put aside their directives and desires to do what is morally best. As a result, it is not surprise that S.H.I.E.L.D. meets its demise at the end. There simply is too much corruption in it for it to keep functioning correctly. My favorite new face was Sam Wilson/ the Falcon. His wings that he uses are pretty cool, and he's a good character besides that. He mostly serves as a trustworthy friend and battle partner to Steve, which is a pretty valuable thing considering the circumstances. Black Widow shows a bit more of her ability to be more than a brawny agent, something that Steve lacks in some areas due to his unfamiliarity with modern culture. Nick Fury has some of his dark side shown, but ends up remaining a protagonist. He proves that you can never count someone out in movies like this no matter how certain you are that they're dead. The biggest foe that comes up in this movie is Bucky Dent/The Winter Soldier, who sort of has to go through the same thing that Steve did, but with the added factor of brainwashing. He is the biggest challenge for Captain America both combatively and emotionally. Their face-off at the end is great in both conflict resolutions. The execution has no evident flaws and even a few notable strengths in some of the music and screenplay. As always, I will end with recommendations. It's good for any fan of Marvel, action, superheroes, or diplomatic intrigues. It has a fair amount of action that can fit into both spy movies and sci-fi war movies. There are dashes of humor in it, but that is sort of an added bonus rather than an actual element. So, if you're interested, it's worth the five dollar rental fee. Overall Rating: 8.5/10.