The Movie That Made Captain America Cool

Rating: Null/10 (16 November 2018)

After the Avengers, pretty much nobody thought that Captain America was the coolest Avenger. Everyone thought it was Iron Man or Hulk or maybe Thor. But nobody thought it was Captain America. This film made everybody change their minds. The Winter Soldier turned Cap into the most badass Avenger, and proved why he's the leader of Earth's Mightiest.
Joe Johnston didn't return to direct this film, which I think is a positive. He made the 40's astetic work great, but what Joe and Anthony Russo bring to the table is on a whole other level. They made a superhero spy movie, with a heavy focus on hand to hand combat and spy movie tropes.
The cast is great, with Evans being the highlight. Steve Rogers feels like a man out of time, with the same black and white mindset of the 40's, while the future is filled with grey. He still does his best to do what's right, even if nobody wants to follow him. Pairing him with Black Widow was brilliant, as she is completely grey. Scarlett Johansson gives a great performance, with a truly tortured soul under the surface of her character. Samuel L. Jackson returns as Fury, and he is badass, with a great car chase scene. Sebastian Stan is good, though not given much screen time. Anthony Mackie is introduced as The Falcon in this movie. Falcon is funny, and he adds a sense of realism to this movie. Robert Redford is fine, does good for what he's given. The cast is phenomenal, with some of the best performances in the franchise.
The plot is fantastic. Everything from Cap trying to readjust to modern day society to the big twist that Hydra was infested and even help build SHIELD was incredible. Bucky being revealed as the Winter Soldier was great for the character of Captain America, even though the twist was revealed on the poster. I also love the fact that Bucky killed the Starks, even though that plot doesn't come into play for years. I love the plot of this movie.
The effects are all pretty good. When the punches strike, they feel real and tangible. Cap's shield is awesome in this movie, as are Falcon's wings. Bucky's mechanical arm looks great as well. When the Helicarriers finally go boom, it does not disappoint.
Overall, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is one of the best movies in the franchise. It captures the character of Captain America perfectly and turned him into a cultural phenomenon. Also Punisher was apparently in the truck that helped Fury, which is amazing.
9/10