Not bad at all

Rating: 7/10 (19 April 2014)

There are a few things at which "the Winter Soldier" excels. One, it's entertaining (draggy in parts, but overall great). For another, it's got some great chemistry. I liked the repartee between Chris Evans and Scarlet Johansson. She delivers a lot of her lines almost with a knowing wink. But there's a genuine relationship between Cap and Falcon (someone who's introduced as an actual fleshed-out character). And I do love that this is a '70s political thriller masquerading as a comic book movie. Secrets govern everything, D.C. is choked up with sleeper agents and the mistrust runs deep.
As a sequel, it's self-assured and a great Captain America story. And with another Avengers movie on the horizon, it's not a glorified commercial, which is saying something.
7/10