A fun, subversive Marvel film that isn't Guardians!

Rating: 8/10 (15 December 2014)

"Wow!"
That's the word that continually prefaced everything I had to say about this movie once the lights came up in the theater. Not since seeing The Dark Knight have I left my seat feeling like I just watched a comic book movie transcend the usual pitfalls that plague the genre, becoming something else entirely. During the drive home I couldn't shut up about the movie. It felt like I was a hyperactive kid who had just seen something completely new, original and exciting. In other words: Captain America: The Winter Soldier is just amazing.
I'm not going to spoil anything that isn't already presented in the promotional materials for the movie, but a very brief synopsis goes like this: After the catastrophic events that take place in the climax of The Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D. has taken the initiative to drastically up the ante on national and global security. Super soldier Steve Rogers (aka Captain America aka Chris Evans aka Pete Pectorals) has to decide whether he wants to continue working for the organization all while facing off against a mysterious new enemy known as The Winter Solider (Sebastian Stan aka Noob Saibot). Of course, he has a little help from his old friend Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson in posterior-hugging leather) and new partner in crime fighting, The Falcon (Anthony Mackie aka Will Smith in Independence Day). Will they save the day? Well there's already a Captain America 3 announced so it's safe to assume they will, however you definitely want to see how they get to the next sequel.
Now that that's out of the way, allow me to gush further on about how fantastic this movie is. Let's start with the action. There's a lot of it. A LOT OF ACTION, I say! Most post-Bourne action scenes are shot very tight with the camera making ADHD movements. With The Winter Soldier you know exactly what's happening on screen. Every kick, punch, flip, slap and tickle is crystal clear, making the fight scenes absolutely riveting and engrossing. The Winter Soldier shoots its action tight, but with great focus. I was literally squeezing my armrests during several scenes, something I haven't done since Gravity.
Action is the real star of this movie, but I have to shower praise on everyone on screen. The entire cast is invested in this world 100% and it makes for a great viewing experience. Chris Evans just oozes charm as a confident Captain America and his one-on-one scenes with Scarlett Johannson seem more realistic and grounded in reality than most action thrillers that aren't based on comic books. Samuel L. Jackson actually shows up for work as Nick Fury (something that cannot be said about his recent appearance in Robocop) and Anthony Mackie is fun, funny and endearing as former "pilot" turned superhero. Oh by the way, they got Robert Redford to co-star in this movie. That is a BIG DEAL. The Sundance Kid himself just starred in a blockbuster Marvel movie. Of course he's phenomenal in it. Everyone is.
The flaws in this movie are very minor. One issue I had was that there are several pieces of dialog that are so campy that they do remind you that you're watching comic book characters come to life, but not in a cool way. This is obviously forgivable though since anyone expecting Elizabethan prose should lighten up. I only mention it because most of the dialog in this movie is fantastic and it was jarring to hear a line that seems ripped right out of an overly dramatic speech bubble. Another thing I noticed (and I'm hesitant to even call this a flaw) is that it might serve you well to watch both Captain America: The First Avenger (no kidding) and The Avengers before you see this movie. You might also want to have at least a basic understanding of the world of Captain America. I'm only saying this as a response to the fact that a majority of the audience I watched this with "oohed" and "ahhed" with glee at several things shown or said on screen that I didn't have the slightest idea about. Obviously neither of those issues negatively impacted my movie experience.
I referenced The Dark Knight earlier in this review as a comic book movie that transcends the genre. That's exactly what Captain America: The Winter Solider does, just as adeptly. Where The Dark Knight was clearly a crime movie with capes, this is an espionage action thriller that just happens to have guys dressed in costumes with superpowers. It even draws on our current real world situations with the NSA, Wikileaks, Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, and company, and spins them into an enthralling action flick. This world seems plausible because it's an exaggeration of the world we live in now. There is an air of verisimilitude to The Winter Solider that truly makes us wish we had a Captain America of our own.
Comic book fans and comic book movie fans should see this movie. People who hate comic books should see this movie. To be perfectly honest I can't think of any group of people who shouldn't see this movie. It's fun, hypnotic and endlessly entertaining. If this is a prelude of what this summer's movies have to offer, it's going to be a great year for blockbusters.