Captain America: The Winter Soldier takes a thrilling new direction from war movie to spy movie with some extra conspiracy thrown in. It is one of the most exciting Avengers movies, breathing new air into the leader of the Avengers after taking a backseat to Iron Man’s unofficial dominance of the team.
The film starts out with Steve Rogers A.K.A. Captain America (Chris Evans) discovering fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Black Widow stealing data while on a mission. Already dismayed, the Cap is even more disturbed when director Nick Fury introduces him to Helicarriers that S.H.I.E.L.D. is building to eliminate future threats. Rogers asserts, “this is not freedom, this is fear,” introducing audiences to one of the many relevant themes in this movie: sacrificing freedom for security. The plot escalates when the Winter Soldier goes after Fury and the Cap learns that S.H.I.E.L.D. is not what it once was and the information that Black Widow stole holds the truth.
The storyline is very interesting since the tables are turned and Captain America is now a fugitive trying to avoid the enemy while searching for answers in his past. This lends itself to exciting car chases not usually seen in superhero movies and plenty of tricks – big and small – that elicit a smirk. Though it is recommended that everyone watch the first Captain America movie because there are lots of woven connections with the original. Viewers will also find little homages to other movies as well. Most importantly, the plot advances the Avengers story overall instead of acting as a filler.
The film is really well thought out in its epic scale and in the details. The fight choreography is tremendous with creative moves not ever seen before and the variety of weapons adds intrigue. The breadth of the conspiracy is astonishing as normal S.H.I.E.L.D. employees are forced to show what they’re made of in the final battle.
The new characters are also captivating with the Winter Soldier looking silent but deadly. Though it is a little disappointing when he is unmasked, taking away his mystery and aloofness. Robert Redford does a marvelous job as Alexander Pierce, reminding Sundance fans of how engaging he is. Falcon is also introduced with military manufactured wings as the perfect sidekick to the Cap in life and in the air.
Overall, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is well-written and stimulating with the right amount of compelling new mixed in with the best of the old.
