Captain America: Winter Soldier Review: When Captain Met Falcon

With nine films under their belt, Marvel Studios has become a well-oiled machine; churning out hit after hit, and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is their best product yet.

Part political thriller, part espionage and part blockbuster, Anthony and Joe Russo (TV’s “Community”) are able to intricately blend these genres together to provide Marvel’s best movie to date and one of the best comic book films ever.

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” picks up two years after the Battle of New York, Steve Rodgers (Chris Evans) is still trying to assimilate to the modern world. A world where freedom is sacrificed for the sake of security and everything is not black and white as it once was but instead it is all shades of grey. He spends his time carrying out things on his ever-growing to-do list and completing missions for Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and S.H.I.E.L.D. Rodgers begins to question what is fighting for and is he ready to leave his idealistic 1940s beliefs behind him. But right when he begins to question S.H.I.E.L.D. and their tactics, Rodgers is forced to go on the run to unravel an age-old conspiracy that brings back a ghost from his past, The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan).

With no one left to trust, Rodgers must team up with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and a new ally Samuel Wilson, aka The Falcon (Anthony Mackie).

Right from the first action sequence you know this is not Joe Johnston’s Captain America. The Russos take full advantage of Cap’s abilities and his shield; it is not just flung to keep doors open anymore, he is throwing it to give his enemies a taste of vibranium freedom. The good Captain does not have repulsors, a hammer crafted by the gods, nor does he turns into a green rage driven monster, he is the peak of human perfection and for the first time in his three appearances he looks the part. The film features some of the best fight choreography you’ll see in a blockbuster, Cap trades in his boxing gloves for a mixed martial arts/ parkour fighting style that fully displays his brute strength and intelligence.

Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson does not just sit on the sidelines. He joins the fight in the third act, gracefully dogding enemy fire through the sky. Whenever Falcon is in the sky it is a joy to watch, as it is reminiscent of some of the great aerial fights in films like “Top Gun” and “Hell’s Angels.”

Like the original “Iron Man” film, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” not only delivers on the action side of things, but it also tackles very hot political questions that dominate today’s headlines. Is our sense of security worth the price of our free? Where do we draw the line in terms of how far are we willing to go to punish people for a crime before the crime is committed? These questions and how they are blended with other aspects of the film put “The Winter Soldier” in a League of it’s own when it comes to Marvel films.

The film also features some of the best character moments in any of the Marvel films. As Rodgers still struggles to adapt to this new world and he may not be as witty or broken as Tony Stark, The Russos do a good job of presenting Rodgers with conflict and make him question the world around him. Chris Evans has hit his stride as the star spangled hero, not only giving his best performance as the super soldier but also turning in the best performance of his career. Nick Fury also gets his due in the film, for the first time we get a glimpse into the man behind the eye patch. Of course we do not get a full look behind the curtain but the little tidbits about his past and who he is gives makes audience better empathize with the world’s greatest spy.

Scarlett Johansson continues to shine as Natasha Rominov aka Black Widow. She has played second fiddle to the heroes in past Marvel films but for the first time she is front and center. Her and Evans have great chemistry and its good to see her not reduced to just the emotionless kick ass woman, her character has a depth to her and even though it is not explicitly said, one can tell she is beginning to struggle with the world of lies she’s been living in her whole life.

New additions to the Marvel cinematic universe like Robert Redford, who is no stranger to political thrillers, plays the top dogs at S.H.I.E.L.D, and Anthony Mackie are not just glorified cameos but provide an interesting dynamic to the story. Sebastian Stan is great as The Winter Soldier, graduating from Cap’s sidekick to his most formidable foe. He does not have much dialogue but he is still able to convey the coldness of his character.

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is what comic book adaptations should be, letting the spectacle take a back seat to story and character development. The Russo Brothers have proven doubters who thought they could not make the quantum leap from television to a huge blockbuster wrong. They have a clear understanding of who Steve Rodgers is and embrace it. Marvel has not rested on its laurels after “The Avengers” and continue to raise the bar for comic book films, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is a must see.