"Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?"

-Steve Rogers













As Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) continues to work with S.H.I.E.L.D., he becomes more and more disillusioned with who the good guys and bad guys are. Things become even more complicated when one of Rogers' friends is killed and a conspiracy within S.H.I.E.L.D. is uncovered. On the run and not sure who he can trust, Rogers has to reveal the enemy within and take on a legendary assassin in order to save the day this time.









What Works:





Up to this point in the MCU, I think The Winter Soldier is the strongest film. What helps it most is how politically relevant it is. This movie was released about a year after Edward Snowden and the NSA reveal; confirmation that the government is spying on us. This movie takes that and dials it up to 11. The threat of HYDRA poses in this film is terrifying. Their goal is to wipe out 20 million people who they believe would cause problems if HYDRA was to try and seize control. That's insane and it makes the threat easier to be affected by. We are all threatened, not just a specific city. The stakes and relevant nature of the plot make this film extremely effective.





On the same note, this really doesn't feel like a superhero movie. It's more like a Bourne film with a superhero in it. That's an awesome idea. Making Captain America and the Winter Soldier the only characters in the film with any superpowers is very interesting and further isolates them from the other characters in the story, which is very important for both of these characters. It feels like a very different movie than the rest of the MCU and I appreciate that.





I'm stunned that they got Robert Redford to be in this movie and play the villain. It's absolutely crazy. The guy is an extremely well-respected and old-school actor, but he does an amazing job. He's the only villain in this universe that doesn't have a super suit or any powers, yet he's just as dangerous. He's a well-written and well-acted character and one of the better villains in the MCU.





Giving Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) a larger role here was an excellent idea. Jackson is always fun to watch and it's great that he gets his own action sequence here. It's an especially effective sequence because you believe Nick could actually die here. You know Captain America is going to make it, but Fury's plot armor isn't necessarily there. It brings stakes to an already intense sequence.





The introduction of Sam "Falcon" Wilson is excellent. He's a really fun character and I like the chemistry he has with Steve. Anthony Mackie does a great job and has excellent charisma.





Finally, the action sequences are all fantastic. Nick Fury's escape attempt, the elevator fight, the attack on the bridge, and the entire 3rd act are all a blast to watch. The Russo Brothers know how to direct an action sequence and they get their career with Marvel off to an amazing start here.









What Sucks:





I got nothing for you.









Verdict:





Captain America: The Winter Soldier is still in the conversation for best MCU movie to this day. The action, the performances, and the story are all fantastic and the political aspects have aged well. I have nothing bad to say about this film and it has absolutely got it going on.





10/10: Amazing



