Steve Rogers was a scrawny young man who wanted no more than to fight for his country. Due to his size and other variables he kept getting rejected until a defected Nazi scientist sees the heart this young man displays for his fellow man. He gives him the opportunity to be the test subject in his super soldier program. He became Captain America, a “Hollywood style” poster boy for the war. He didn’t get into real service until he went behind enemy lines, alone, to rescue his best friend and other troops thought lost as prisoners of war. After that, Captain America led his own forces against that of Hydra and its leader Red Skull. He eventually wins, but must sacrifice himself to save the USA. Fast forward to the present and he is found, frozen and somehow sustained. Now, he’s been enlisted by S.H.I.E.L.D. to help defend the world against the ever growing dangers.

This film kicks off after the events of the Avengers. We live in a different, more dangerous world now. Rogers is at the forefront of it, trying to help S.H.I.E.L.D. neutralize various threats. Rogers may be a man out of time, but his way of thinking is what makes him such an important character in these times. He believes in honesty, trust, and integrity, something lacking in today’s military chain. In this film he must face the conspiracy, espionage, and mistrust as things begin to unravel all around him. Ultimately, he and the few that he trusts must stand tall and save the day from the baddies behind it all. Oh yeah, and there’s this badass assassin called the Winter Soldier that the film is named after and who has a huge impact in this film.

To me, this movie was everything it should’ve been. I really liked how they make Rogers appear as the badass he is. The way he moves, fights, rolls, and interacts with his surroundings is a testament to his character. Also, his shield really gets the treatment it deserves as he uses it with precision to bounce it around and back to him as if it’s second nature. I also applaud the use of several characters without cluttering or bogging the film down like those in the past had failed. I’m looking at you Spider-Man 3 and X-Men 3. Appearances by Maria Hill, Sitwell, Batroc the Leaper, and Arnim Zola (which comic fans are sure to geek out over) are fantastically done and add to the film rather than take away from it. Falcon, by the way, was a great addition to this film. The pace of the film seemed to be decent as I never found myself bored at any time. I felt that Jackson, Evans, Johansson, Redford, and company delivered very solid performances in this film that is sure to change the landscape for some of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Lastly, there are two post credit scenes. Both are important moving forward, however, the first has the biggest impact as we see some new characters both good and bad are introduced. We also see a couple elements that may be put into play. In closing, go see this film. If you have liked any of Marvels films to date then go see it. Personally, I think that it may be the best single film that they’ve made yet, with exception to The Avengers, which is still #1 in my book! The next, and last, film in Marvel’s Phase 2 will be Guardians of the Galaxy (8/1), which I am feverishly looking forward to!