“Captain, in Order to build a better world, sometimes means turning the old one down… And that makes enemies.”
This Marvel sequel tells the story of Steve Rogers A.K.A. Captain America coming to terms with modern life, as he struggles to agree with S.H.E.I.L.D’s methods of national security. He is also introduced to the mysterious and truly vicious Winter Soldier who is tasked with eliminating certain Shield operatives.
It pleases me to say that it was certainly more impressive than most of the other Marvel Cinematic Universe films (the movies made by Disney), as instead of going for a outright comedic stance like the disastrous Iron Man 3, it blends action, drama and comedy seamlessly into one nice package.
The plot is extremely intricate, and at sometimes seems slightly convoluted, even for a comic book veteran like myself. That said, it’s possibly the best story in any MCU movie to date. It’s an spy/espionage /thriller type of film, which lets the many twists and turns seem plausible. Speaking of twists, i won’t spoil any here, but there are a ton of excellent ones, including a few characters unexpectedly showing up. Although, if you have read the graphic novel, which i have, you will obviously expect some of the exciting developments. This shouldn’t detract readers of the novel though, as it is very loosely based on it, and there are copious added twists which, in my opinion, make the film even better than the treasured novel.
The acting is pretty solid, with Scarlett Johansson and the excellent Robert Redford giving very strong performances. Chris Evans’s Captain America becomes a more interesting character, as a result of the performance and writing. He really gives some great scenes as he wonders about the modern world, and questions Shield’s actions. Anthony Mackie’s Falcon is also a welcomed addition to the franchise.
There is nothing particularly striking about the cinematography, but there doesn’t need to be because it’s a fun action film, which doesn’t need to rely on nice visuals. Although the visuals, in terms of CGI, are great.
The whole direction of the film was spot on, since the Russo brothers seemed to understand what makes most comic book movies great – fun action, good story lines with lots of intense and exciting twists, and a strangely relatable hero. I’m not obviously saying that people will be able to relate to Cap’s abs, but his naivety and integrity are things which most people try to have.
8/10
Harvey Gardner 