As if you thought I was going to spend a whole month looking back on every single movie based on Marvel Comics characters that's ever been in movie theaters without putting my two cents in on the new one.
Chris Evans returns as the star-spangled super-soldier, Steve Rogers, in Marvel Studios' Captain America: The Winter Soldier. After the events in The Avengers, Rogers is still trying to adjust to the 21st Century. He's meeting new friends, like vet Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), but still misses the old ones, like his best friend, "Bucky" (Sebastian Stan), who he lost in battle in the previous Cap solo movie. He's also not very trusting of modern institutions, especially his own outfit, S.H.I.E.L.D. His suspicions are raised further after a rescue mission on a freighter, and as soon as he and Nick Fury (Sam Jackson) start poking around, a shadowy figure attacks and a S.H.I.E.L.D. boss (played by the legendary Robert Redford) questions Steve's loyalty. Cap soon finds himself on the wrong side of the law, and he teams up with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Sam to track down this mysterious assassin, known only as The Winter Soldier, and uncover the truth about S.H.I.E.L.D.
Just when I thought Marvel was getting into a comfortable, predictable place with Thor: The Dark World, they had to go and do this. Captain America: The Winter Soldier reminds us all, yet again, why Marvel Studios reigns supreme in big-budget filmmaking. The film is Marvel's usual explosion of character, action, and insane imagination, but it's so maddeningly magnificent, I would go so far to say it rivals that of The Avengers and the first Iron Man.
It has taken this far into the game to realize what makes Marvel Studios' pictures so successful creatively. It's not just certain individuals who should- but eventually do- get the credit. It's not Kevin Feige, or Joss Whedon, or Robert Downey Jr. These films are a collaboration, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier is one of the absolute best examples. Sure, it's Marvel with the ideas on where to take their properties, but it's also the talent that pulls it off in ways I'm sure blow them away. In the case of The Winter Soldier, directors Anthony and Joe Russo bring Cap into the modern action film, eschewing the pulpy, Indiana Jones aesthetic of The First Avenger in favor of the likes of Jason Bourne and Taken. Yes, everyone knew that going in, but the Russos also weave in elements of Watergate-era thrillers that not only act as a bridge between the two eras, but also propel the story- and the Marvel Cinematic Universe- into some shocking directions.
Before you begin thinking Marvel is going Chris Nolan on their movie world, know that the film never forgets what it is or who the character of Captain America is. That's because Marvel doesn't forget, the Russos never forget, and neither does Cap himself, Chris Evans. He delivers his best performance as Rogers yet, having given an opportunity to put Cap's values to an actual test in the modern world. Also delivering their best turns are Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johanssen, while Redford and Wilson are most welcome additions. Credit the Russos for also striking a refreshing balance between practical magic, some kick-ass fight choreography, and CGI. And hey, Marvel, don't make Brian Tyler your sole music guy for your pictures. Henry Jackman's stirring score is a winner, and much more appropriate for this film than the bombastic arrangements heard in either of Cap's previous adventures.
Ed Brubaker's Winter Soldier story arc already stands as one of the greatest Captain America tales in comics, but now there is film path that is just as monumentally thrilling. Captain America: The Winter Soldier proves Marvel Studios- after all its stunning success with The Avengers- are not interested in being slackers. They still have the guts to challenge audiences, critics, and the "distinguished competition" in their thinking of what superhero films should be.
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