Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Marvel Studios) - Discussion Thread
I went to the midnight premier of this a few days ago. Here's my thoughts on it! I've kept it as spoiler-minimal as I can.
It’s hard to believe that this film is actually the sequel to 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, which was generally agreed to be on the lesser side of the MCU scale when lined up with its superhero siblings. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) started out as a dull, passé protagonist of an experimental movie who reached a surprising and dramatic learning curve in 2012’s Avengers Assemble.
His role in this universe is made all the more interesting as his characterisation reaches new depths in this latest instalment to the ongoing Marvel movie franchise. It’s also hard to believe that this flick fits within the same chronology as both Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World given its serious political allusions and themes.
You’ll find that the plot details within this review will remain thoroughly ambiguous given the skilfully-entangled nature of the plot. Whilst it is certainly fair to say that if you have seen any decent espionage thrillers in your time, such as the Bourne series, then you’ll most likely be able to predict the plot-twists in the moments before they reveal themselves. In the case of this movie specifically, it doesn’t ever matter or become a problem.
In fact it’s actually satisfying to know that the plot is on your wavelength, which makes it all the more fulfilling when you see just how Captain America and his new chums ultimately deal with the new enemies. The film is also very rewarding for all of those who have stuck with this series since 2008’s Iron Man, as plot seeds have been planted in some of the films since which each receive a full and satisfying pay-off here.
So let’s dive right in!
The Winter Soldier takes place roughly two years after the Battle of New York with Steve Rogers now acting as a special on-call agent for S.H.I.E.L.D.
Things take a turn for the worse when one of Cap’s closest colleagues is attacked between missions by the mysterious, titular ‘Winter Soldier’ . Warned by one of his only friends to ‘trust no-one’ as this attack is just one part of a much bigger plot, and spurred on by his own instincts, Captain America’s initial investigation into the attack ultimately leads him to stumble upon a vast conspiracy which spans the entirety of the last century.
Joined in his pursuit by the seductive and dangerous Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Steve soon realises that in order to overcome these obstacles he will have to hit new limits. He realises that not all threats can be tackled with just his super-powered fists and iconic shield. The world is so much more complicated than that now. The largely uninteresting, clichéd hero of The First Avenger is therefore completely stripped away to be replaced by the darker, more determined and – most importantly – more humanised Steve Rogers.
The Winter Soldier makes for a good illustration of how incredibly webbed and complicated the world has become since Steve was frozen under the ice. His morals on justice have no place in the much more modern context of 2014 as the world has transformed in the years since World War Two. Captain America has to find a new place in it in order to fend off those who would take advantage of him to meet their own ends, especially when they hide under the guise of comradeship. You’ll find various clever allusions to many political issues from over the years which are all revealed to be rather deviously interconnected. The scope and scale of this story concept means that Steve and Black Widow, along with new recruit ‘Falcon’ (Anthony Mackie), have to chase down their leads from the heart of S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ to right across America, trusting no-one in their search for answers.
When S.H.I.E.L.D. ultimately becomes compromised as well in the days after the attack, Cap relies on his own skills and initiatives in order to combat the seemingly growing and invisible threat. Soon it becomes clear that the safety of the world may well be jeopardised as the ‘bigger plan’ is at last revealed.
On the subject of combat, the choreography of the fight scenes in this flick are on par with those we saw in Avengers Assemble. As intense and visceral as any you might have seen in Skyfall, the various skirmishes throughout The Winter Soldier remain as exhilarating as the last and each battle seems to up the ante. The actual Winter Soldier provides Captain America with a combatant of equal strength and much less mercy than he – a warrior who is more than willing to put innocents in harm’s way in order to achieve his goal.
Whilst it’s frustrating for me to resist discussing much more than that, any more details could most likely spoil your enjoyment of the film. Although it shouldn’t need saying, any loyal Marvelites out there must stay for the mid-credits scene. Like with the Infinity Stones scene at the end of Thor: The Dark World, we are given even more serious hints about the future of this franchise.
Take it from me that Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a solid espionage thriller which deals with some relevant political topics and ramps up that trademark ‘Marvel movie’ excitement in a big bad way. To me, this is the ‘Skyfall’ of the Marvel universe.
Has anyone else seen this yet? If so what did you think? Do you agree/disagree?
Here's the link to my official review on it: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (review). Come give us a like if you enjoyed reading/skimming through!
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