As Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, he
teams up with another super soldier, the black widow, to battle a new
threat from old history: an assassin known as the Winter Soldier.
Directors:
Anthony Russo,
Joe Russo
Writers:
Christopher Markus (screenplay),
Stephen McFeely (screenplay), 3 more credits »
Stars:
Chris Evans,
Samuel L. Jackson,
Scarlett Johansson |
See full cast and cr
Storyline
For Steve Rogers, awakening after decades of suspended animation
involves more than catching up on pop culture; it also means that this
old school idealist must face a world of subtler threats and difficult
moral complexities. That becomes clear when Director Nick Fury is killed
by the mysterious assassin, the Winter Soldier, but not before warning
Rogers that SHIELD has been subverted by its enemies. When Rogers acts
on Fury's warning to trust no one there, he is branded as a traitor by
the organization. Now a fugitive, Captain America must get to the bottom
of this deadly mystery with the help of the Black Widow and his new
friend, The Falcon. However, the battle will be costly for the Sentinel
of Liberty, with Rogers finding enemies where he least expects them
while learning that the Winter Soldier looks disturbingly familiar.
Written by
Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)
Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
Captain America: The Winter Soldier User Reviews
This
film is simply exceptional in every way. The edge it has is delivering
the best, grittiest action the genre has ever scene and characters that
are as complex as the are fun. Why do I say that? Well...
What I
love about the character is that Steve Rogers has "I'm-a-man-out-
of-time issues" but he's comfortable with the chaos that it brings. In
acclimating himself to this century he is at his best. Yes, most people
would be overwhelmed but because of who he is and where he's from, he's
able to cope and adapt. The serum that gives him his physical edge also
gives him a mental boost. It's his emotions that are raw and unaided.
Time has passed since Avengers so we don't get to see his day to day
amazement and adjustment. I'm glad they skipped that stuff. What we do
see is the man who once represented America and has become alien to
America and it's slanted values. The passage of time. Add those
struggles to a full blown conspiracy film and what results might just be
the best film released all year long.
Steve Rogers is basically a
John Wayne American. The world shifts to him and it's his job to tell
everybody "Here's they way things should be done." We saw that in
Avengers and even the first film after he gathered his Howling
Commandos. Now, the powers that be are a lot more flexible in terms of
loyalties and how they're going to get certain jobs done. How he handles
this century's gray morality is at the heart of the film.
Like
most men from the 1940's, Steve keeps things to himself and keeps his
emotions bottled up. (EX: the first film when he mentions his mother
dying of TB and he was even embarrassed when Peggy found him mourning
alone for Bucky) So, bringing The Black Widow in to this film gives him
someone who is going to draw out his story, because he's never going to
offer it up of his own accord. Natasha learns from him. Fury learns from
him. Sam Wilson learns from him. Yet, they all give him something in
return. Every character used is utilized perfectly and smartly. Falcon
for example, is not in awe of the legend of Captain America. This is
exactly what Steve wants in a friend and in a fellow soldier, to not
have to be Captain America. Everyone fits perfectly in to the plot and
allows access to different beats, tones and emotional depth. Yes,
conspiracy thrillers need depth and this one has it.
Captain
America is probably the only superhero left in this world of the reboot
who is singularly heroic. He doesn't have this dark existential quandary
like other reinventions. Plugging that resolute goodness into a morally
complex story means he doesn't question what he believes, but he
questions whether anybody else does anymore. He doesn't question his
foundation but he questions where he has ended up and what his role must
now be. The conspiracy element and structure of this story helps in
that Captain America is not up on a pedestal being self righteous, he's
in a corner and that makes you want to root for the guy. He believes in
what he's doing and the viewer is along for a great ride sharing that
belief.
Marvel movies usually establish character early. This one
starts out fast but it's got a lot of character in it. The first act
packs a punch but does it laying the groundwork for a remarkable third
act. They take time showing the issues and you immediately empathize
with Steve. Giving us good character depth means the action delivers
more punch. And the action here is beyond great. This movie absolutely
punches you in the face in the best way possible. The action has
advanced a lot from the first film. How he now operates in the world and
kicks butt is all very impressive.
So, this is probably Marvel's
grittiest movie and it's also their best sequel to date. There's a dash
of humor but there's mostly a wonderful thriller, conspiracy and
adventure that delivers a great great film.
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