Review- Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America is back for more.


Let me start with a disclaimer. As a self-professed super-hero lover, I obviously enjoyed this film. That said, my objective view is similar to my view of Captain America himself: undoubtedly good but a little too bland.

In a post-Avengers world Steve Rogers is still the golden-boy of S.H.I.E.L.D, but he seems to be having a bit of a personal identity crisis as he begins to feel more like a pawn than a player in the fight against evil. When some shocking revelations force Captain America off the grid, a race begins to save the world from the people he thought were protecting it. Unfortunately, his job isn’t easy as a mysterious, metal-armed villain with a hazy past and a familiar face hunts our hero. It’s a good thing Captain America is up to the task.

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While the special-effects team ensure explosions throughout, the one-dimensionality of the main character leaves the film a little flat. The criticism doesn’t apply to Chris Evans as he plays the ‘all-American nice guy’ extremely well. I had hoped to see some character evolution (especially in a sequel – see Iron Man 2 for details) but frankly this film left me viewing the Captain as a bit of a one-trick pony. His inherent, and necessary, goodness actually prevents the character complexity which makes a good superhero so film compelling.

The presence of Scarlett Johansson in the film also baffled me. In earlier films we never get so much as an inkling of a friendship between her and the Cap’ and that shows. Execs try to create a bro-mantic aura between the two as opposed to a romance but their ‘banter’ comes off as stilted and awkward at best. In my opinion, the Black Widow (aptly) gives the impression that she’d eat the Cap’ for breakfast, and his fear is written all over his face.

That said, the film has some finer points. The supporting cast is excellent: expert bad ass Samuel L. Jackson steals the show despite only 20 minutes of screen-time;  Robert Redford (a weird older man crush of mine) delivers an understated but stellar performance as the refreshingly human evil mastermind; and Anthony Mackie portrays a solid wingman for Captain America. There are hints of the same camaraderie between the Captain and Mackie that we saw between Steve and Bucky (sob) in the first film. If Mackie makes another appearance with the Cap’ in future films, Stark/Banner might have a fight for the title of ‘best bromance.’

The film definitely delivers in the action department. It’s got everything a well-written superhero flick should have: car chases, fight scenes, explosions. It’s fast-paced, and the modern-day plot is definitely more gripping than that of the first film. In the end, Captain America: The Winter Soldier delivers what you’d expect. I’m not predicting Oscars but I would recommend it as a fun way to kill a few spare hours.

 

 

Images courtesy of businessinsider.com