Perhaps the most mature and intelligent addition to the Avengers franchise.
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| Captain America geared up in a new suit |
We have seen the man in the armored suit, we have seen the thunder
god with his earth-shattering hammer, but with more than 2 chances in their
respective sequels neither has been able to venture beyond the guy who just kicks ass. Marvel’s cinematic universe expands
with Captain America: The Winter Soldier but it also diverges into new and refreshing territory. The latest installment
has a great deal to boast and distinguish from the typical movies that Marvel’s
line up has brought.
Following the events of The
First Avenger and The Avengers,
the film continues to focus on Steve Rogers as he adjusts to modern day life. Although
Captain America believes that he is the only person who has outlived his time,
the dark plot slowly uncovers hidden fragments from his past that have lingered
on to the present. With this continued secrecy, the atmosphere of the film is
set. The audience, much like the titular Cap, is mostly unaware of the grand
scheme which solidifies the suspense of the present movie and extends the
mystery to upcoming films.
As Rogers lives his low-profile life in Washington DC, he
meets a former soldier, Sam Wilson (Falcon), during a run out in the park. Even
with a few friends and a job, Captain America reminisces his past glory days with
a visit to the museum. His hidden isolation becomes more tragic after seeing Peggy Carter, a long-time friend, living in an elderly house. The contrasting portrayal of age
is a strong reminder of the enduring difficulty that Rogers is facing. Including
this minor sub-plot serves as a perfect emotional pay-off since it establishes
a part of the hero that we can actually care about. Shortly after, the questions
and mysteries begin: with a car chase following Nick Fury by an unknown team
and a “heartless” masked villain, named The Winter Soldier.
To counterweigh the dark plot, a few effectively humorous
scenes take over. One of which is Steve’s attempt at understanding the 21st
century which includes a notebook for a list of things to do ranging from eating spicy Thai foods to Steve Jobs, go
figure.
With the Russo brothers in the director’s seat, things
seemed quite uncertain at first—after all, most of their work involved
comedies. However, it’s clear that they are a perfect match for comic book adapted
movies. The action sequences are very well orchestrated. Their realistic
rendering of the Falcon’s flight is elegantly shown: the motion as he flies
high up in the air and takes deep dives down is a captivating and transporting
experience.
The film adopts multiple styles, including an undercover
raid, a spectacular car chase with Nick Fury, and a marvelous fight-off between
the Winter Soldier and Captain America. The collective fight scene between the
villain and the protagonist is intense in nature but also liberating. The
moment Cap’s shield collides with the metallic force of the soldier, a strong
reverberation propagates towards the audience’s seats. The climax of this
fight-off fortunately strays away from the overly exaggerated Iron Man 3
firework ending and instead portrays the true definition of a hero encompassing
much of the sacrificial ideals.
Forgetting Natasha Romanoff, played by Scarlett Johansson,
would be very remiss since she is one of the most entertaining characters in
the film. Her sexy and acrobatic moves are impressively shot with focuses on
almost every angle. Her performance alone should warrant her a stand-alone
movie; there is a lot that needs to be uncovered about this feisty
superheroine.
Running at almost 130 minutes, the Captain America sequel
spends a tad too much time on the action. Unlike other superhero movies,
however, it doesn’t have a dire effect on important aspects such as character
progression and plot cohesiveness.
Without delving into the details of the plot and spoilers,
another success from the film is its preeminence in not only portraying highly
entertaining sequences but also highlighting social and political concerns of
contemporary relevance, including intrusion of privacy and governmental deceit.
