Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Running Time: 2 Hours 10 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure/Comic-Book
Estimated Budget: $170, 000,000
Estimated Gross:

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Writer: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Stars: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson

My Rating: 9/10

Can Marvel do any wrong?
In my humble opinion, nope they absolutely cannot, and if they can they haven't proved it yet. Every time a Marvel film is announced advertised and released in cinemas I get so excited. I was never a comic book fan and when the first movies i.e. Iron Man (2008), The Incredible Hulk (2008) and Iron Man 2 (2010) were first released I did not see them at the cinema and was not even slightly interested. But somewhere between Thor (2011) and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) the billion dollar company took a hold and I've been a fan ever since. In a group of 5 boys and myself I was definitely the most excited whilst watching The Avengers (2012). 

So it's safe to say I was excited to see Captain America: The Winter Soldier, I was looking forward to learning more about Steve Rogers, as I felt they had really only scratched the surface with his character. The first film really drew me in because like Thor they appealed to women as well as the usual male audience. They were less action packed adventures than character driven origin stories, something about the more in depth detail of these 2 films resonated with me, not to mention the sweet love stories that made up part of the focus for both heroes. Captain America 2 wastes no time getting into the action, it is fast paced and there is no other word for it; cool. The cutting in the fight scenes is so fast at the start of the movie that it takes your eyes some time to adjust to the pacing.

Steve Rogers is in this film, beginning to come to terms with a modern life, he is internally struggling but on the outside he has got a rhythm/pattern to his life which he repeats daily to ease the pain. His relationship with Black Widow is developing they are beginning to build a friendship and trust between them and by the end of the movie there is an immoveable bond formed. Whether this blossoms into a romance remains to be seen but I'm sure every girl in the audience was fantasising about a union. This bond comes in handy as Steve needs all the help he can get as he faces a new enemy. Things are looking bad for S.H.I.E.L.D. someone on the inside has gone corrupt and things are looking bleak. This film shows us much more of Nick Fury, we learn a lot of new things about him, his past and his true feelings; leading S.H.I.E.L.D. he is very guarded but the wall drops briefly enough for us to learn some interesting insights.

What neither Fury nor Steve Rogers have bargained on is a new enemy; with a metal arm, extremely powerful, fast and with his face covered he is a mysterious but dangerous foe. As people are now aware this is the Winter soldier and it is none other than Steve's closest friend Bucky Barnes who as far as Steve knew had fallen to his death in the second World War. He has no memory of Steve or Captain America his alias, this proves problematic for Steve as he is fiercely loyal and has to find the strength to battle Bucky in their inevitable showdown. The plot for The Winter Soldier is far more interesting and complex than the original, it features just as much action if not more yet still manages to have a superior storyline for all characters involved.

As well as all that there are also plenty of new characters introduced many of whom will return in larger roles in future Marvel entries. This applies mainly to Anthony Mackie who plays Sam Wilson aka Falcon, he is a soldier who Steve can relate to, they share the feeling of having come back from a place civilians cannot imagine. Sam becomes an ally who trusts and respects Steve intensely and backs him up immediately when trouble appears. I for one will be very interested to see how Sam/Falcon develops at a later date, having only shown a very small amount of his potential and those wings.

Hollywood star and indie king Robert Redford was a surprising but inspired choice as Alexander Pierce the secretary in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D. he works above Nick Fury but they are very close. Redford plays Pierce very calm and collected throughout the film and shows that he can still give an outstanding performance in the biggest films. His character is involved in the largest plot twist in the film, a twist with many levels, the first being very predictable the second not at all so. The film lends itself to classic conspiracy thrillers that Redford starred in at the height of his career. It is not only Bucky who is re-introduced from the first movie and this proves for a thrilling addition to the storyline. There is a delightful and rather thrilling cameo from Jenny Agutter who seemingly proves her worth towards the end of the film. Stan Lee of course has his usual delightful cameo, a laugh out loud moment that every audience member appreciates.

Despite the fantastical futuristic elements that bombard every Marvel film there is a very gritty realism to this film, a dark edge under the surface. This theme blends well with the mistrust and corruptness that is enveloping the company that Steve Rogers has agreed to be a part of. Looking back through Marvel's turn out so far this is no doubt the best sequel they have produced. Due in no small part to directors Anthony and Joe Russo who have created a film that is far superior to its original and brings new thrills into the already amazing world of Marvel.

As with all the Marvel films to date watch out for the ending, there is a worthwhile clip that will excite all Marvel fans, we are briefly introduced to new characters which leads us into Avengers: Age of Ultron due for release May 1st 2015.

This is nothing short of an exceptional example of what can happen when all the right ingredients come together. It is a film that will appeal to both male and female, young and old audiences, it has a gritty edge but also keeps that fun, sharp witty dialogue that is expected in a Marvel creation. Captain America: The Winter Soldier has laid a new and polished path for which all future Marvel films will tread. Here's hoping they can match up.