Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Cinema Review

If you were like me and hoping that the shield corruption, moral conflicts and commentary on intelligence organisations hinted at in the trailers would play a big part in this film then you'll be pleased to hear those hopes are realised. One of The Winter Soldier's biggest achievements is making a superhero film with the expected mainstream large action sequences as well as an effective espionage thriller. Some of the tense atmospheres of distrust created are potent and will have you second guessing the motives and allegiance of almost every character on screen.

For those less interested in those affairs, the film still delivers on the big-budget marvel action movie side of its persona. Less so than other avenger-centric films perhaps but i feel the extra time devoted to plot and character conflict only makes the action better and it suitably tapers so that the second half of the film is much more action packed than the first.

I can't go into too much detail with the plot because i don't want to spoil things but the film does well focusing on about three or four major characters and exploring them all very well. The acting is also solid on all accounts especially from Samuel L Jackson. Tonally despite a rather dark distrustful atmosphere with quite a lot more violence than other Avenger franchise films, the story still finds time for plenty of injections of humour that help balance everything nicely.

The film is fairly long but it doesn't feel like any scenes are superfluous or time is wasted. From the very first shot the filmmakers are setting up characters and story and for a central character who is so defined by events in his past there aren't too many flashbacks either.

The complex web of betrayals, mystery and corruption is mostly watertight with only one or two minor plotholes emerging in the later scenes of the film. The leaps of logic and realism that can sometimes disengage in these types of films are also few, which considering the substantial, epic scale of events and characters is an achievement.

A few notes about Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow however in regards to character and treatment. In Avengers she was very cold, calculating and detached but in Winter Soldier they've made her much sassier with her far outnumbering the other characters in terms of quips and comical lines. These aren't bad and the acting is still very good it's just a minor gripe about character inconsistency that struck me whilst watching.

They've also made her much less "assier" (thought of that all by myself, i'm here all week, etc) by which i mean far less sexualised than in other films which is a refreshing step forward.
That said there is some interesting sexual tension between her and the titular hero which is mostly underlying and doesn't outstay its welcome but is another well implemented layer to the film weaved into much of the film's comedy.

Overall this is an excellent different direction to take the character in yet remaining a solid story with plenty of action, comedy and intrigue to appeal to fans of the Avengers franchise or action movie fans in general. I was worried that this vast arc of movies planned to live well into the future would be stretching the characters and appeal too thin but if Winter Solider, Iron Man 3 and arguably Thor 2 are any indication, the post-avengers films are only improving.