09 – Captain America: The Winter Soldier
So here we are, coming off of one of the least popular MCU movies, and going into one of the most popular. This film introduces an awesome villain, who isn’t really a villain at all – The Winter Soldier. Sebastian Stan is so cool, and pretty good looking, too! The character of a brainwashed Bucky Barns is great because of his history as a good guy, the closest friend of Steve Rogers, Captain America. Because let’s not forget, this is a Captain America movie. Multiple heroes join the cast like Black Widow, Falcon, Nick Fury, and Maria Hill, along with a few other bad guys like Brock Rumlow, and Robert Redford playing Alexander Pierce.
So, being a Cap story, the main baddies are all members of Hydra, an organization that seems to be the opposite side of the SHIELD coin. I really liked how, as it is revealed whenever anyone says “Hail Hydra,” that several minor characters who we’ve seen in previous MCU movies, were actually evil agents masquerading as good guys, like Maximiliano Hernandez, playing Jasper Sitwell, Gary Shandling, playing Senator Stern, and even Toby Jones got to reprise his role as Arnim Zola. Hydra is insidious because it makes you question where everyone’s loyalties lie. Well… except for Captain America, of course. He’s always a hero.
This movie got so many things right. It is really science fiction and fantasy rolled into one. Clearly, they have incredible technologies that dwarf what we currently have in the real world today. But it’s ok. We can buy into it because such things were established in the previous Captain America movie, which took place in the 1940s. After all, what is a superhero movie without a little suspension of disbelief, right?
So Nick Fury got to prove just how much of a bad-ass he is, there was emotional drama between Captain America and the Winter Soldier, as old friends who have now become complete enemies, fight each other. There is some really great character development as we get to know Natasha Romanoff a little better. And there is plenty of action and fight sequences. The film’s climactic battle shows Cap and Falcon trying to take control of heavily armed helicarriers that have been programmed to murder several million innocent people all over the globe. And the story was literally incredibly down to earth, and realistic, within the context of the world of super-powered heroes, something people really like about the very first MCU movie, Iron Man. It really had a lot of great things going for it. No, there were no gods with magic hammers, no giant green destruction monsters, and no geniuses with near magic suits of armor. There were just guys with guns, really cool technology, and one guy with a vibranium shield. And it was frickin’ awesome!
But all that simply adds to the real reason this was such a good movie. It just had a really cool story. You can have the greatest cast in the world, the best visual effects, incredible costume and set designs, but none of it means anything without a good story at its core. There is intrigue, deception, betrayal, espionage, great acts of sacrifice, and amazing heroism. This movie had it all. And the thrilling action certainly didn’t hurt. And even more than all that, it had an ending that left room for the story to be continued. The characters all had new agendas set up that would lead them into future movies. I love how Bucky leaves in the end, to find out who he is.
How many home runs can Marvel hit? Well, as any fan of the franchise can tell you, it just keeps getting better and better. And just as a side note, a lot of Marvel fans are really disappointed with the newer Phase Four movies, but I love them all. These movies are so entertaining. They just continue to feed into my love for epic stories. It is a grand tapestry that just keeps expanding, revealing amazing new characters and incredible new stories. This movie was such a fantastic addition to that larger picture.
Top 10 Favorite Parts
- Captain America rescues the hostages. Fun banter with Black Widow.
- The first attempt to assassinate Fury
- The Winter Soldier catches Cap’s shield with his metal hand.
- The fight in the elevator. “Do any of you want to get out before we get started?”
- Cap teams up with Agent Romanoff and the visit the Apple Store.
- Cap and Black Widow interrogate Jasper Sitwell.
- Cap discovers the hidden identity of the Winter Soldier.
- Falcon’s battle around the helicarriers.
- Jenny Agutter, playing World Security Council member, Hawley, kicking Pierce’s butt before revealing that she is actually Black Widow in disguise.
- The destructions of the three helicarriers, and how one of them crashed into a building, forcing Falcon, without his wings, to leap into a flying helicopter. So cool!!