“Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” part of the Marvel
Studios universe, is easily one of the best (along with The Avengers). It successfully combines Cap’s WWII history and the
present-day situations. The performances are good, the script (by Christopher
Markus and Stephen McFeely) is sharp, and the action sequences are superb. This
new film is an espionage flick that harkens to the political thrillers of the
1970s. Having been thawed out of his post-war freeze and then commissioned as
an Avenger, Captain America, aka Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), is now working as
a reluctant contractor for SHIELD, the global spy service run by Nick Fury
(Samuel L. Jackson). When pirates highjack a SHIELD vessel in the Indian Ocean,
Rogers and the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) are sent on what appears to be
a routine hostage-rescue mission. It’s not, of course, as Fury has another,
secret agenda for the operation: SHIELD has been compromised at a high level
and he’s trying to find out how and by whom. SHIELD agent Maria Hill (Cobie
Smulders) has a small but important role and we’re introduced to former
paratrooper Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and to Nick Fury’s boss, Alexander
Pierce (Robert Redford). An important new friendship for Rogers begins and
another from his past pays a crucial role in what unfolds.
Steve Rogers is ‘out of time,’ a man with a black –and-white
disposition in a world of grays and encumbered by regret. Though he allows that
the contemporary world has its advantages, he struggles to find his place. The
political themes of the film, involving surveillance and governmental misuse of
personal data, are more sophisticated than the usual Marvel fare. The film is
set predominantly in and around Washington DC, with the 60-story SHIELD
headquarters looming across the Potomac from the Kennedy Center although it was
filmed in Cleveland and Los Angeles. Chris Evans has another solid outing as
the All-American hero. Johansson takes an opportunity to prove her action chops
with her expanded Black Widow role. But it’s Mackie, as Cap’s new friend, who
steals just about every scene he’s in. Here’s hoping we see more of him in the
future. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is taut, suspenseful and, on
occasion, even sad. NOTE: There are two post-credit sequences so be sure to
stay through all of the credits. 4/11/14
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