Captain America: The Winter Soldier is easily one of the best superhero movies Marvel has released, and I think I’ve seen all of them now (more than once). Okay, I think that of most of the Marvel movies when I see them for the first time. This one will be going into the collection.
Chris Evans continues the saga as Steve Rogers, a man who is having a bit of difficulty adjusting to his life. Not so much because of the time spent while he was frozen, which, let’s face it, offers up a unique challenge, but as a soldier trying to adjust to life outside of a war zone. I liked the way they handled this difficult issue. By introducing Sam Wilson, Falcon, as someone who has not only experienced this himself but also helps others with their adjustment, gently brings attention to the issue and the kind of man Sam is while showing that there is help available for those having a hard time dealing with their own adjustment.
Like all the Marvel movies, Captain America: The Winder Soldier incorporates an interesting story line in an action packed film, and no Marvel movie would be complete without an unexpected twist … or three. The relationship between Captain America and the Black Widow moves from a friendly acquaintance to a true friendship during the course of the film. It is refreshing to find a male and female friendship that develops without smacking the viewers upside the head with sexual tension. Although gorgeous, Scarlett Johansson’s character is more likely to kick ass than…anything else, and it is nice to see that in a mainstream film. (Geeks have known this for a long time, but the rest of the media forgets…too often.)
Robert Redford makes an appearance as Alexander Pierce, as a member of the World Council and Nick Fury’s friend. I just like Robert Redford, and, as expected, he does a great job wit this role.
I am continuously impressed by the way Marvel takes all these franchises and weaves their storylines together into an enormous whole. From Iron Man, Thor, The Avengers, Captain America and Marvel: Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. the arc of the story continues into each, and that is really cool. Has any other franchise really done this as well? (Maybe Star Trek, but I don’t know. Please tell me what you think!) However, with a feature film and a television series being released at the same time, it is going to get complex, and it has. When Thor: The Dark World was in theaters, Marvel: Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. was just getting going. By the time the events from the film get mentioned in the series, Thor I’d already seen the film. (I am not known for getting out to see movies opening weekend, and I really don’t remember how long the movie had been in theaters before I saw it.) The point is, even if a fan hadn’t gotten around to the movie yet, the spoilers weren’t that big of a deal. Those who had seen the movie got a chance to feel a bit like an insider with knowledge about what exactly caused all the damage S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were being forced to clean up.
This time around, there are some pretty major events are going on with both story lines at the same time. A couple of big surprise reveals in the film were anti-climactic, because I’d watched Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. a couple of days before making it out to the movies. There were still plenty of surprises to be had, but two of the biggest were already out of the bag. Now, I know I need to either make sure to get out to see the new Marvel movie opening weekend, or DVR S.H.I.E.L.D. and wait until I can see the movie before catching up. If I wasn’t such a stickler for spoilers, I would have a) read that I needed to see Captain American before S.H.I.E.L.D. online b) not have been bothered by the reveal c) all the above. As bugged as I am by the spoilers, Marvel did a really excellent job of making sure the story lines didn’t step on each other’s toes too much, and giving me the sense of I-know-something-you-don’t-know while I was sitting in the theater. I don’t know how they could have handled this any better. That being said, this is my official warning…WATCH THE MOVIE FIRST.
Also, make sure you stay until the very tail end of the credits. Marvel has us all trained to stay until the close of the initial credits, but there is an extra surprise at the very end. Just in case you hadn’t figured that out…or had forgotten…or need ammunition to convince your friends not to leave without you because you’re waiting…
I’m trying really hard not to ruin surprises about The Winter Soldier, but it is soooo hard! So, for all of those who want to discuss, hit up the comments section or email me at ilovegeekology@gmail.com. (How’s that for a not so subtle hint?) What do you think about the identity of The Winter Soldier? The post credit reveal? I haven’t read the comic books (I know, bad me!). Who are the twins? It has been driving me nuts since I saw the movie a couple of weeks ago…okay, so it may have been like four weeks. (Four weeks?!? How did that happen?)
‘Til next time,
Jessica
I Love Geekology 101 