“We compromised. Sometimes in ways that made us not sleep so well. But we did it so the people could be free.”
“This isn’t freedom, this is fear.”
It feels like Captain America: The Winter Soldier shouldn’t have happened. That’s not an insult by the way. With a strong universe which was over-performing at the Box Office, how could the ‘lawful good’ poster boy of the Marvel Cinematic Universe stand out?
But by the ending of The Winter Soldier, the Captain stands out brightly as the new standard for the MCU.
Oh man, The Winter Soldier. How the heck did Directors, who at the time were most well-known for the episodic comedies Community and Arrested Development, direct this?
What is this?
This is a film where the stakes are high, the political intrigue is through the roof and the action is as good and pure as its humour. The Russo Brothers crafted a world around Steve Rogers which took him from the battlefields of a World War, to a shadow war within the worlds’ government.
Starting with an epic action sequence to tell the audience they’re not fooling around, they don’t let up. Just when you think they’re done, the next action sequence will up the ante. The plot itself is as impressive in scope. Unravelling threads in an established universe is no easy feat, and it does so in thrilling ways.
Improved relationships amongst its leads, The Winter Soldier creates one of the best on-screen friendships with the development of Steve and Natasha’s banter as they navigate the story. There’s good reason the Russo’s picked up Captain America: Civil War after this, along with the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War, proving their ability to direct and showcase individuals in large ensembles.
And with what they started here, you can see Captain America will be ready one day to declare “AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!”.
