Captain America, the Winter Soldier delivers a number of surprises, no matter what level of Marvel Comics knowledge you bring with you into the movie theater. Even the casual fan who doesn’t recognize Stan Lee’s cameo when they see it will still enjoy a plethora of “Whoa!” moments. As for the serious fan, being able to pick out so many Easter eggs makes the movie that much more enjoyable.
A novice of Marvel comics, I find myself somewhere in the middle of these two extremes, and have come away from a first viewing impressed by three main aspects of this latest Marvel venture.
First: there’s a good, sturdy plotline, full of all kinds of action and intrigue. The underlying “trust no one” motif keeps you guessing. In fact, it kept me guessing so much that, frankly, at times I felt a bit confused. You know that old Jerry Seinfeld joke about people who can’t keep up in the movies: “OH! So you mean that guy is WITH them!” Well, that was me, during a good portion of this movie. I think I’ll have to see it a second time to feel really certain about the politics and alliances that propel the plot.
So the story, with tons of action and special effects is very well done, as we would expect. Car chases and crashes, people jumping off buildings, explosions, hand to hand combat, etc. 
Sit back and feel comfortable that you’ll get plenty of all that. And because it’s Marvel, you can also be assured of a distinctively terrifying villain. I knew nothing about the Winter Soldier before seeing this movie, and was impressed by his ability to give Cap a run for his money. But wait! He’s not the only villain!
And I’ll say no more. Go see for yourself.
So I liked all those standard features, but something about this movie appealed to me even more. When we first met Steve Rogers in Captain America, he’s a 95-pound weakling transformed to super-solider and immediately put to work by Uncle Sam. By the end of that movie, he’s resurrected from a block of ice and put back to work by Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury. When we next see Cap in The Avengers, the action starts up so quickly, we barely have a chance to say “Hey, bud! Whazzup?” before the action kicks in again full-force and there’s precious little time for chit-chat.
It seems every Marvel superhero has an issue, some cross to bear (an uncle’s death, ugly as sin, “You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry…”), and Captain America’s is that he finds himself in the unique position of being pulled out of his era and dumped into another, with very little time to make any adjustments.
But what’s it like to suddenly find yourself in a strange new world, 70 years into the future, where everyone you’ve ever known is dead or dying? How do you deal with that? And how do you cope in a world that’s stranger than you ever imagined it could be?
This second Captain America movie dared to slow down for a few moments to explore some of the personal issues our hero is facing, when he’s not too busy knocking off the bad guys. We see a contemplative, human side of the man who is Captain America. Sure, he’s the proverbial “fish out of water,” but he also struggles with a loneliness brought on not only by his “new kid on the block” status, but also by the realization that in this brave new jaded world, his cornerstone ideology of “truth, justice and the American way” (sorry…) is as antiquated as the barbershop quartet he’s no longer a member of. He’s bred to fight…but what is he fighting for?
Moments of intense comic book action were expertly balanced with quiet, contemplative scenes of personal struggle and insight. Before seeing this movie, Captain America was probably my least favorite of the Avengers, but now I imagine that was probably because I didn’t know him well enough. Remember: for me, only just now reading the books of early 1964, I haven’t even yet met the “real” 12-cent Captain America. My experience of his character has been completely based on a broad-based iconic understanding, and the 2011 movie.
But now that this new movie has opened up so many insights on his character so that I know him better, and understand more of what he’s going through, I’m beginning to think that Captain America could easily become one of my favorite Marvel superheroes…
If only Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo weren’t so damn cute! Not that there’s anything wrong with Chris Evans! He’s a handsome guy, to be sure, and I’m starting to think, the perfect casting choice for Captain America. I just happen to be partial to “tall, dark and handsome.”
Sigh…
Now. Having just mentioned some of the boys, let’s give a quick nod to our lone superheroine, Natasha Romanoff. Fabulous performance by Scarlett Johansson! She has lots to do in this film, and makes you believe the Black Widow can be equally tough and vulnerable at the same time. I’m not so much a fan of her new hairstyle and makeup, but always a fan of her kick-ass, smart-ass ways.
Finally, as we know, all these Marvel movies are connected to each other, and to the TV show Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD. It’s all one giant tapestry and anything that happens in any movie is more than likely to affect what happens in the other movies, and on the TV show. The ripple effect of the events in The Winter Soldier will stand as no mere drop of a pebble, but rather a life-altering tsunami!
Russ and I have been watching Agents of SHIELD faithfully from the beginning, always appreciating the small signs of integration into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. But this coming week we will be waiting with bated breath to see how the TV show is planning to proceed, in view of the momentous occurrences in The Winter Soldier.
Bold, bold moves with far-reaching consequences have proven that the creative powers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are no more afraid of change and controversy than Captain America would be afraid of any challenge, from any foe, at any point in time.
