CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier doesn’t feel like a comic book movie. And that’s a very, very good thing.
Not that there is anything wrong with comic book movies. It’s just that often, because of the fantastical elements usually involved in the stories of superheroes and their diabolical arch nemeses, the audience is used to suspending their disbelief from the moment the opening credits scroll. With The Winter Soldier, sibling directors Anthony and Joe Russo breathe new life into a genre that some may quickly be tiring of, effectively changing the game and pushing the boundaries of what comic book movies are capable of. The film unfolds in thrilling, rhythmic fashion, spinning a tantalizing tale of spies, secrets and a super soldier who gets a shocking blast from the past. This is still a comic book movie, and in every frame Cap never ceases to remind viewers that there’s a reason he’s dubbed The First Avenger. However, Winter Soldier feels like a grown-up comic book movie, with threats that aren’t as simple as a bad guy who wants to take over the world, and ideas that are very relevant in the increasingly paranoid society we are part of. Imagine if The Bourne Ultimatum and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy had a baby and it grew up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The film takes place a little after the events in The Avengers, where S.H.I.E.L.D. has now grown in size and influence due to the organization’s efforts in the Battle of New York. Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson), head of the organization and ever the international man of mystery, sends Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and a group of S.H.I.E.L,D. commandos to resolve a hostage situation involving Algerian pirates. Cap expertly swoops in to save the day in what seems like a run-of-the-mill save-the-innocents exercise, only to find that there was more to the mission than he was told. When Fury, the man with usually most of the answers is ferociously attacked, Cap enlists Black Widow and former military man Sam Wilson (aka The Falcon, and played by Anthony Mackie) to help him get to the bottom of the mysteries behind S.H.I.E.L.D. Not only does he uncover the shadowy organization’s dirty laundry, but he also discovers the existence of an intimidating figure known as The Winter Soldier, a formidable enemy who has been responsible for a slew of assassinations and fatal incidents in the last 75 years. Cap has to untangle an intricate web of lies with S.H.I.E.L.D. at its center, and face enemies from his past.
The Winter Soldier is perhaps one of Marvel’s best to date, packed with high-octane action, well-choreographed fight sequences, and a return to the roots of superheroes: namely the idea that it doesn’t necessarily take something super for anyone to be a hero. S.H.I.E.LD. is at the heart of the story and, well-trained as their agents may be, they are still human and therefore especially prone to manipulation, infiltration and defeat at the hands of forces greater than they. The audience is reminded that in the real world, war has a very real cost, and as such more people are especially needed to stand up to those who operate on a code of, to borrow Mass Effect’s phrase, “ruthless calculus” - a sacrifice of the lives of millions to save billions. And who best to carry the mantle of regular Joes (and Janes) doing extraordinary things than the First Avenger himself?
(some spoilers after the cut)
The Winter Soldier isn’t only entertaining and exciting, but it’s full of interesting ideas. Sure, there’s still the age-old plea for good to triumph over evil, but the film also proves that real world issues such as privacy, national security, international relations, and geopolitics can be highlighted in the context of a superhero movie. While initially Cap expresses some disapproval of Fury’s heightened paranoia, believing it to be a poor mentality in the preservation of freedom, he is quickly disproven when Fury is attacked. What’s interesting, however, is that despite Cap’s qualms about the extreme measures of national security that Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. represent, in a way, this paranoia is a comfort zone for Cap, who lived during his own version of a Cold War, with spies and HYDRA and people trying to advance their cause in the name of the greater good.
It doesn’t have to be said that Captain America is easily the most boring character in The Avengers. He’s a boy scout, and compared to the snarky Tony Stark, the boastful Thor, the temperamental Hulk, steely Hawkeye or malleable Black Widow, he’s as vanilla as it can get. But this also makes the most capable of being improved. With The Winter Soldier, we still see a Cap trying to make sense of this brave new world he’s awakened in (his little notebook full of pop culture catching-up-to-do was adorable), but his unease is short-lived when he’s thrown into the mix of this business with S.H.I.E.L.D. We really see Cap shine in this film, whether it’s when he doling out punishment to bad guys, or when he’s delivering a heartfelt and rousing speech for help. The rest of The Avengers may be heroes of circumstance, but The Winter Soldier reminds viewers that Steve Rogers was a hero even before he suited up as Captain America. He’s the only Avenger who always and inherently wanted to do good, no ulterior motivates, no delusions of grandeur - just straight-up saving the world. At the time, he just didn’t have the hulking persona, the super strength or the indestructible shield to help him.
Cap’s code of honor, however, means that he needs a colorful supporting cast. And even though this film was entitled The Winter Soldier, this was really Captain America: S.H.I.E.L.D. It’s a shame that The Winter Soldier wasn’t as prominent as he could have been, because he certainly seemed like a fascinating character with a crazy (and sad) back story. But sharing screen time with livelier characters like Nick Fury, Natasha Romanoff, Maria Hill and Sam Wilson, however, benefited the film much more. It not only gave audiences an inside look into how S.H.I.E.L.D. works, but involving characters who didn’t have super powers and had to rely on their developed skills to combat enemies was a nice change from what audiences are used to. All supporting characters involved were fantastic indeed, however my personal preference would have been that there was less of them, and perhaps just a little bit more of The Winter Soldier or Cap.
What’s especially cool about The Winter Soldier is that while Marvel has proven before how they have mastered the formula for movie franchises and superhero movies, they haven’t remained complacent. The Winter Soldier ups the ante for all Marvel movies with its quick-paced action, flashy fight choreography, and the interweaving of the Marvel universe. The Winter Soldier took superhero fight sequences to a whole new level. While Cap is indeed a super soldier and his shield is one badass offensive and defensive weapon, he’s still only a man. So to see him vault himself through obstacles and use his shield in a variety of ways was a real treat, and it showed off not only his athleticism but also his tactical prowess. There was such great action in this film - from the closed-quarters combat in an elevator with Cap fighting 15 or so men, to Falcon’s graceful aerial invasions of pursuing jets.
What Marvel also does best is tie-ins to the rest of their cinematic universe, from references to the Marvel One-Shot projects to upcoming films we have yet to see. For example, there’s a subtle namedrop of Doctor Strange, great foreshadowing for Frank Grillo’s Crossbones and the post-credits sneak (directed by none other than Joss Whedon himself) was a peek at Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) ensnared by upcoming The Avengers: Age of Ultron baddie Baron von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann). The post-credits sequence was slightly reminiscent of The Cabin in the Woods, which Whedon co-wrote with Drew Goddard. It certainly made me excited for the second Avengers installment.
There were also a few notable things that surprised me as a viewer. The very small role that Emily Vancamp’s Agent 13/Sharon Carter had in the film was both pleasantly surprising and disappointing. On the one hand it was awesome to see a film in this genre without a romance of some sort, but on the other I thought she was a character who was slightly underdeveloped and maybe should have just been cut from the film entirely and fleshed out better in the next film. I also thought it was great to see a platonic relationship between Steve and Natasha develop. Initially the promos made it seem as though something romantic was going to be forced between Steve and Natasha, so it was a pleasure to find that there was real camaraderie there between the two and that the writers took the opportunity to build this into a friendly relationship of trust between two characters who had drastically different world views. Other surprising and interesting takeaways: the emergence of HYDRA as a big player in the cinematic universe, Arnim Zola’s targeting algorithm which had a very Minority Report-esque/X2: United Cerebro vibe, and my favorite: the hint at a standalone Black Widow movie. Given how The Winter Soldier ends and where Black Widow’s state is, this is certainly a very good and exciting possibility.
Overall, The Winter Soldier is far and away the better Captain America movie. It’s grittier, much more exciting, and redefines what comic book movies can or should be. The film is worth seeing for its action scenes alone, which were so well done and incredibly riveting. Special mention also needs to be made to the visual effects team of the film, who totally outdid themselves with their flawless rendering of a pre-Captain America Steve Rogers. It was truly movie magic at its finest. Finally, The Winter Soldier also provided a great reminder of the symbolism of comic book heroes. Cap’s off-the-cuff speech to S.H.I.E.L.D. agents about taking a stand no matter what was inspiring - a hearkening back to the superheroes of old who wanted to inspire good in everybody, not just save the day every time a cat was stuck in a tree. Cap may be a boy scout, and he may be as vanilla as they come, but he can kick your ass sevens days til Sunday. In style.
