Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

[OldPangYau]

Will see this Friday, be back with my impressions on it.

Just posted my own video review today... I'm the guy on the left, btw Oh, and stay after our end credits... just like the Marvel films

ixWYZk3aKZo

[Secret Executioner]

Saw it today and it's definitely way superior to the other recent Marvel movies - namely, Iron Man 3 and Thor 2. The drama doesn't get fucked up by lame one-liners, you don't have bickering that gets in the way of the plot or some weak-ass twists that butt-rape some of the greatest characters created by Stan Lee. Actually, the comedy is enjoyable and the twists are interesting and almost always come unexpected - I say almost because the secret identity of the Winter Soldier isn't really a mystery (if you have knowledge of the Marvel universe I guess), though his background/origin looks damn interesting and I would have appreciated knowing more than just some confused flashbacks (unless it's detailed in another film that I missed) - though (kinda like some takes on the Joker, such as The Dark Knight) the unclear backstory gives the character a certain charm and I hope he will be re-used in other films cause he is damn great and very complex.

The action, as Noelle said, is very nice to watch - I didn't find it suffered from that shaky-cam syndrome movies tend to have nowadays. However, I found it annoying (and that seems to be common to many Marvel film) that there HAD to be so much destruction, shit exploding everywhere and all - guys, it's a Captain America movie, not Transformers 4 (but seeing half a city apparently has to be destroyed in a movie focused on 4 turtles, I guess they try to keep up).

And if you haven't seen it, stay for the cool looking credits (I think the style is the same than in those of Thor 2) and the little teaser for Avengers 2 that comes up afterwards - really nice stuff here, not as obscure as the one from Thor 2 (but it seems like it was related to Guardians Of The Galaxy) and clearly much better than Tony Stark mistaking Dr. Bruce Banner for a psychologist (one among the countless flaws of Iron Man 3).

[Secret Executioner]

Just posted my own video review today... I'm the guy on the left, btw Oh, and stay after our end credits... just like the Marvel films

ixWYZk3aKZo

Very nice review, lots of good points - especially about the character development and the fact that this film is pretty dark compared to other Marvel movies.

Cool t-shirt also.

[OldPangYau]

Very nice review, lots of good points - especially about the character development and the fact that this film is pretty dark compared to other Marvel movies.

Cool t-shirt also.

Thanks! We've been trying REALLY hard to not ramble so much in these videos... this was the first one we posted that was under 15 minutes

As for the t-shirt, it worked perfect for the review... until I realized the Hulk and Thor sections had green in them as we shot in front of a green screen. Didn't expect that for Thor, but it should've been painfully obvious with The Hulk!

[kaleyboy]

Saw this yesterday with the family and honestly didn't enjoy as much as the first Cap film. Too much shooting and guns, too many explosions/destruction. Felt like I was watching a weird hybrid of 24 meets Independence Day via the marvel universe.

[The Dragon]

Just saw this!!! MARVEL's BEST to date!

YRpEQugJ-LM

[ShaOW!linDude]

I caught a matinee of this yesterday.

I loved the action in the 1st CA film but always felt it needed just a little more fisticuffs in it. There is plenty of that in this one. One was the opening bout between Cap and a version of one of his regular comic book villains. Was it a good fight? Oui, oui.

It had a good plot of intrigue. (Not too many twists seeing as it's a comic book movie.)

The performances were very good, especially the chemistry between Chris Evans and Scarlet Johansson. Anthony Mackie made for a good Sam Wilson, and the way he was incorporated into becoming the Falcon was a neat little twist.

The humor isn't forced or packed with one-liners, but there are some laugh out loud moments and plenty of places you'll snort and snicker. This is actually...well, not a dark film, but a moody one, and it's got a couple of ethical dilemmas it contends with.

The special f/x were off the chain. It all seemed pretty seamless to me.

Back to the action. There are some great set pieces and the stunt work is killer. When something makes me jump and groan like I've been hit, then it's good. But the fight choreography? People, they brought it! James Young did a great job choreographing this. There are some killer combo's and lots of kicks. It's got a bit of a HK action feel to it. They made great use of Cap's shield. My only gripe is that while there is no shaky-cam (Hurray!!!), there are times the editing gets a little hyper or the camera should've been pulled back a good bit.

This has primed me for THE RAID 2 and if that ain't at my theater next Friday when it's supposed to open nationwide, I will be ill. And then I may have to go see this again.

[KyFi]

Yep, really loved this one. It really worked as a whole movie, IMO. The non-action scenes were toned down a bit, I thought, with subtle, more human interactions---and the action was amped up. Captain America is just operating on all cylinders from beginning to end in the fight scenes, and virtually no CGI crap. Another winner from Marvel---up there with their best, and maybe actually their best, I thought. That elevator scene ruled!

[Secret Executioner]

I caught a matinee of this yesterday.

I loved the action in the 1st CA film but always felt it needed just a little more fisticuffs in it. There is plenty of that in this one. One was the opening bout between Cap and a version of one of his regular comic book villains. Was it a good fight? Oui, oui.

It had a good plot of intrigue. (Not too many twists seeing as it's a comic book movie.)

The performances were very good, especially the chemistry between Chris Evans and Scarlet Johansson. Anthony Mackie made for a good Sam Wilson, and the way he was incorporated into becoming the Falcon was a neat little twist.

The humor isn't forced or packed with one-liners, but there are some laugh out loud moments and plenty of places you'll snort and snicker. This is actually...well, not a dark film, but a moody one, and it's got a couple of ethical dilemmas it contends with.

The special f/x were off the chain. It all seemed pretty seamless to me.

Back to the action. There are some great set pieces and the stunt work is killer. When something makes me jump and groan like I've been hit, then it's good. But the fight choreography? People, they brought it! James Young did a great job choreographing this. There are some killer combo's and lots of kicks. It's got a bit of a HK action feel to it. They made great use of Cap's shield. My only gripe is that while there is no shaky-cam (Hurray!!!), there are times the editing gets a little hyper or the camera should've been pulled back a good bit.

This has primed me for THE RAID 2 and if that ain't at my theater next Friday when it's supposed to open nationwide, I will be ill. And then I may have to go see this again.

Much like you, I really loved the action - especially the beginning on the ship with the hostage situation, really neat stuff. I also enjoyed the way the Falcon was brought in. This character is really well built-up, it's not just a guy who gets thrown into the mix for plot convenience - it all makes sense.

[AlbertV]

I saw the first show yesterday morning and I was blown away! Yes, the opening fight sequence between Cap and yes, Batroc the Leaper, is one of the best Hollywood A-list fights I have seen. The overall movie did exactly what the Russo Brothers had intended to do: meld the superhero genre with the 1970's political action thriller...the film's twists and turns come in at just the right moments, making the film smooth and very easy to watch.

Performances were top notch...Chris Evans awesome as Cap, Scarlett Johansson really gave it her all as Black Widow, Anthony Mackie was exactly what they needed as Sam "Falcon" Wilson. Samuel Jackson and Robert Redford were great. Surprising me were Frank Grillo as Rumlow and Emily VanCamp as Agent 13...they did quite well in the film. I won't spoil but there were two great cameos from actors of the original film. (NOTE: One of the two may be getting their own TV series?!)

And yes, the movie does leave room exactly for Captain America 3, which the Russo Brothers have confirmed to be helming once again and are now working with the screenwriters of The Winter Soldier with ideas as to how to go from there and after Avengers: Age of Ultron

My final rating? A++!!!

[Secret Executioner]

I saw the first show yesterday morning and I was blown away! Yes, the opening fight sequence between Cap and yes, Batroc the Leaper, is one of the best Hollywood A-list fights I have seen. The overall movie did exactly what the Russo Brothers had intended to do: meld the superhero genre with the 1970's political action thriller...the film's twists and turns come in at just the right moments, making the film smooth and very easy to watch.

Performances were top notch...Chris Evans awesome as Cap, Scarlett Johansson really gave it her all as Black Widow, Anthony Mackie was exactly what they needed as Sam "Falcon" Wilson. Samuel Jackson and Robert Redford were great. Surprising me were Frank Grillo as Rumlow and Emily VanCamp as Agent 13...they did quite well in the film. I won't spoil but there were two great cameos from actors of the original film. (NOTE: One of the two may be getting their own TV series?!)

And yes, the movie does leave room exactly for Captain America 3, which the Russo Brothers have confirmed to be helming once again and are now working with the screenwriters of The Winter Soldier with ideas as to how to go from there and after Avengers: Age of Ultron

My final rating? A++!!!

Guess I'm left to figuring out who made cameos from the previous movie (I have some ideas, but maybe it was not in a flashback or anything). (eventually, someone can pm me about this so the surprise remains)

So, the same guys will be working on CA3 ? Guess now the idea of launching this one against Superman vs Batman makes more sense - they need at least the caliber of Captain America: The Winter Soldier against the 2 greatest superheroes of the DC Universe (hoping CA3 won't be a piece of shit like Iron Man 3).

Speaking of Avengers: Age of Ultron, will it have the same line-up than the first Avengers (eventually adding Falcon ?) or will it have some new blood (Ant-Man ?) ? BTW (and I guess it could be related to that last question on the line-up), I'm surprised nobody mentionned the post-end credit teaser on 2 familiar characters. (possible additions to the Avengers rooster ? Hint: they are originally mutants - guess anyone knowing their Marvel heroes will figure them out, there aren't many mutants that have also been part of the Avengers, are there ?)

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

I don't understand why Hollyweird took so long to incorporate Hk style fighting choreography in the first place?

[GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG]

A Buddy of mine is treating me to an early showing today.

He picks me up @ 11am.

Lots of fun in store me thinks.

GD Y-Y

[massa_yoda]

But the fight choreography? People, they brought it! James Young did a great job choreographing this. There are some killer combo's and lots of kicks. It's got a bit of a HK action feel to it. They made great use of Cap's shield. My only gripe is that while there is no shaky-cam (Hurray!!!), there are times the editing gets a little hyper or the camera should've been pulled back a good bit.

I agree with this. If the camera would have been pulled back just a bit, the fight scenes would have been perfect. But as they are; the fights impressed me. The choreography is top-notch, way better than what's come before. I can't wait to see this one again.

[AlbertV]

Speaking of Avengers: Age of Ultron, will it have the same line-up than the first Avengers (eventually adding Falcon ?) or will it have some new blood (Ant-Man ?) ? BTW (and I guess it could be related to that last question on the line-up), I'm surprised nobody mentionned the post-end credit teaser on 2 familiar characters. (possible additions to the Avengers rooster ? Hint: they are originally mutants - guess anyone knowing their Marvel heroes will figure them out, there aren't many mutants that have also been part of the Avengers, are there ?)

It was already official that both Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch will appear in The Avengers: Age of Ultron and while they are in the comics, Magneto's children, that connection is not allowed to be used in the Avengers due to an agreement made with Fox to keep the Magneto connection with them since they own the X-Men rights. Hence, Quicksilver appears in both Avengers: Age of Ultron (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) AND X-Men: Days of Future Past (Evan Peters).

The original Avengers return yet Samuel Jackson's Nick Fury will be more an extended cameo rather than major role. He confirmed this recently.

Ant-Man's movie will be the next Marvel film AFTER Avengers 2, so it's highly unlikely he will be in the film.And yes, the original Avengers are returning except Nick Fury's role will be more of an extended cameo and not a major role as in the original Avengers.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

Okay you guys, after sitting for about 150 mins I've come to a conclusion that Winter Soldier is not better than the first movie, Heck it's not even better than Iron Man 3, right? First off, Chris Evans, I don't know man but the guy is just too monotone and dry for my taste. Falcon was cool and holy shit Black Widow outshines everyone in this movie. Did anyone catch the Lucy trailer before this movie? I'm more pumped to see a full blown Scarlett Johansson action vehicle, she can carry a damn movie unlike Chris Evans. And the whole shield agency thing with the gov't and all is just not interesting to me. I'm sorry you guys but DC over Marvel yet again. However Robert Downey Jr in the Iron Man series is exceptional but I'm still going DC as for right now.

[yojimbo]

At least Bucky didn't have to suffer the embarrassment of having the wear the original Bucky costume. A costume Cap's sidekick's wore into the 90s.

How much screen time did Batroc the Leaper get? He was mostly a joke character in the Marvel Universe. With the big deal that was made about getting former UFC champion Georges St Pierre to play him, you'd think it was a big role.

[Secret Executioner]

How much screen time did Batroc the Leaper get? He was mostly a joke character in the Marvel Universe. With the big deal that was made about getting former UFC champion Georges St Pierre to play him, you'd think it was a big role.

Sure he was a minor character, but he threw one hell of a fight against Cap'.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

GSP fight was cool, I liked it very much.

[SamSeed]

Saw this yesterday and was very impressed. Going in blind as I haven't seen the first film or read any of the comics, I got the gist of the story quite quickly, but the action was fantastic. It really does set a new standard for mainstream action, the Russo brothers seem to have a good awareness of the geography of a fight scene, with a lot of wide shots so you can actually se what is going on.

[The Dragon]

Okay you guys, after sitting for about 150 mins I've come to a conclusion that Winter Soldier is not better than the first movie, Heck it's not even better than Iron Man 3, right? First off, Chris Evans, I don't know man but the guy is just too monotone and dry for my taste. Falcon was cool and holy shit Black Widow outshines everyone in this movie. Did anyone catch the Lucy trailer before this movie? I'm more pumped to see a full blown Scarlett Johansson action vehicle, she can carry a damn movie unlike Chris Evans. And the whole shield agency thing with the gov't and all is just not interesting to me. I'm sorry you guys but DC over Marvel yet again. However Robert Downey Jr in the Iron Man series is exceptional but I'm still going DC as for right now.

Well, you know what they say about opinions...

[daisho2004]

I seen Captain America Winter Solider and I thought it was Epic, definitely one of the single best Marvel Movies, I've seen and I thought the 1st. movie was Awesome as well. Non stop action from beginning to end. I kept on feeling that Iron Man was going to have a cameo in this movie because honestly it did have a lot to do with Stark & his Father and his company.

* Fun Note: I don't know if anyone caught the scene at the end in the Graveyard but did you read what it said on Nick Fury's Tombstone? It was the quote from Pulp Fiction Ezekiel 25:17 "The Path of the Righteous Man" I almost died laughing when I seen that, I don't know if anyone else caught that scene real quick.

[Secret Executioner]

I kept on feeling that Iron Man was going to have a cameo in this movie because honestly it did have a lot to do with Stark & his Father and his company.

Agreed, the plot could have been worked in an Avengers movie, but again, several other superheroes could have been used in Iron Man 3. I mean, Stark is believed to be dead at a point, but neither Thor nor Cap' nor any other superhero feel like maybe they could be useful... Great team spirit guys.

[Drunken Monk]

I watched this today and thought it was great. Definitely one of the better Marvel movies. It combined a nice "Jason Bourne vibe" with the usual superhero stuff.

I thought Evans upped his game in this one and every other actor was superb. The action was the best thing about the whole thing. Amazing action in this one. The downside though? Shaky cam and some shitty rapid fire edits.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

"On your left."

First a story:

I normally do not see a film twice in the theater, but I made an exception for this one. Part of the reason was that there was nothing much else at the theater I wanted to watch and I wanted to make up the last time I went see this. Of course this involves a story. A couple of weeks ago at this same theater, but different screen, I had too much tea as usual and had to make a quick bathroom break. I think I have evolved it down to an art form to spending as little time away from the screen as possible. This movie was playing in one of the large rooms where there is connection to the balcony where there is a hidden restroom that no one uses or seems to use. This cuts down on time quite a bit. I had left during the scene where Nick Fury is at Captain America's apartment. I figured this was going to be mostly exposition and I would lose little here. I made it back to the theater while Fury was still talking so I knew I did not miss much. It is a rather dark scene so I accidently bumped my thigh into a railing trying to get back to my row as I misjudged the drop from the stairs unto the row as well. It was nothing too bad, just a slight annoyance. As I was hurrying to my seat to sit there was an echoing sound of BAM! (Batman style) and possibly a couple of chuckles in the audience I think, because I slammed my shin into a seat that did not prop back up properly. It was painful and slightly embarrassing but nowhere near as painful as other bumps or injuries I have done in the past. I smirked to myself and sat down while crossing my leg on my other thigh to massage it. I sat wondering why my leg was so sweaty until I realized that my shin was bloody as I see the darkness on my hand as I try to get some light from the screen. Damn it! Back to the restroom where I clean the wound, stop the bleeding, clean up my leg and try to hurry back to the theater though this time with a little more caution. I do not think I am going to get that blood out of the sock though.

So starting fresh, full of caffeine and yet not losing blood I sit to enjoy my second watching of this. I liked the first Captain America, more than I originally thought I would with its underdog or ugly-duckling story (something this could not duplicate for obvious reasons) and I definitely wanted to see the continuing adventures, especially post-Avengers. It is always good to start off a film with a mission and even more impressive by jumping out of a plane without a parachute (might have hurt a little if he hit the ship.) Here he has some help from his friends including Natasha Romanoff upon a siege of a hijacked ship courtesy of Georges Batroc (Georges St-Pierre) a French-speaking mercenary for hire. The mission goes off quite easily, except for the fact that Rogers found Romanoff doing a separate mission for Nick Fury that he was not privy to. This “compartmentalization” is anathema to Rogers’ straightforward approach and leads him to consider that this is not the same world he originally left and his place in it might be more limited than he expects. It is ironic that later an attempt on Nick Fury’s life by a legendary ghost-like assassin-for-hire The Winter Soldier brings Rogers back into the game with a clear adversary, though who exactly is the head of it remains a question (well probably not that hard to know.)

I am still not completely satisfied with the fighting sequences. I like the fact that a different arsenal of hits and kicks are used (count how many times a front kick is thrown; I believe 300 helped popularize this simple but effective move), but the shaky-cam is overused as well as the too quick editing. Still the Georges St. Pierre hand-to-hand battle is fun and one of the better Hollywood fight scenes of the past several years and I really enjoyed the elevator fight scene. Obviously when money is spent on special effects, the CGI scenes tend to have less shakiness though and they look quite good here even when the overabundance tends to dehumanize everything else. Still, wouldn’t you like to have Nick Fury’s vehicle.

There could have been a little more fish-out-of-water sequences that would have benefited the film. It is going to take him quite a bit more time to get used to all the changes that he missed. Of course he has a list written down (future freeze frame moment when I get this on BD/DVD) of things to research (thank goodness it is on paper.) Of course, I am the type of reviewer that likes more psychology and characterization so consider the source with my blather. But this is first and foremost a comic-book action film and an effective one at that. It does dabble with political rhetoric and in some ways I feel it is more effective than The Dark Knight’s waffling with its quasi-stance on the ubiquitous technology and the “we should not but we will use it just once to solve our current dilemma.”* Steve Rogers pretty much sticks to his guns and finds himself at odds with the current administration head (Robert Redford) at SHIELD because of it.** That myopic view of Rogers makes him unique in this day in age of anti-hero superheroes. But what really helps me enjoy this film is the interaction between Rogers and the secondary characters. He seems to have a real chemistry with Natasha as well as Sam Wilson (Falcon) as well as the titular villain.

Action and comic book fans will certainly like this (I am sure they have already watched this). It is my third favorite in The Avengers Cycle with only Iron Man and The Avengers ahead of it. I will purchase it when it comes out on BD/DVD though I probably will not risk a third viewing at the theater.

Stay through the credits. There are two extra scenes: one after the graphic credits which refers to a future film and one at the very end of the credits which has to do with this film. I cannot believe how many people I have talked to have missed both (the second one is more understandable, but never miss the first extra scene after the graphic credits in a Marvel film.)

* Another Batman comparison: I do not think Catwoman (as played by Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises) would have any chance in a fight against Natasha Romanoff. I also thought the Scarlett Johansson fight scenes came off much better than Hathaway’s as well.

** Those that have seen Three Days of the Condor might see juxtaposition with Steve Rogers in the Robert Redford role and the Winter Solider in the Max von Sydow role.

Article: How ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ Succeeds Where ‘Man of Steel’ Failed by Mike Ryan: Poignant article on some major differences between the two films, though maybe takes the Man of Steel argument a bit too far.