Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a marginally superior follow-up to The First Avenger but also the best of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Phase 2 films thus far, exceeding Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World. The plot is pretty simple. We follow Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) as he gets dragged into an international spy conspiracy. A wholly unpredictable and high stakes thrill ride ensues pitting Captain America and his allies against a plethora of expected and unexpected enemies.
Chris Evans has truly made the mask and shield of Captain America his own, and is ably supported by Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johannson as familiar favourites Black Widow and Nick Fury. The film gives these supporting Avengers an opportunity to deepen their connection with audiences. We are introduced to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) who dons a winged exoskeleton to become the Falcon. Robert Redford has a starring turn playing Alexander Pierce, a senior S.H.I.E.L.D. bigwig with a dark secret. And then of course, there is the titular villain, The Winter Soldier, a powerful mercenary shrouded in mystery. The reveal of his identity is sure to surprise some people (not me, cause I've read the comics). MMA fans will be pleased to see the well known fighter Georges St. Pierre on form in a cameo role as Batroc, an Algerian mercenary.
The reason for my adulation of this film is simple. The Winter Soldier not only challenges the entire superhero genre by creating an action-packed espionage thriller, but it also shatters whatever preconceptions of what we think will eventually happen in the MCU. Surprising and exciting, The Winter Soldier relies on a smart narrative, slick action and powerful character development to put the entire superhero genre on notice. There is no doubt that Marvel are totally dominant in the superhero space and are only becoming stronger with every film. I can't wait for Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Age of Ultron.
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