Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier - It's Awesome!

Title: Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Rating: 12A
Cast:
Scarlett Johansson ... Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow
Sebastian Stan ... Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier
Chris Evans ... Steve Rogers / Captain America
Samuel L. Jackson ... Nick Fury
Robert Redford ... Alexander Pierce
Anthony Mackie ... Sam Wilson / The Falcon
Summary:
Steve is having trouble reconciling his role as an agent of SHIELD with what he feels is right. When a legendary assassin known as the Winter Soldier shows up to cause trouble within the very heart of the organisation Steve must find his own path.

First of all, just like all the MCU movies, this is awesome. It's fast, it's plotted well and the characters are wonderful. As ever there are moments of the most serious actions interspersed with gems of humour that lift the whole thing.

However, I didn't feel like it was actually a film about the Winter Soldier. Don't get me wrong, he's important, but actually not the most important part. I can't say too much or I will give things away and this is a spoiler free review, but I kind of felt as if I had been miss sold the movie. I totally see why they did it that way and it's kind of genius, but yeah, I definitely did not see the film I thought I was going to see. Please note I am not a comic fan, so I take very little knowledge about them into the MCU.

This does not mean I didn't love it, not at all, it was utterly awesome.

The action in this is non-stop. It is a array of the most wonderful fight scenes, special effects and stunts and by the end I was exhausted, yet wanted to see it all again immediately. I think the comic book movies are coming into their own these days because the technology is finally there to pull them off. The look of this film is amazing. I never once stopped to question the physics or the machines; they were just real.

Then there is the plot which is part action movie, part espionage thriller and part buddy movie. It's superb. It was partially obvious, even Rob spotted it a mile off, but there were details which were a shock. Again, not a comic fan, so I didn't have any info to give away all the subtleties. There was only one really big surprise, however, and that was the end, but I can't say what that is, however, it's epic.

The characters are also fabulous. I love Falcon, he is so good and I definitely wanted more of the sidekick in the movie, not less. Anthony Mackie plays him beautifully and he's not just a 2D prop for Cap. The way we see them first meet if comic gold.

Sam Jackson is as awesome (sorry, that word seems to fit so well) as Nick Fury as ever and in this one we actually get to see character evolution, so yay!

Scarlett Johansson is simply brilliant as Natasha. We really get to see the grey in her nature and she is the perfect foil for Steve with all his truth and justice mentality. She gets her world view shaken and it is amazing to watch. She also, of course, kicks arse.

Finally for what I think of as team Cap we have the big man himself and Chris Evans is fabulous as ever. He is the rock in the film, the pillar of all that is right. At points you have to ask is he the only thing that is right. The way he is struggling with the modern world, not because of all the technology, but because of all the social changes is well handled. I thought it was the perfect angle. His fight scenes are also epic.

Then we have Robert Redford as Secretary Pierce, or the guy who bosses the Council around. He is played beautifully, and that is all I am going to say.

Finally Sebastian Stan as The Winter Soldier is superb. He's cold, he's dangerous and he's merciless. I can't say much more just in case someone is reading this who isn't aware of the worst kept spoiler known to man and doesn't recognise actor names.

Now for my shallow moment - oh lord this is an attractive cast. It's not quite as overwhelming as The Avengers, but Chris Evans' abs and chest should have a health warning. We don't actually get a shirtless scene, but with the t-shirt he wears at times being quite so tight, we don't need one! Then there are the "superhero" costumes - oh boy, I love those. Scarlett is, of course, stunning as well and just, yes, this film has eye candy out the whazoo.

[Edit - Soph made a good point when she shared this on G+ - we might not get a Cap shirtless scene, but we do get a Winter Soldier shirtless scene with lots of hurt/comfort possibilities. As she said - buttons pushed, oh yes.]

P.S. There are two credit scenes, one in-credit and one after-credit - stay for both.

When's the DVD coming out again (adds it to Amazon alerts)?