Today I'm gonna be reviewing the latest Marvel movie (at the time of writing, 05/05/2014), 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier'.
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| http://marvel.com/captainamerica#/home |
As part of Marvel's Phase 2 stage of developing their cinematic universe, the events in Cap. 2 come after 'The Avengers'. Even though I tried my hardest not to over-analyse the trailer and read anything with possible spoilers, I was aware of the hype around this, with critics claiming that it is "even better than The Avengers". I don't know about you, but I think that's a pretty serious claim to make, which consequently got me thinking, 'what have Marvel done this time to top their success with The Avengers?'
[Beware - possible spoilers from here onwards.]
So, the story continues with Steve Rogers trying to adjust to the modern world, however things start to get more and more complex when S.H.I.E.L.D. shows up and Cap. is sent on a mission where information has been held back from him. As Steve becomes more involved with the activities of S.H.I.E.L.D. he begins to question whether or not what they are doing is right. To make it even more difficult, Cap. has a new foe in the form of his old best friend, from the first film, Bucky Barnes. The difference is that Bucky has been brain-washed into a super-assassin who takes his orders, from a mysterious organisation, without a question.
Even thought the spotlight is mainly on Steve's internal conflict, there is also a large focus on S.H.I.E.L.D. which I really liked. This made way for plenty of major plot twists, some of which I saw coming, but others took me by surprise. All in all, I thought the plot was well-devised and I'm convinced that it'll fit into the bigger picture seamlessly. Naturally, we wouldn't expect anything less when it comes to Marvel, especially with their plans already set for the next decade!
One aspect, that really made this film outstanding, was that there was a much darker and sinister tone, however we still had a suitable mix of humour to balance it out. I wouldn't say that I outright guffawed at the theatre, but I did enjoy a little chuckle here and there.
Let's talk characters. For me, Steve Rogers has never been my favourite or least favourite. I guess he didn't particularly stand out for me. That is until this film, where we see him really showing off some of his combat skills whilst still remaining his moral self. As well as some of our favourite S.H.I.E.L.D. agents (not including Coulson) returning, there were also some new faces. Anthony Mackie had a hand in bringing the laughs as the Falcon (I'd really like a jet pack similar to his), whilst Robert Redford was the questionable former head of S.H.I.E.L.D. Alexander Pierce. Along with the new characters, we saw the return of Sebastian Stan as the Winter Soldier. Even though he probably only had 5 lines in the whole film, Stan delivered some incredibly intense and meaningful stares.
Apart from looking menacing, the Winter Soldier is truly a fighter and killer. One element that really helps set this film apart from other Marvel movies is the action/fight sequences. It was centred much more on hand-to-hand combat, with significantly less gadgets, which made the fights feel more real and altogether much more human than the movie's predecessors. I feel like this has played a huge part in making it stand out.
Overall, I think the movie is a must-see for any Marvel fan. If you're unfamiliar with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you may want to do a little research just so that things make more sense. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend.
Now that I think about it, the movie made me really look forward to what's coming up, however I still had a good time watching it, without feeling like it was altogether one big filler. The future truly does look very exciting from the two end-credits scenes, which Marvel are notorious for.
If you DO NOT want spoilers, stop reading here.
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| http://marvel.com/captainamerica#/home |
The mid-credits scene appears to be an introduction for 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron', which is due out on 1st May, 2015. We get our first look at Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, who both appear to be imprisoned by HYDRA. Along with the 'miracle' twins, HYDRA are also in possession of Loki's mind control staff from the first Avengers film. There's definitely talk of it being another Infinity Gem, but we'll see how it plays out next summer.
The end-credits scene most probably sets up the events in the third Cap. film, due out in 2016. This features Bucky Barnes doing a spot of research on himself at the Captain America exhibition. Personally, I'm very excited to follow this storyline and see where it goes.
If you want to watch the film, DO NOT read the following (SPOILERS).
For people who really don't feel like watching this film *cough Wicks cough*, here's a little summary of where we are at the end of 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier':
- S.H.I.E.L.D. has fallen. HYDRA is still in operation.
- Most, if not all, information that S.H.I.E.L.D. held has been leaked. This includes Natasha Romanoff's past.
- HYDRA is in possession of Loki's staff, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch.
- Nick Fury is thought to be dead by most. He's actually still alive and has destroyed all traces of his former identity. He mentioned that he is heading for Europe.
- Maria Hill has taken up a job at Stark Enterprises, presumably still an under cover S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
- Bucky Barnes is likely to be out of the grips of HYDRA, although his whereabouts and allegiance remain unclear.
- Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson have made it their mission to find Bucky Barnes.
Until next time :)
NOTE: We are not affiliated with Marvel or any of it's subsidiaries.
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