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Title: Captain America: The Winter Soldier
| Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci Fi |
Year: 2014 |
Country: USA |
Rating:  |
Starring: Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Redford, Sebastian Stan
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Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
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My Review: Another film in the Marvel franchise empire. Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo? Two directors, why? I'm not quite sure why there are two directors credited for this movie. I get that their brothers, but what's the deal. Is this a thing now? Cohen brothers aren't enough. Now we need another bombastic brother duo? In addition to the dual director credits, we also see a huge number of 'writing' credits - Two for the screenplay (not the Russo brothers), two for the comics, and three for the 'Winter Soldier' book). Despite my misgivings about dual credits, this was actually a very good movie. Starring Chris Evans (as Captain America aka Steve Rogers), Samuel L. Jackson (as Nick Fury - Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow aka Natasha Romanoff), Anthony Mackie (Falcon aka Sam Wilson), Sebastian Stan (as the Winter Soldier aka Bucky Barnes), and others. The cast is excellent, and not too big. One of the problems with some of these Marvel movies is the size of the cast. When the cast is too large (and this is a smaller cast for a Marvel movie), we tend to lose track of the story. Even though this movie purports to focus on Captain American and The Winter Soldier, there are several other characters involved. In this story, Steve Rogers (the Winter Soldier) is awakened from decades of suspended animation, and he finds himself in a far more complicated time. While he has problems adjusting to the new moral norms, things get even more complicated when he's branded as a traitor by elements within S.H.I.E.L.D. Someone wants him out of the way. This movie is packed full of actual stunts and visual effects. Not so much CGI, and it's evident. The action feels more real. The reactions and acting are more affected and emotive. It even received an Academy Award nomination for best visual effects. The acting is good (not the best), but the direction and pacing are excellent. A thrilling roller coaster of a ride. Full of drama, action suspense and political intrigue. Definitely rises above the traditional 'Comic Book' genre. I give it a 4 out of 5.
Summary: For Steve Rogers, awakening after decades of suspended animation involves more than catching up on pop culture; it also means that this old school idealist must face a world of subtler threats and difficult moral complexities. That becomes clear when Director Nick Fury is killed by the mysterious assassin, the Winter Soldier, but not before warning Rogers that SHIELD has been subverted by its enemies. When Rogers acts on Fury's warning to trust no one there, he is branded as a traitor by the organization. Now a fugitive, Captain America must get to the bottom of this deadly mystery with the help of the Black Widow and his new friend, The Falcon. However, the battle will be costly for the Sentinel of Liberty, with Rogers finding enemies where he least expects them while learning that the Winter Soldier looks disturbingly familiar.
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