Captain America: The Winter Soldier Review

The old adage is to never judge a book by its cover, but we all do it. I genuinely try not to in regards to any films I have not yet seen, but it is impossible to stop the mind from wandering away and finding reasons to be either overly optimistic or pessimistic despite limited advanced knowledge. The key is the ability to keep an open mind, one way or another, and be willing to accept the fact that you may have been wrong initially. It's okay to be wrong. When it involves a movie I expected to be a disappointment and instead it dazzles me from beginning to end? In that case I love being wrong.

I was wrong about Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Very, very wrong. Thank god. 

It all began way back when they announced that Anthony and Joe Russo would be directing the superhero sequel. If you aren't entirely familiar with these two gentlemen and why their names would make me cringe initially, let me help you out. Prior to any involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the most prestigious projects on their resumes were directing comedy sitcom episodes and the wacky movie You, Me and Dupree. That's it, and when I was fresh off of bitching about the misguided screenplay for Thor: The Dark World that was loaded with far too much unfunny comedy, you can imagine my skepticism about bringing in a couple of guys who had only very similar experience and nothing else.

So there I was, me and my pessimism sitting inside a theater waiting to be proven right. The lights dim. The show begins. Only a few minutes later, I knew I was going to be wrong. I knew I was in for a treat. The tone was not only serious, it has a feeling of importance to it, like what would unfold during those 2 hours would carry more weight and meaning than anything done during the previous eight films that came before it. The direction was surprisingly slick and confident, the action hard hitting and delivered in only the right sized doses. I don't mean to pick on Man of Steel, a movie I liked but certainly did not love, but the last 45 or so minutes of it are exhausting and ponderous. After the 200th skyscraper has fallen and the 800th angry punch lands on an opponent, you start to check your watch and wonder when the hell it will end. Here, the Russo brothers knew how to limit those blows and cut an explosion or two out, instead focusing a great deal on character and story and performances. It pays off, big time.

Finally, cue the music, light the fireworks, it's time to celebrate. A solo film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe got the damn villain right. Actually, let me rephrase that. An MCU film brought a totally kick-ass, shockingly cool bad guy to a Captain America movie, and I was so excited to actually find the evil component of one of these pictures compelling. The Winter Soldier is so darn awesome, and his back story as to how he ties into the whole situation matters and actually resonates. No more farting Mandarins or bland tribes of evil elves, no no. The Winter Soldier is legit, the type of figure that draws your attention in the frame rather than make you roll your eyes and wonder what could have been.

The movie I always believed Marvel was capable of, the one that would nail the tone and the atmosphere and find a perfect balance of everything needed to tell a great story had finally arrived, and it was directed by the Russo brothers, a couple of comedy guys who seemingly had no business crafting something so cool. I judged this book by its cover. What was inside proved me so totally wrong.

4.5/5