Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) User Reviews

On your left,,,

[reddiemurf81 · 9/10 · 8 August 2020]

At the time this came out, it was without a doubt the best movie to come out of the MCU. I look forward to seeing more from the Russo bros.

While I thought the First Avenger was an incredible piece of work, this sequel is even better.

Definietly one of the best MCU movies

[SebMoz · 9/10 · 14 November 2020]

Oh man, was it good to get back to a great movie again after Thor: The Dark World. This movie, unlike that one, is well constructed, written, acted and directed. There is so much to love about the movie it's hard to name it all. The plot is well thought out and realized, complete with great twists and turns to keep you on your toes. I love the spy thriller astethic the movie presents, and it complements the more straight forward action very well. It also presents its themes of trust and morality in a solid and thoughtful way. The pacing is solid, the plot advances in a very natural way, and the movie sets up its important plot points ahead of time to make the movie more enjoyable on rewatches. The movie also does a great job with its characters. Steve, Natasha and Nick are all great characters with their own struggles, while also being very likeable, and they also have excellent chemistry. I love that Steve and Nat's relationsship isn't romantic, as that wouldn't work at all with these characters. I also really like Sam, he's sympathetic and a nice addition. The Winter Soldier is a great villain as well, which mostly comes from the fact that he is just a human, not some evil monster like so many other Marvel villains. I love watching his struggles with indentifying his past and resisting the changes made to his brain, as well as his relationsship with the hero. All this is of course helped by some solid performances from almost everyone involved. The direction is solid as well, with the perfect mix of wide shots and close-ups. The fight choreography is great, one can really feel the weight each fight carries. My only slight issue with the film is the fact that the heroes seem to be saved by plotholes a little too often, for example by a bad guy waiting to killing a good guy just long enough for something to appear to save them. It feels a little stupid, but it's not a big deal and it's pretty easy to ignore if you feel like it. Overall, this movie is extremely good. It does almost everything right, its flaws are small and inconsequental, and it's just a really entertaining movie. I recommend it to anyone who likes superhero movies, or just action movies in general.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) Review - 8.7/10

[sammielimehouse · 9/10 · 12 December 2020]

Definitely one of the best sequels in the entire MCU. It's everything you would expect and everything you could every ask for in a Captain America sequel. There's nazis, HYDRA, Nick Fury faking his freaking death, and action. Lots of fantastic Marvel action. This isn't just one of those films that are just 95% action, 5% storytelling, one of the things this films does best is balancing story with action. For example, the Winter Soldier and Steve have some of the best fights in the MCU, but whenever Steve finds out who the Winter Soldier is, it becomes not only an amazingly choreographed fight, but also an emotional one. In conclusion, this is the first truly great MCU sequel.

Maybe the best MCU movie

[arnohardwell-41638 · 10/10 · 27 April 2020]

The fact that I rate this movie with 10 is not an exaggeration. This particular movie I really consider to be the best of MCU as the character development, the story, the action scenes, the direction and many more details still shock you.It could be said that this is a political drama with a strong Marvel dose in it. The dialogues are also excellent and careful written as well as the casting. I understand that many other movies like Infinity War, Avengers etc. are considered by most to be 'better', but if you watch this specific movie twice or more, you will realize that you are facing a masterpiece in all respects. In most parts of it, you think that you are in the movie and you feel that you are experiencing the emotions of the characters. In my humble personal opinion, I will repeat that Captain America: Winter Soldier is a masterpiece and will always be my number one Marvel movie.

THIS is Captain America

[SPZMaxinema · 9/10 · 22 August 2021]

A political and action thriller that has an awesome espionage spin to it. Chris Evans and his team kick butt, and Scarlett Johansson is as hot as ever. Plus, mysterious and sinister villains that pose an intimidating threat! Not to mention, the score hits it out of the park with the feels! This is easily the best standalone MCU movie imo. Hands DOWN!

The Movie That Made Captain America Cool

[ianritchey · 16 November 2018]

After the Avengers, pretty much nobody thought that Captain America was the coolest Avenger. Everyone thought it was Iron Man or Hulk or maybe Thor. But nobody thought it was Captain America. This film made everybody change their minds. The Winter Soldier turned Cap into the most badass Avenger, and proved why he's the leader of Earth's Mightiest.

Joe Johnston didn't return to direct this film, which I think is a positive. He made the 40's astetic work great, but what Joe and Anthony Russo bring to the table is on a whole other level. They made a superhero spy movie, with a heavy focus on hand to hand combat and spy movie tropes.

The cast is great, with Evans being the highlight. Steve Rogers feels like a man out of time, with the same black and white mindset of the 40's, while the future is filled with grey. He still does his best to do what's right, even if nobody wants to follow him. Pairing him with Black Widow was brilliant, as she is completely grey. Scarlett Johansson gives a great performance, with a truly tortured soul under the surface of her character. Samuel L. Jackson returns as Fury, and he is badass, with a great car chase scene. Sebastian Stan is good, though not given much screen time. Anthony Mackie is introduced as The Falcon in this movie. Falcon is funny, and he adds a sense of realism to this movie. Robert Redford is fine, does good for what he's given. The cast is phenomenal, with some of the best performances in the franchise.

The plot is fantastic. Everything from Cap trying to readjust to modern day society to the big twist that Hydra was infested and even help build SHIELD was incredible. Bucky being revealed as the Winter Soldier was great for the character of Captain America, even though the twist was revealed on the poster. I also love the fact that Bucky killed the Starks, even though that plot doesn't come into play for years. I love the plot of this movie.

The effects are all pretty good. When the punches strike, they feel real and tangible. Cap's shield is awesome in this movie, as are Falcon's wings. Bucky's mechanical arm looks great as well. When the Helicarriers finally go boom, it does not disappoint.

Overall, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is one of the best movies in the franchise. It captures the character of Captain America perfectly and turned him into a cultural phenomenon. Also Punisher was apparently in the truck that helped Fury, which is amazing.

9/10

Unique, exciting and quite serious

[Morejambo54 · 7/10 · 14 April 2021]

What I love most about this movie is the villain, which there isn't really one. This is what separates it from most average superhero movies. It takes a spin and says that a whole organisation of people are the villain, but even the characters in the movie don't know who is bad and who is good. It creates a very uneasy viewing as no one can be trusted as said and shown throughout. The opening scene on the boat is so very special. It instantly opens deliberately fast paced and gets the viewer on the edge of their seat. And just once they are completely focused on the action it takes a step back and allows an amazing and sophisticated story to be told. Unlike most other superhero movies, the plot of this one actually takes risks, it is far less predictable and has a less linear story. This does make some things get muddled up, but nothing that you really need to know to understand the film. As far as characters, they're alright. I don't expect incredible character arcs from a movie like this but I really enjoyed following Nick Fury, and also Steve and Bucky's relationship. I've heard major praise about the soundtrack, I thought it was a bit underwhelming, it doesn't really make a difference. Solid movie ^-^

The best Marvel comic book superhero movie of 2014 so far!

[ivo-cobra8 · 10/10 · 24 October 2015]

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) is the best Marvel comic book Action Superhero movie and one of my favorite films of The Avengers! Big, busy and action-packed - like the first movie, but with better pacing. It is a huge improvement over Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) I am sorry but I don't think Joe Johnston is making a good films. He even screwed up my favorite film Jurassic Park III. Great movie! I didn't like the first Captain America but I LOVE this one. Great acting, great story, great action, great EVERYTHING. Marvel Studios continues to improve upon and expand this superhero universe and it shows with Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The action is turned up, the performances are top notch, plus with the addition of Robert Redford raises the bar yet again. Chris Evans certainly owns this role know just as Downey owns Tony Stark.

I LOVE LOVE LOVED the Iron Man trilogy. There are lots of great intrigue moments, though I think some of the biggest "plot points" on this one were spoiled thanks to the marketing and broader fan base knowledge of the whole "Winter Soldier" subplot in the comics. Regardless, it was a fun ride, albeit predictable as far as the internal politics end goes. The themes in this one are far more "mature" for a comic book movie, too--it almost felt more like a political action thriller à la Jack Ryan rather than a comic book based film, which made me love it even more. Phenomenal cast (the returns were fantastic as always, but the new characters also really did great work!), great music, the action sequences in this are SO awesome and generally I left this movie feeling very satisfied. I'm definitely going to see this more than once. It also makes me want to watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which I haven't actually seen yet, but apparently there were plenty of references!

Overall, this was a huge improvement on the first Captain America movie, which I actually didn't liked that much but it was a good movie. I'd venture to say I liked it more than The Avengers. D: Chris Evens gave us a wonderful performance as Captain America, it was the most Action comic book film I have ever seen! This film has a heart, it is Entertained, fast paced, filled with full of actions. Samuel L. Jackson did a wonderful job as Nick Fury, finally his character did something to do in this film, like fighting with assassins and so on. I loved him in this film much better than I did in Avengers : Age of Ultron (2015)in this film he has everything in it. Scarlet Johansson did a good job a supporting cast as Natasha Romanoff she wasn't annoying in here, she was a good supporter to cap. I hated her in Iron Man 2 and Avengers: Age of Ultron, but in this film I like her and I have enjoyed watching her in this film screen. This is the most wildest, most colorful team of superheroes ever brought to life on the big screen, is a massive success, a fan favorite and a critical darling. Winter Soldier, a tense, dramatic conspiracy thriller that somehow makes its strangest comic book elements work wonders, is a masterfully conceived and executed sequel that takes Captain America -- and, along with Guardians, the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe -- in a bold, exciting direction. Both are outstanding films. Both boast astonishing confidence, production design, action and visual effects. Both are terrific fun. Both represent a brave new world for comic book movies. And each one for completely different reasons.

Which is Marvel's crowning achievement? How do you even compare the two? Answer: you don't. Other than ranking the films by personal preference, it's a fool's errand to pit Cap, Black Widow and Falcon against Star Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot. You sit back, think to yourself it's good to be a geek, soak it all in, and wait for the inevitable Avengers crossover. Love 'em both. Watch both of 'em over and over and over again. Enjoy each one on its own terms. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) was probably my second favorite Marvel film of 2014 but this one Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a kick ass best film ever! This film kick's Joss Whedon's Failure Avengers Age of Ultron in to the ground! This movie is what it is, a perfect 10, because it takes the vision of one of the most imaginative directors on Earth.

As Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, he teams up with another super soldier, the Black Widow, to battle a new threat from history: an assassin known as the Winter Soldier. I love this movie and I don't care what anyone say! It Is my favorite best Marvel film of 2014!

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a 2014 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Captain America, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger and the ninth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

10/10 Grade: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: Marvel Studios Starring: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, Hayley Atwell, Robert Redford, Samuel L. Jackson Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo Producer: Kevin Feige Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely Rated: PG-13 Running Time: 2 Hrs. 16 Mins. Budget: $170.000.000 Box Office: $259.746.958

The best superhero films are the ones that do not shy away from politics.

[Dominic_25_ · 7/10 · 12 June 2023]

This film marks a turning point in the MCU. All of the preceding films in this franchise were sort of gimmicky and silly but the Russos made a genuine political thriller in the superhero genre. A very intriguing concept.

There is definitely still a lot of campiness to the characters, silliness in the plot, and absurdity in the physics that require a bit of suspension of disbelief.

Steve is still a man from another time and they still give him every opportunity to be an old man, which is kind of endearing but the quippiness of it does get annoying. The best parts of this film are when he applies his rudimentary ethics, that were developed in a time of clearly defined bad guys and good guys, to the modern world. This film adopts the criticism of the war on terror that gained momentum in the US and Europe between 9/11 and the release of this film, which puts Captain America in clear contrast with Iron Man and his three "anti-terrorism" movies. This film coming out after the Snowden and Chelsea Manning leaks also gives it teeth in its criticism of mass surveillance, metadata collection, and covert war crimes.

I still don't really like the idea that a shadowy organization is behind all of the terrorism in the world. And it really doesn't make sense that Zola kept Hydra alive given the events of the first film (and how did he go from Nazi Germany to USA to USSR? Soviets were much more harsh on Nazis than America was). The real cause of turmoil in the world is Capitalism and the systems built to uphold it at any cost. But that isn't something these characters address until 6 years after this film's release.

I can handle the nonsense that comes with the concept of superheroes so long as their existence is explored in a cultural or political context. This film does that and it is very cool.

Captain America: The Winter Solider

[haydenluz · 8/10 · 1 August 2020]

Captain America: The Winter Solider, directed by the best two directors that MCU has on the team, in the Russo Brothers, crafted this well directed, brisk paced spy/action film, that has a lot to be praised for. The Russo Brothers took the MCU style, and completely flipped it into their own, which completely works, while becoming a model film for the MCU. They incorporated this darker and gritter tone, that essentially grounded the film well, while inevitably throwing in some well timed humor. Even though this new approach to the MCU was a breath of fresh air, the Russo Brothers set themselves up for some nitpicks, by transforming some things that were already set and stone, for the most part.

The Winter Soldier does everything that a sequel should do, and that's improve on every aspect from the last film. The creative team told a juicer, more cohesive story, with better character involvement and development, while the action not only took a step up, but became one of the standout films for it's action sequences. Not only did they improve from the first installment, keeping the continuity involved, but they created one of, if not, the best stand-alone films the MCU has put out to date. The creative team utilized so many great layers and depth, to really break everything down, while adding in a tremendous amount of tention throughout the entire narrative.

With Shield being the main focus of the film, I wasn't too sure on how things were going to play out, but because of the Russo Brothers creativity, I was perfectly okay with it! With Shield being center of attention, it allowed for Sam Jackson to have a lot more character moments, which had a heavy hand in the success of the film! Chris Evans is an absolute stud as Captain America and Steve Rogers! He is fleshed out much more, having the best character arch of the film. His character is a lot more complex this time around, other than being that public figure everyone knows him for. Evans steals every scene that he's in because of that genuine patriotism persona he carries, being nothing short of admirable. Scarlett Johansson was also another key contributor to the success of the film. We've seen her in a few films prior, getting a little bit more and more to do as the films go on, and she really sets out her skillset here. With decent chemistry and tention between her and Captain America, and her and Nick Fury, she shows once again, that she is capable of being an Avenger. Anthony Mackie gets his debut in the MCU as Sam Wilson/Falcon, and he is just an all around good addition. He doesn't add much as far as the superhero antics go, but he is a great compliment to Captain America, and the team. The Winter Soldier is a GAME villain! He doesn't have much to say, but his physical presence is quite enough for him to be a decent villain, with a great tie in to the series.

This is probably one of the strongest screenplays by Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus. They wasted no time after The First Avenger, to hop right into the screenplay for this film. McFeely and Markus added a great amount of wit to this script, by making everything cohesive to the story, while incorporating some dialed down, yet sharp humor. They added a great deal of politics to the narrative, that isn't just all in your face; it flows extremely well with the story, feeling authentic.

The action of the film was definitely the driving force of the film. All of the action scenes were shot so well, with many exciting and gritty action sequences! The Russo Brothers executed the hand-to-hand combat in such a professional way, and it just looked fantastic! The visual effects weren't heavily relied on, like they usually are, but when they were present, everything looked seamless.

Overall, there is no reason why this film shouldn't be at the top of your list; one of the best the MCU has to offer !

Nice plot...

[Thanos_Alfie · 7/10 · 11 February 2022]

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is an Action - Sci-Fi movie in which we watch Steve Rogers trying to stop an assassin known as the Winter Soldier with the help of another Avenger, Black Widow.

I liked this movie because it had a nice and interesting plot that contained plenty of action scenes and much of suspense. The interpretation of Chris Evans who played as Steve Rogers was for one more time very good. Some other interpretations that have to be mentioned were Scarlett Johansson's who played as Natasha Romanoff, Sebastian Stan's who played as Bucky Barnes and Frank Grillo's who played as Brock Rumlow. The direction which was made by both Anthony Russo and Joe Russo was exceptional and they did an amazingly good job on the way they presented the plot and their main characters. Finally, I have to say that "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is an interesting action movie that even if you are not a Marvel fan, I am sure you will enjoy it.

Best MCU Movie of the First 2 Phases

[yanis_martin · 9/10 · 28 December 2021]

It's definitely one of the best movies in the MCU and the best one of the first 2 phases. We get introduced to Falcon for the first time! Also Hydra is Back and they are literally nearly the whole S. H. I. E. L. D team. Nick Fury is quite important aswell. Everything in there feels fresh. It's perfectly written and feels big. S. H. I. E. L. D is destroyed. That gives Agents of SHIELD a nice crossover story as well, where we get more information about the Death of SHIELD. Amazing movie.

An entertaining sequel

[sauravjoshi85 · 7/10 · 1 June 2020]

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a superhero movie directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo and stars Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Robert Redford and Samuel L. Jackson in the leads.

The sequel movie of the Captain America Franchise might not be that good but will not disappoint you.

The plot is almost similar to other Marvel movies and you will not find anything new with few twists which are predictable. Screenplay is fast paced but is average and should've been more refined. VFX and action are the best part of the movie.

Acting and background music is strong. The climax is also predictable but is entertaining. The best part of the movie is strong acting With great VFX and entertaining climax but the bad part is that the director hasn't tried to do much in giving the experience of great from good.

Typical marvel fans and kids will surely enjoy this movie.

Triple A logic error popcorn cinema

[fast-giga · 3/10 · 2 August 2014]

Captain America The Winter Soldier is supposed to be a AAA Hollywood movie. Apparently this means that it only needs explosions to be good. If you dare to demand a logical consistent story you will be unsatisfied. The acting is good, the explosions are just the same as in every other marvel movie. The story is very obvious and the supposedly surprising changes are foreseeable by a 10 year old. My biggest problem is the logical inconsistency. In the following a few examples: SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The propulsion of Director Furys car is destroyed by an explosion, and the damage is fixed by restarting the PC of the car. highly impossible no matter the technological level.

A broken wrist is healed by antibiotics, during a fighting scene. Even so this might be useful in the long term healing of the wrist, but during a gunfight it's probably not the most important thing to do.

Director Furys car has a stationary gun inside the vehicle. This gun safes the live of Fury, however it doesn't explain why it even exists. This gun can only be used to attack people inside the car, why is it stationary? This scenes shows that many gadgets the heroes used were designed by the writes exactly for this one scene, instead they should've tried to create gadgets which might be realistic, and then change the scenes so that the gadgets make a sense, not vice versa.

Fury escapes heavily injured through a hole in the ground. The bad guy super soldier is maybe 2 seconds behind him and doesn't hunt him down by following him into the hole. Why? He is faster, younger and healthier, why not try to follow him? Surely Fury wouldn't have been able to outrun him if the Winter solider would have tried.

The big airships have a very important PC core. This core is extremely important, still it is positioned at the bottom of the airship and protected by glass. They chose to position the most important part of the airship at the least defendable and least protected position. wtf? why?

The Russos raise the bar

[mahmus · 9/10 · 13 October 2020]

With The Winter Soldier, the Russo brothers upped the action, the violence, the emotion and the cuts per action scene in a way that would make them the leading force of MCU goodness.

I love how it evolves Cap's character from a likeable but simplistic patriot hero to a more complex hero who comes to realise his country isn't as great as he first thought, something he would have probably realised even if HYDRA didn't infiltrate SHIELD.

It's a great movie and one of the most important in the series, even if most of the bug changes to the universe didn't fully stay, they still left a mark.

Also, Danny Pudi has a cameo. Cool, cool cool cool.

I didn't remember it being this good.

[kemppainenerno · 10/10 · 27 December 2021]

Just amazing action scenes, so well choreographed, leaves you in awe. While the story is very well constructed, makes you really feel for it. It is smart, fast, while still being heartfelt comic book adaptation. Just a great movie, that feels underappreciated.

A political Captain America Movie

[Mysterygeneration · 7/10 · 21 December 2021]

I haven't watch the first movie but I know that the movie is good. But, I watch his second solo outing with Black Widow as his partner for this mission. This movie also introduce Sam Wilson a.k.a. Falcon, the parachute guy who I thought will be boring. But, in the future movies, I can assume that Sam will be a great character.

Awesome Action and Worth Watching! Entertaining as Well

[btkb · 10/10 · 18 March 2020]

I loved the fight between Bucky and Captain America.

The cool part was when Captain America threw his shield at him, but Bucky caught it which surprised him.

The ending was great. I was surprised to see Falcon since I didn't know he had a suit too. Thought he was just a random person that jogged along with Captain America.

It is good to watch this if you want to know where Falcon and Bucky came about.

Much better than the original

[vikcyru · 7/10 · 23 March 2020]

I'm not a cap America fan but this one had some good plot twists and was essential viewing for the rest of the avengers. Love black widow and enjoyed the plot about control and spin. Much better than the first instalment

A Thrilling Sequel that Raises the Bar for Marvel

[TyRawrrnosaurus · 9/10 · 23 March 2014]

With Rogers, Fury, and Romanoff previously established, directors Joe and Anthony Russo do a magnificent job at expanding these characters – along with some secondary characters we've seen before – providing more depth to understanding their actions and how they will affect future stories. Sam Jackson has a stronger presence this time around, validating Nick Fury as a main staple in the MCU among the big boys. Captain America is stronger, faster, and a more refined soldier, equipped with better fighting skills and understanding of current technology. Evans plays the earnestness of Captain America's black and white morality with convincing finesse in an age of grey that he has yet to find a comfortable middle. And Johansson progresses the allure of the cunning and multifaceted Black Widow, while bringing a splendid and lively balance to Rogers' straight and narrow.

Amidst such a tight and clever script, The Winter Soldier introduces a band of new characters, all of whom play a significant role, creating a more layered and conceivably real MCU. Frank Grillo brings the swolling mass of muscle known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Brock Rumlow to life. Emily VanCamp surprises with her portrayal of Agent 13, whom I wish had more screen time with Cap than just two quick scenes. Robert Redford plays Alexander Pierce, a superior ranking Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., friend to Nick Fury, and representative of the World Security Council. Pierce is a wonderful look into the higher ranks at S.H.I.E.L.D., contributing new insights as to how the organization is run outside of Fury, Agent Coulson, and Agent Maria Hill. Anthony Mackie is Sam Wilson aka The Falcon, an ex-military special-ops paratrooper and a welcomed addition recruited by Rogers to help fight the good fight. Mackie fits comfortably among the cast of veteran actors and should play nicely with the other Avengers.

Enhanced for combat and strength, The Winter Soldier's presence is terrifying when it comes to any action scene. Sebastian Stan does an amazing job holding his own against his targets and those who get in his way of his missions. My only gripe is that it is not explained how he obtains the immense power and skills he beholds. The connection between Rogers and The Winter Soldier is dealt with true care and excels the story of Captain America from the first film brilliantly. (Be sure to stay after the credits for a nice button leading into Captain America 3.)

The Winter Soldier is not just a fantastic sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers, it should also be recognized as one of the best sequels ever made. In fact, writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the duo behind Thor: The Dark World, the Narnia Trilogy, and The First Avenger, have done such a great job shaping Captain America's story that this movie could almost stand on its own. There are many exciting twists and turns in this well-constructed, political action-thriller, but nothing comes as more of a shock than how important the story is at defining the direction of the MCU. What takes place in The Winter Soldier, along with an awesome mid-credits sequence tie-in, will inherently influence Avengers: Age of Ultron as well as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – which should make the TV series a lot more interesting and reward fans who have stuck by its side.

Tonally, The Winter Soldier is the darkest story we've come to encounter, raising many deep-seated questions about government and soldiers of war while also taking Rogers on an emotional journey. It also has the best action choreography among all of the MCU movies thus far. Whedon's NYC battle in The Avengers is beautifully shot and written, but cannot compare to the hard-hitting set pieces found in The Winter Soldier, each building up to the bigger whole. The Russo brothers come from a background of directing television comedies such as Arrested Development and Community, and it's extraordinary how well they handle a big budget action blockbuster from cinematography to pacing. They do infuse their own style of comedy with fun references and a cameo other than Stan Lee, functioning properly within the confines of the tone and story. Henry Jackman (Captain Phillips; Wreck-It Ralph; X-Men: First Class) also composes an adrenaline pumping score that sets the right mood every time.

The biggest fault found in The Winter Soldier is that it does not address the whereabouts of other heroes or where we are in terms of the time line of the other movies. Why can't Captain America call on Tony Stark to help him out or even Hawkeye who is a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. himself. This is a recurring problem we have seen throughout Phase 2 of the MCU in Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World. Marvel Studios needs to acknowledge this hiccup if they want us to continue to believe all of these characters live in the same universe together. You cannot exclude these characters once you have opened Pandora's Box.

Marvel Studios has hit this one out of the ball park with yet another gripping adaptation for fans to enjoy for years to come. By and large, Captain America: The Winter Soldier succeeds on all fronts. It is the perfect set up for future films and at the same time it increases the value of its predecessors. There is little to argue against its merits and should be regarded as one of the greatest superhero movies of all time.

A fun spy-action and a MCU standout

[mickeythechamp · 7/10 · 14 January 2023]

It was interesting returning to this movie as it feels very out of place for a Marvel movie, in both good and bad ways. It´s more of a spy movie than mindless action, but I´m having a hard time taking the serious tone serious in a franchise that produces mainly brainless action. The action is well made but I never really engaged with the serious parts. It´s an entertaining movie no doubt and definitely a standout for Marvel.

Steve Rogers aka captain America is having a hard time reforming to the way of the S. H. I. E. L. D organization. New problems find Steve in form of old enemies and a new one, the Winter Soldier.

So, where my primary problem lies with this movie is that I don't feel engaged in the more serious tone the movie was going for. It´s interesting to see a Marvel movie trying to go a bit deeper with its characters and their feelings and places in the world, but I find it mostly uninteresting. While I like the character chemistry and the highlighting of lesser used characters, I´m having a hard time really believing it and taking it seriously. Maybe it´s because it´s a Marvel movie, this movie sticks so much out in a franchise with mostly brainless action and fun comments and it feels so weird to see these character become a bit real, maybe too real. I also found the dialogue just fine, in a movie where it should have wowed me more. So, I had a hard time engaging with the idea of the movie, but that doesn't make it less entertaining and has a great genre change from your typical Marvel movie.

The action is so well done and framed in this movie. It´s not always shot the best, but mostly you really feel every hit and gets to see all the cool moves here. The fighting choreography is so great, tense and works together with great cutting to really make punches feel superhuman. This combined with great sound design and enhanced by the score creates this really brutal felling action movie.

I had forgotten how good the score was. While it isn't always memorable, it creates these great small sound bites for character actions and melts together with the score to really elevate actions. I also really loved the theme of the winter soldier that is both haunting and iconic. Henry Jackman really hit it home with this one.

Speaking of characters, I found the character interactions so good and natural in this movie. It still stands I find it a bit too much, but the character chemistry is really good. It´s nice to see these character talking together like they are real humans and hearing their problems. Black Widow and Captain America really gets to bond about each other's weird past and Furry get´s to really shine in this movie. The movie also introduces the Falcon and Winter Soldier which both add a lot to the movie. The Winter Soldier is such a great character. He is such a menace and feel like such a powerhouse of a villain. My favorite performance in this was Chris Evans as Steve Rogers. He really made a likeable and lovable Captain America and really sold his inner conflicts. I also really loved both Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Furry and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, who brought a lot of fun to their characters.

There is a lot to like about this movie, and on another day, I might rate it a little higher. It´s great action, spy drama and character interactions all throughout. Sadly, the movie felt too grand for itself to me, and I had a hard time really latching on to the spy drama aspect. No doubt an entertaining and well-made action movie, but making it more interesting would have really sold it to me.

Excellent sequel that outdoes the first film

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 10 August 2014]

That is not to knock the first Captain America film because I enjoyed that too, just that Captain America: The Winter Soldier personally came off as superior. Some of the second half does try to cram in too much giving off an at times bloated and convoluted quality, other than that Captain America: The Winter Soldier was excellent. It is a great-looking film with stylish cinematography and editing that give off a gritty and audacious look, and the special effects and the stunts are of the quality that you can't take your eyes off them. The music is not quite as good as it was in the first but it has enough of the rousing excitement and haunting intensity to make it a good score that matches what is going on on screen. The action sequences are spectacularly choreographed and of edge-of-your-seat calibre whether it is a highway car chase or a sky battle with some of the destruction authentically harrowing, and the screenplay is one that is smart and snappy with heart aplenty. The story is mostly compelling and very cleverly constructed, it mixes action, comic-book adventure and political thriller and does it in a way that is well-balanced, that is alive with nimble nuances and in a way that the film gives off a sense that it knows what it's trying to be. It's suspenseful and exciting with its fair share of themes that gives the film emotion and depth. The characters are engaging and interesting, with their personalities deeper and more expansive, and there is a much more believable villain this time around(the big reveal was actually quite surprising). A great thing considering that the cast of cast is quite large if not quite to the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink extent; the interplay between the characters works a treat also. Anthony and Joe Russo direct astutely and the acting is fine, with Chris Evans even more confident than he was in the first, Scarlett Johansson at her fearless and Anthony Mackie fitting comfortably in his role. Samuel L. Jackson is as dependable as ever, Robert Redford in a bold move gives seasoned support and is not stiff at all and Sebastian Stan is similarly authoritative. All in all, while there are a couple of issues with the second half Captain America: The Winter Soldier is an excellent sequel and manages to outdo the enjoyable first film. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Incredibly High Level of Achievement

[jfgibson73 · 7/10 · 1 June 2014]

It was striking how well made Winter Soldier is. I was really impressed with how much work went into this movie. The story plays out like a spy thriller, in a similar vein to Manchurian Candidate, but also fits in as much action as any movie could hope for. It's very well balanced, and includes the character development and smart writing that have made the Marvel movies so enjoyable. Captain America goes rogue when he is a suspect in the shooting of Nick Fury and has to unravel who has infiltrated S.H.E.I.L.D. Black Widow and Falcon help him out, and they are both made to be very resourceful on their own. I like Johansson here better than the Avengers--she seems to be putting more into the performance. I noticed that Captain America doesn't really use stealth in combat--when he fights, he goes through the threat in spite of what he's up against. There's a scene when a jet is trying to stop him while riding a motorcycle. Instead of jumping the bike to somewhere the jet can't follow, he engages and disables it. The Winter Soldier villain does this also, taking out Nick Fury in spite of his training, not going around any defenses. All the fights were lightning fast and had a level of interest to them where so many other action movies are full of scenes that never make us care. This isn't my favorite action movie, not even my favorite Avengers movie, but it was one of the times I've most been impressed by an action film.

Yet another boring superhero movie of marvel

[aniket02101987 · 4/10 · 9 April 2014]

I really do not understand why people are liking this movie. Yes it is better than the last CAPTAIN America movie, but it is as boring as THOR 2 or IRON MAN 3. Stupid Plot and unappealing action sequence followed by melodrama at the end.I give up. I don't think marvel movies are worth watching any more. The first half of the movie is a bit intriguing. But the second half of the movie is very boring. Even the end credits scene is boring. The worst thing about the movie is that i had no prior idea about the plot or even the new characters like "the winter soldier" but i could predict most of the things that were going to happen next. the storyline is really weak. As soon as any mystery resolves you feel Man! this is stupid. You feel disappointed on most of the scenes. The only thing worth watching in the movie is Scarlett Johansson(i am not talking about her role. it was boring as well). Her dialogue delivery is impeccable. All in all another disappointing stuff.

The WS is one Badass Villain!

[jaysanchu07 · 8/10 · 3 January 2022]

What a ride! The Winter Soldier sits at the pinnacle of the MCU's best and most entertaining, 10 times better than its predecessor. Can't say enough about the choreography! The street fight against the WS is one of the best I've seen in both weapons and hand to hand combat. The scene alone is a sure fire million views in YouTube. Further complemented by a strong storyline (with some bonus emotional notes to it) and the best villain in the MCU thus far in the WS, and you've got one of the best action films of the decade.