There's something I like about Captain America. He doesn’t have Batman’s darkness, nor is there
Spiderman’s angst. He's loyal to friends despite being surrounded by those that
say not to trust others, and he tries to do the right thing. He’s classically handsome and strong, but he
isn't invulnerable. He has a sense of
humor. And as his repartee with Black Widow
shows, he's even emotionally vulnerable. Captain America is as close to a human
being as a superhero can be today.
And Captain American: The Winter Soldier is a competent,
enjoyable film. Like Robocop, Winter
Soldier is an action movie with a message.
In this day of drone spying and NSA eavesdropping, the film warns us not
give up freedom for security. “This
isn't freedom,” says Captain America. “This
is fear.” And he then sets off to fight the security
apparatus that would pacify the world.
It’s an engaging fight, full of humanity and special effects. More characters are multidimensional here
than we typically see in Marvel universe films, and the special effects have a
natural quality to them, like the way Falcon zips and the helicarriers lumber.
And Winter Soldier moves at a steady pace, interweaving a
political story line with an investigative while adding action to each. The Russos’ approach to the fight scenes,
too, keeps the film accessible. Fights are
short, choppy pieces of action of varying speeds which are knitted together to
give a sense of the larger conflict.
They recall Paul Greengrass’ work in the last couple of Bourne trilogy
films.
Captain American: The Winter Soldier is a fun debut to the
summer’s popcorn movies. The hero is
refreshing; the action, compelling; and rather than the self-conscious,
parodying tone that can inform other films of this genre, the feeling here is
as sincere and committed as the hero. It
makes for a good, summer experience.
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