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It’s hard to not acknowledge and admire the colossal movie universe
that Marvel is creating for itself. 15 years ago, superhero movies were mostly
limited to ‘The big three’ (Spiderman, Batman and Superman), with a few obscure
but interesting superhero films appearing every now and then to challenge the
perception that the Western world has of these types of films.
Since then, we've definitely come a long way in terms of the
superhero fantasy/action sub-genre, with these films becoming increasingly complex
and interesting. Whilst superhero films like Watchmen and Chronicle take an extremely
left-field and risky approach, others do a clever job of mixing mainstream
appeal with strong characters and shockingly realistic storylines.
A new superhero film that you can add to the latter list is
Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Marvel’s latest look at the Marvel superhero
with the most direct ties to modern history and real world politics.
To be honest, I was worried about how Marvel would approach Military
legend, Steve Rogers’ second standalone film, especially after the first film
was such a pleasant departure from what we’re used to with actions films,
thanks mainly to the interesting alternate reality, period setting it treated
film goers to. With Captain America now facing the modern world on his own, what
could Marvel do to keep the story fresh and interesting?
It was a challenging dilemma, but one treated masterfully by
the film’s concept and story writer, Ed Brubaker. In Winter Soldier, Steve
Roger’s finally has some time to try to adjust to modern society, doing his
best to fit into a world where he is loved and adorned, but that he is noticeably
detached from, to a debilitating degree.
"It was a challenging dilemma, but one treated masterfully by the film’s concept and story writer, Ed Brubaker."
The film starts slow, giving film goers some time to get to
know the man behind the famous shield, focusing on his struggles with adapting
to a very different world than he was born into. It’s a world in which he only has
colleagues, with no real friendships to help him come to terms with the new world
he is forced to adapt to. Sure, S.H.I.E.L.D agent Black Widow (still played by
Scarlet Johansson) is eager to play cupid in an attempt to help Rogers fit in
more with modern society, but unfortunately, there’s not much time for these
type of hook-ups, as our heroes find themselves in the midst of a secret government
plot that has the potential to bring a dystopian version of the world into
fruition.
With Chris Evan’s character fleshed out a bit more, the film
very quickly shifts into high gear with a series of events that suddenly places
Captain America in a precarious situation where he can’t seem to trust anyone –
a frightening prospect in the face of the fact that he is already disconnected
from the world he lives in.
[Spoiler Alert – Next paragraph discusses an aspect of the
film that gives away plot details]
At the centre of the forces antagonising Captain America is
acclaimed Hollywood heavyweight, Robert Redford, in a role that he seems as if he
was destined to play. To be honest, I’m not well versed in the works of Mr
Redford, but after seeing him command his character in Winter Soldier to such an
amazing extent, I have gained massive respect for this man. Redford imbues his
character with a unique sense of composed calmness that is so frighteningly
understated that it results in one of the best Marvel villains to ever grace
the cinema screen. Whilst Redford’s character is a worthy mental adversary for
Captain America, he does lack any physical prowess that could match that of the
film’s hero.
[End of spoiler]
And that’s where the film’s other villain comes into the
play, the infamous Winter Soldier, who allegedly, as noted in the film, played
an integral role in most of the major assassinations of the last few decades. From
his first appearance on the screen, Sebastian Stan’s character strikes pure fear
into the hearts of his enemies, fully intending that each and every blow he
lands will be a killing one. Director duo, Anthony and Joe Russo do a sterling
job at giving the Winter Soldier a dreadful presence in the film, thanks mainly
to action sequences that feel dangerously urgent and highly volatile. Our heroes
always seem noticeably vulnerable in the film, leading to fight scenes that can
actually leave you a bit distraught. The Russo duo accomplish this feat so well,
that it grants the film with a unique suspenseful flavour that isn’t normally common
in action films, but manages to give Captain America: The Winter Solder a
unique atmosphere that makes it a truly memorable experience.
"... the Winter Soldier has a dreadful presence in the film, thanks mainly to action sequences that feel dangerously urgent and highly volatile."
If there’s one thing that should be clear it is that Captain
America’s latest outing is deceptively deep and complex, much more so than the
standard comic book adaptation we’re used to. It continues the new trend of
rich and thought provoking superhero films and is probably one of the best
examples of it recently. In a perfect world, I would love to have seen
Captain America’s struggles with modern life be explored in more depth here,
but except for that, there isn't much fault I can find with this one.
Highlight: An exhilarating encounter with the Winter Soldier later in the film will have you on the edge of yours seat.
