Captain America: the Winter Soldier (2014)

[dgwphotography]

Cap returns, this time in present day, fighting against the Winter soldier, and some within SHIELD.

I give it a 5 out of ten. Good story, but lousy cinematography

[Benjamin Grimm]

I voted 5 too. I liked it, but I guess I'm more willing to suspend my disbelief for super soldier serums and Norse gods and gamma-ray monsters than I am for vast hidden conspiracies.

It definitely had its moments, but Cap's first movie was better than his second movie.

[Vic Sage]

i gave it a 7. I agree the first one was better, but i would've given that one a 9.

I'm sorry, but if your going to have Scarlett Johansson kicking ass in a black leather jump suit, with red hair and her sly, knowing smile, then i'm your willing slave... do with me what you will.

[Edgy MD]

My issues weren't technical. They remain, as usual with these thingies, writing that's both incoherent and uninspired.

I don't get how this is missed. It's one thing when these films are composed on a storyboard. It's another when they are composed in the editing room.

I find myself watching a scene, understanding where they are trying to get to, and re-writing the dialogue in my head as it happens.

Technically, these things tend to be brilliant, even when flawed, but all so meaningless.

[nymr83]

Not as good as the 1st but i liked it.

I dont think there were very many true marvel fans in the theater with me as there was almost no reaction to Stan Lee's cameo.

The tie-in with Marvels Agents of Shield was pretty good too, they really turned the show upside down and im curious to see where it goes.

[dgwphotography]

Nymr83 wrote: The tie-in with Marvels Agents of Shield was pretty good too, they really turned the show upside down and im curious to see where it goes.

The show was just spinning its wheels until this turn. The tie-in has made the show much better.

[Vic Sage]

Edgy MD wrote: My issues weren't technical. They remain, as usual with these thingies, writing that's both incoherent and uninspired. I don't get how this is missed. It's one thing when these films are composed on a storyboard. It's another when they are composed in the editing room. I find myself watching a scene, understanding where they are trying to get to, and re-writing the dialogue in my head as it happens. Technically, these things tend to be brilliant, even when flawed, but all so meaningless.

yeah, i have no idea what you're talking about.

I get that you don't like superhero movies; you've made that point (sometimes elliptically, but consistently) in many similar threads. And gosh darn it, i'll defend to my death your right to not like them, and to say so. But why "meaningless"? There's plenty of meaning, or at least as much meaning as in any other action film... I'd even go so far as to say sometimes MORE meaning. In this case, we've got a guy, one of the "greatest generation", trying to come to terms with modern post-9/11 America, where presidents kill via drones and we've traded our privacy and freedom for the illusion of security. And wearing a flag on his chest, he decides to bring down the police state into which he thinks our country is descending. Without becoming a political treatise or diatribe, it still offers plenty of fucking meaning for an action film.

The plot crosses `70s era political thrillers like 3 DAYS OF THE CONDOR (hence the iconic presence of Redford, to underscore the connection) and PARALLAX VIEW with modern SF like MINORITY REPORT and X-MEN (finding and punishing "criminals" before the crime has been committed) to create a vast conspiracy for the symbol of America to bring down with his mighty shield. The storytelling is far from perfect, with too much plot and too many chases, but there are some meaningful relationships. Steve meets Sam Wilson, a fellow veteran helping his comrades with PTSD, and it gives Rogers' experience more context, and allows him to open up to the first man he felt could understand his situation. Its the beginning of his first real friendship since Bucky "died" 70 years ago. And the Black Widow offers a sisterly surrogate, providing teasing affection as well as a comrade in arms. And Rogers going to see his old love, Peggy Carter, dying of old age and lapsing in and out of memory, adds poignancy to this man out of his time.

I think they could've done better and more to mine the rich vein of that character arc -- a soldier with PTSD trying to reconnect to a new world which is in dire contrast to the one he left behind -- but it's there, and they had to get to the shit blowing up, i guess. And alot of the blowing up is repetitive and tedious, but some of the hand-to-hand that Cap engages in (particularly early in the film) really capture the super nature of this hero's fighting skills in a way that the prior 2 films (CAP 1, and AVENGERS) never really did, and is quite thrilling in its own right. I do wish they had done more with the Shield Agent 13 / Sharon Carter; if they were going to use her, they should've made the connection with her Aunt Peg, and set up her future relationship with Steve. Again, its there a bit, but just barely.

Yeah, i preferred the first one's retro WWII era style and "origin story" plot, but on the whole this one did just fine as a follow up. Or maybe i just like meaningless movies. could be. particularly if they have ScarJo in red hair and black leather.

[Edgy MD]

yeah, i have no idea what you're talking about.

I try really hard

I get that you don't like superhero movies; you've made that point (sometimes elliptically, but consistently) in many similar threads.

No, this isn't true.

You keep doing this thing where you put something on me that I absolutely don't say, so you can disagree with me (or "me") and stand up and make a speech. I hope you see you have me all wrong.

[Ceetar]

Eventually I'll catch up on the Marvel Universe. Having watched Agents of SHIELD and knowing about the tie-ins made this feel a little flashbacky from 2015.

Also could see plenty of the Civil War setup going on.

The actual movie itself was ok. At times it felt like a buddy comedy with Black Widow and Captain America.

I can't figure out why, despite Winter Soldier being clearly competent at catching the shield, Cap kept throwing it at him. There was definitely a bit of "Hey, let's CGI the shield bouncing off stuff" feel to a lot of the action scenes.

In fact, the shield seems placed in scenes where it's almost unnecessary. a little bit of heavy handed allegory there.