Captain America: The Winter Soldier (PG-13)

Chris Evans has certainly solidified himself in his ability playing superheroes – first, playing Johnny Storm in 2005’s “The Fantastic Four” and recently for his portrayal of Captain America/Steve Rogers in “The Avengers” and “Captain America: The First Avenger.” In his latest romp, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” Evans and Directors Anthony and Joe Russo update the legend, making vast improvements on the 2011 precursor, making Steve Rogers more modern, resourceful, and exciting than his previous incarnation. While suffering from some pacing issues and an overly-long run-time, audiences should find the latest Captain America packing all the action they’ve been looking for and then some.

“The Winter Soldier” sets its stage in Washington, D.C., as Rogers attempts to embrace the modern world, learning its technology, its culture, and its rules. Some scenes are humorous as he does this, such as writing down a list of music he must listen to (Nirvana, a band he writes, as well as learning from a fellow war veteran, Sam Wilson, played by Anthony Mackie, that a Marvin Gaye album will tell him everything he missed in the last 70 years). Along the way he becomes suspicious of his new boss, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson, reprising his role), and the mission of S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as coming up against a new adversary in the form of a rouge agent known as ‘The Winter Soldier’ who attempts to add Fury to his list of assassinations.

One of the strong suits of “The Winter Soldier” is the amount of character development and screen time given to key characters, as well as the inclusion of additional players that add drama and emotion to the mix. Early on, Fury is given standalone scenes, and it’s nice to see him on the receiving end of threat, rather than wading through the script with Samuel L. Jackson’s usual bravado. Jackson here seems more toned down, and with something we haven’t see from him since his portrayal of Carl Lee Hailey in John Grisham’s “A Time to Kill” – vulnerability. Likewise, the inclusion of other characters, such as a friend for Captain America in the form of Sam and fellow “The Avengers” alum Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson) brings infinitely more heart than previously seen from her character.

Visually, “The Winter Soldier” is a marvel, with action-packed fight and combat scenes, as well as special effects that bring out Captain America’s full range of skills. Scenes such as a night raid on a battleship and a fight with the Winter Soldier on a busy highway showcase his immense prowess, and the film also makes Roger’s proto-adamantium shield (the only material stronger than Wolverine’s claws, for “X-Men” fans) a key focus in every battle, highlighting its indestructible nature and boomerang-like effect. Even lesser players such as Nick Fury and Black Widow – who are clear flesh and blood humans – benefit from “The Winter Soldier’s” special effects upgrade with futuristic tools and crowd-pleasing battles.

Chris Evans here seems to grow as well, with a script that allows him to act outside of the unquestioning soldier M.O. that carried him through both Captain America’s first film and “The Avengers.” In “The Winter Soldier” Evans brings out a sense of honor from Steve Rogers that exists apart from S.H.I.E.L.D., and apart from his duty to country. Questioning whether his orders are correct, Rogers grows immensely into his own, making his actions more poignant and imperative. Scenes where he fights for his life against a possibly equally matched Winter Soldier, as well as a bond he forms with both Fury and Romanoff add layers to the film that do nothing but help it. Apart from that, Captain America absolutely owns the movie’s fight scenes, going shot-for-shot with the excitement of “The Avengers” climactic battle.

Where the movie suffers, regrettably, is in its representation of its villains, from the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan, 2010’s “Black Swan”), to the political machine Alexander Pierce (a semi-wasteful use of Robert Redford, whose film career includes such accolades as “All the President’s Men”). The Winter Soldier, billed as the film’s primary focus, gets pushed to the backburner, and is equally frustrating as a seminal link between he and Rogers is uncovered but never explored fully. Additionally, Redford’s Pierce is unfocused and confusing at times. While “The Winter Soldier” successfully highlights some of the more iconic messages of the comic, such as patriotism, freedom, and a critique on a Big Brother-type society, the film almost feels as though it included too many angles and too many villains for it to flow as smoothly as it deserved to. The film also clocks in at an overlong 136 minutes, where editing of fifteen or twenty minutes would have made the film inherently more congealed.

However, exhilarating action and heroics from the film’s main characters, as well as tying up several loose ends from “The Avengers” makes “The Winter Soldier” a worthy blockbuster. It features good acting from all involved, death-defying action sequences, and a vast improvement over the slow-pace and patriotism of “The First Avenger.” Bringing key characters full circle in both physicality and ideals, the film sets the stage for 2015’s upcoming “The Avengers: The Age of Ultron” while entertaining along the way. If you’re a fan of comic book to film adaptations of late, or are just looking for an exiting two hours at the theatre, you’d be hard pressed to do better than “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” If Marvel keeps up this record, there won’t be any empty box office weekends on its horizon anytime soon.

– by Mark Ziobro