"Geek Movie Review! Captain America: The Winter Solider" Transcript

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[Clips from the movie’s opening scenes.]

Captain America: The First Avenger was probably one of the riskier movies in the first phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The hero is named after and dressed in the flag of a country that isn’t exactly winning a lot of global popularity contests by now. It was a period piece taking place during World War II, and there’s nothing really that eye-catching about the character. Iron Man has that amazing suit, Thor has lightning and his hammer, the Hulk is a giant green monster, but Captain America is just a really strong guy with an awesomely strong shield, so it took a lot of guts to bring him to the silver screen. And luckily for Marvel, it worked out. Captain America: The First Avenger received critical acclaim across the board and a strong showing at the box office. Since then, Marvel has become one of the strongest forces in Hollywood today, with The Avengers and Iron Man 3 smashing box-office records all over the world and Thor’s sequel, The Dark World, eclipsing its predecessor at the box office.

Now, it’s time for the red, white, and blue Boy Scout to come back for his second go-around. Up until now, Marvel’s second phase has been good, but not great. Iron Man 3 angered fans with some of its plot twists, and Thor 2 was light on any meaningful character development, except for Loki, so one couldn’t be blamed for having low expectations for Captain America 2. But the Captain knocks it out of the park in a big way. The Winter Soldier is far more of a spy thriller than a superhero movie, and that actually works out really well, since Captain America’s powers aren’t nearly as flashy as some of his Avengers counterparts.

The acting is about what you’d expect from a Marvel movie now, ranging from good to great. Chris Evans is, of course, perfect as the good Captain. The persona, the physicality: it works just as well as it always has. I really enjoyed the moments that had Steve Rogers as a man out of time, like checking out cultural touchstones that have taken place since he was frozen. I wish there was more of that in the movie, but I can’t really complain too much because it’s not like the rest of the movie is lacking because of it.

Samuel L. Jackson is finally given his time to shine in this movie, instead of being a glorified cameo in the other Marvel films. Scarlett Johannsen’s Black Widow steals the show on more than one occasion, and this really justifies all the hype for there being a Black Widow solo movie, or at least a Black Widow and Hawkeye team-up. Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier is a force to be reckoned with in the film, though I think he’s a little underused considering his name is in the title. Anthony Mackie is a great addition to the cast, bringing some levity to the movie while still having some gravitas.

Speaking of levity, that is one thing the directors, Anthony and Joel Russo, really nail in this movie, and that’s the mixture between levity and darkness. The Winter Soldier is, first and foremost, a thriller. It’s not a comedy, but it has enough comedic moments sprinkled throughout—skillfully, I might add—that it makes the darker, more-serious piece hit even harder. It’s the perfect mix, and one I rarely see in a comic-book movie. Another thing the Russo brothers get right is the action. They’re the fun, gripping, can’t-look-away action sequences that really add to the movie instead of being a time where you can check your phone or go refill your soda. These are easily the best action sequences Marvel has put on the silver screen since The Avengers, and they may even be better.

Speaking of the Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a direct sequel to the Marvel blockbuster and a direct prelude to The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron. I won’t give anything away, but if you plan on seeing Avengers 2 next summer, you should definitely see The Winter Soldier first. No spoilers; just take my word for it. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the type of comic-book movie that actually transcends the label. It’s not just a great comic-book movie, but a great movie in its own right. It eclipses its Phase 2 predecessors and most, if not all, of Phase 1 as well. In my humble opinion, I think Captain America: The Winter Soldier could very well be the best Marvel movie to date and should maybe make DC rethink releasing Batman v. Superman on the same day as Captain America 3 in 2016.

So, what did you guys think of Captain America: The Winter Soldier? Leave your comments below, and if you liked this review, you should subscribe. I’ll be reviewing all the major movies this summer. With The Winter Soldier, we’re off to one hell of a start.