Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Has the Marvel cinematic universe found its Dark Knight with Captain America: The Winter Soldier?  While it’s not quite the masterpiece that Christopher Nolan created with Batman, what the Russo’s have done with Captain America comes close.  For arguably the first time, this is a Marvel move that isn’t just some fizzy, fun, brightly colored super hero romp; it’s a movie that deals with some very current, very real-world issues…and it also happens to have some super heroes and cool action scenes in it as well.  How much freedom are we willing to give up for being secure?  We see that struggle in the headlines all the time these days as citizens wrestle with just how much monitoring of their lives the government should be doing in order to protect them.  This precarious balance is at the heart of Captain America 2, with Steve Rogers’ idealist, old-fashion views of freedom and liberty clashing with Nick Fury’s more pragmatic, cynical, do-whatever-needs-to be done view of what it’s takes to keep things secure.  Toss in the mysterious Winter Soldier along with a twisty web of intrigue and espionage, and you have one of the best Marvel films yet, and yes, perhaps Marvel’s very own Dark Knight.

Captain America: The First Avenger was my favorite stand-alone Marvel film.  I loved the pulpy-adventure tone and the period setting.  It gave it a somewhat Indiana Jones-ish feel.  It was a fun, exciting romp that had undertones of seriousness, darkness, and melancholy.  It didn’t really feel like just another Marvel super hero movie, and frankly, I was kind of hoping to see more of Cap’s adventures with the Howling Commandos during World War II in the sequel.  I suppose that wouldn’t have lent itself well to Marvel’s cinematic universe building plans leading up to Avengers 2, but I still think it would have been a great deal of fun.  What Captain America: The Winter Soldier does well is it takes a different genre for its inspiration and uses it extremely well to give Cap some context and relevance in the 21^st century.  This movie has more of the ‘70s spy/espionage thriller feel to it, with a generous helping of big, polished effects.  It’s the twisty intrigue of the shadowy nature of S.HI.E.L.D. and the world it operates in and how that collides with Captain America’s more clear-cut, black and white view that gives this movie some real tension.  I love a good spy flick, and this one definitely falls into that genre.  Not only does it give a unique setting for the struggles of Steve Rogers, it’s also the perfect setting to allow Black Widow really come into her own as a character.  She’s always seemed a bit out of place in the world of Iron Man and the Avengers, but here, she blends right in and shows not only why she’s a great character, by why she’s a great foil for Captain America.  She’s willing to do what’s necessary; he’s willing to do what’s right.

Then there’s the Winter Soldier.  It’s been said that the best movies don’t rest on the heroes, but on the villains.  Well if that’s the case, then Captain America 2 is a great movie because it’s found a great villain.  The Marvel cinematic U has been lacking in truly iconic, memorable villains – outside of Loki of course – but the Winter Solider definitely makes up for that.  Dark, edgy, unstoppable; when he’s on the screen, you can’t help but wonder if the heroes really have what it takes to defeat him.  Toss in some very interesting twists concerning who the Winter Soldier is (which I won’t spoil for the few who aren’t aware), and the ties he has to Steve Rogers’ past, and you have a complex, intriguing foil for Cap and S.H.I.E.L.D. to take on.  Interestingly enough, despite the subtitle carrying his name, the Winter Soldier really isn’t in the movie all that much; a wise move on the part of the Russo’s in not over-using him, so every time he appears he truly feels like a force to be reckoned with.

Still, it’s the twisty plot of paranoia that really gives the movie its grit.  As the debate rages between security and freedom, an interesting statement is made; “Humanity can’t be trusted with its own freedom.”  It’s interesting because, for the most part, it’s true.  We take freedom for granted.  We believe it’s something we’re entitled to, not something that’s gifted to us.  In addition, if there’s one thing that history has shown since the beginning of time, it’s that given the freedom to do so, humanity will make the wrong choice.  It’s why Adam and Eve chose to eat the fruit, it’s why our world has hardly ever known an extended period of peace, it’s why we feel compelled to lock our doors at night – we don’t trust others to use their freedom well.  We squander our freedom and often use it to indulge in the worst that humanity is capable of because…we can.  Ah, but here’s the big twist; maybe we aren’t free.  Maybe after that first time when our freedom led us down the wrong path in the garden, we’ve never truly been free since.  However, God loves us, he wants us to truly be free, and so “through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life as set you free from the law of sin and death.”  (Romans 8:2) And here’s an even bigger twist; if humanity can’t be trusted with its own freedom, as has been amply demonstrated, why would God risk it?  Why did he risk it in the Garden, why risk it now through Jesus?  There’s so much that could be said about that, but what it really boils down to is this: He thinks it’s worth the risk.  He thinks you are worth the risk.  And he thinks that because of how much he loves you.  Freedom is more than an ideal.  To God, it’s an essential aspect of his love and desire to have a relationship with each one of us.  Cap reminds everyone that freedom comes at a high price, but it’s one that God felt was well worth it.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier isn’t a perfect movie.  There are some threads that are woven together with the rest of the web of intrigue, and an interesting McGuffin that truly seems to serve no purpose other than to get characters to where they need to go.  However, it also feels like the least Marvel-ly of all the Marvel films thus far.  It’s much more of a tense, paranoid thriller, or a straight-up action-fill spy adventure than any sort of super hero movie is, and it’s the better for that.  Oh, it still has many of the hallmarks of the Marvel brand, but it isn’t beholden to continue in the vein of that brand.  Indeed, the events of this movie may change the Marvel brand all-together going forward.  Not completely, of course, but enough to make it feel fresh again as we rush headlong into Avengers 2.  We know now what to expect from a Marvel movie, but this one doesn’t do all those expected things.  That’s twice now that Cap has distinguished himself from the rest of the Marvel cinematic universe, and while The Avengers may be the poster-child for what that universe is all about, Captain America has marched to the beat of his own drum, especially in this power-house sequel, which leaves me feeling his films might be the best of the bunch.  Yes, even better than The Avengers.

Editor’s Note: I personally had the opportunity to watch this movie over the weekend and although it doesn’t need to be said, Yo is spot on with the review of the movie and I would highly recommend it to not only any comic fan, but also to those who are into action, conspiracy, thriller, and basically any other kind of flick.  This movie does well in incorporating all those factors and what’s even greater about the Marvel Universe is the incorporation of the movie (and other current Marvel film themes) into the weekly show, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  If you liked this movie and haven’t watched the TV show yet, you should.  It’ll hopefully help tie in and fill gaps of the Marvel Universe that goes on while waiting for the next Marvel film to hit the big screen. – Mike Laxton, Managing Editor