Captain America: the Winter Soldier

Anthony Russo (2014)

130min

12A Certificate

Review

Our Score

by Alan Jones

Chris Evans returns as Steve Rogers (aka star-spangled super-soldier Captain America) who here joins forces with Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow and newcomer to the franchise Anthony Mackie, playing airborne wingman Falcon. The colourful cast of heroes, undercover villains and ghosts from the past bring nimble nuance to a deviously well-constructed story that plays like an old-school political thriller as much as a classy comic-book adventure. When Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) is left for dead, another threat to world security emerges that has a lot in common with contemporary surveillance scandals - which is news to Rogers as well, having been in cryogenic storage for 70 years. The resulting action covers the full gamut of spectacular destruction, from highway car chases to heli-carrier sky battles. Yet it's the character interplay, astute direction (by Anthony and Joe Russo, putting You, Me and Dupree behind them), and emotionally strong themes that add weight to the artful pulp. If Robert Redford looks stiff in the Marvel universe (evoking the spirit of All the President's Men), Mackie fits right in and Evans is growing into his role with supreme confidence. Watch out, too, for an appetite-whetting post-credits teaser for the next Avengers film.

Summary

Premiere. The superhuman soldier becomes an operative for secret intelligence agency SHIELD, but grows suspicious of their motives. Following a battle with a mysterious cyborg assassin, he and fellow Avenger Black Widow become fugitives, and try to bring down a sinister conspiracy. Comic-book thriller sequel, starring Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L Jackson and Robert Redford.

Cast & Crew

Steve Rogers / Captain America Chris Evans

Nick Fury Samuel L Jackson

Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow Scarlett Johansson

Sam Wilson / The Falcon Anthony Mackie

James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes / The Winter Soldier Sebastian Stan

Alexander Pierce Robert Redford

Maria Hill Cobie Smulders

Brock Rumlow / Crossbones Frank Grillo

Sharon / Agent 13 Emily VanCamp

Arnim Zola Toby Jones

Georges Batroc / Batroc the Leaper Georges St-Pierre

Jasper Sitwell Maximiliano Hernandez

Councilwoman Hawley Jenny Agutter

Senator Stern Garry Shandling

Peggy Carter Hayley Atwell

Councilman Rockwell Alan Dale (2)

Jack Rollins Callan Mulvey

Howard Stark Dominic Cooper

Security guard Stan Lee

Director Anthony Russo

Director Joe Russo

Other Information

Language: EnglishColourTheatrical distributor: Walt DisneyGuidance: Edited for contentAvailable on: DVD and Blu-rayReleased on: 28 Mar 2014

Drama

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Anthony Russo (2014)

Review

Summary

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