If Marvel’s first phase of 21st century films – Iron Man and its initial sequel, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and The Avengers – offered an origin story of its iconic characters, its second phase – the continuations of each title, with the forthcoming addition of newcomer Guardians of the Galaxy – revels in exposing and exploring conflict. The cinematic universe of these comic book creations is complex by design, and increasing in the darkness of its content. Within these confines, the brooding Captain America: The Winter Soldier fits in seamlessly.
Audiences last saw serum-enhanced soldier Steve Rogers (Chris Evans, The Iceman) bantering with his superhero brethren, but like all of his number, he must now deal with the fallout. Adjusting to quieter times has been tough, as has his assimilation into contemporary society; of course, a new threat swiftly ends the former and accelerates the latter. When a mission gone awry sees S.H.I.E.L.D. chief Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson, RoboCop) embroiled in an attack waged by a secretive foe, Rogers is told to trust no one as he attempts to unravel the situation. With the enterprising Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson, Her) and new pal The Falcon (Anthony Mackie, The Fifth Estate) by his side, he seeks the truth to stave off further trouble. The interference of S.H.I.E.L.D. board member Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford, All is Lost) does little to help his efforts.
Where Captain America: The Winter Soldier complies with the tone of the latest batch of Marvel movies, it marks a stark departure from its gleefully old-fashioned predecessor – and not just in its different time period and new directors. Brothers Anthony and Joe Russo (You, Me and Dupree) craft their extension of the canon in the paranoid thriller mould, valuing suspense first and its superhero status second. Brawn and brute strength make way for brains, which is no mean feat given the established strength of the film’s protagonist, now painted as patriotic above all else. Though explosion-heavy setpieces still remain, conspiracy is key, almost to the detriment of the feature’s attempts to conjure the requisite spectacle.
Indeed, as faces familiar from this film series and its interconnected siblings twist and turn – both in the physical and narrative sense – to uncover a dastardly plot, their grappling with a realism-infused, politically topical agenda of overextended government and military reach elicits more interest than the carnage also thrown into the mix. Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely’s (Thor: The Dark World) screenplay makes its preferences for manipulation and machinations over might openly known, enlivening a story originating from Ed Brubaker (TV’s Angel of Death) based on Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s famous comics. That the Russos’ direction of terse chats fares better than their presentation of frenetic fights, even with hand-to-hand combat the more common occurrence in the grittily-lensed effort, again highlights the chasm between talk and action.
The film’s returning stars waver with the purposeful change of pace, Johansson and Jackson overshadowing Evans in conveying the weight of the scenario. As the highest profile new additions to the fold, Redford and Mackie are welcome in their presence but used sparingly, neither anything more than rote supports. Given the scope of the story, the titular adversary offers several energetic displays but almost slides into insignificance, his involvement anti-climactic in the midst of the bigger themes at work. The performances match the operating premise; in the new rendering of the all-American hero that is Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the ideas eclipse the icons – sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Director: Anthony and Joe Russo
US, 2014, 136 mins
Release date: April 3
Distributor: Disney
Rated: M
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