Captain America: The Winter Soldier movie review (2014)
"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" re-introduces Evans' nearly 100 year old character, Steve Rogers, as he is jogging around Washington D.C. Rogers runs his laps so quickly (after all, he IS a superhero) that he keeps passing Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) before Wilson can complete one of his. "To your left!" Rogers keeps yelling as he passes by, much to Wilson's bemused annoyance.
When the two officially meet, Mackie and Evans play the short scene in a manner that immediately suggests the start of a beautiful friendship. (This makes sense if you know who Sam Wilson really is.) Their chemistry allows us a more personal investment in their action sequences, some of which I'm almost ashamed to admit had me worried for the good guys.
What struck me most about how Mackie, Evans and Scarlett Johansson (who returns as Natasha Romanoff) interact is the way they look at each other. Watch their body language as they gently tease each other in their quiet scenes, and notice how directors Anthony and Joe Russo frame them. There's a genuine emotional shorthand at work, especially from Johansson, who is excellent here. Jackson's Nick Fury also has a good rapport with Evans, whose "aw shucks" boyishness is a perfect fit for a guy named "Captain America." Jackson does more with a line reading than some of his lines deserve.
Jackson's Fury also gets a good amount to do in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," including a leading role in the film's best action sequence, a demonstration of just how indestructible (or rather, destructible) Fury's motor vehicle is. He also gets one of those "Deep Blue Sea" moments you will not see coming, and a nod to "Pulp Fiction" that only eagle-eyed viewers will catch.
During its 136 minutes, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" unleashes a lot of what the MPAA refers to as "intense sequences of violence, gunplay and action." Every villain has a weapon that fires a gazillion rounds of ammo, yet nobody is as accurate as ScarJo with a pistol. Screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely keep the plot streamlined and the verbal interplay brisk. They find not only a great cameo for Marvel veteran Stan Lee, they also work the gag as an excuse for the superhero equivalent of a throwback jersey.
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