Captain America: The Winter Soldier

That is not to knock the first Captain America film because I enjoyed that too, just that Captain America: The Winter Soldier personally came off as superior. Some of the second half does try to cram in too much giving off an at times bloated and convoluted quality, other than that Captain America: The Winter Soldier was excellent. It is a great-looking film with stylish cinematography and editing that give off a gritty and audacious look, and the special effects and the stunts are of the quality that you can't take your eyes off them. The music is not quite as good as it was in the first but it has enough of the rousing excitement and haunting intensity to make it a good score that matches what is going on on screen. The action sequences are spectacularly choreographed and of edge-of-your-seat calibre whether it is a highway car chase or a sky battle with some of the destruction authentically harrowing, and the screenplay is one that is smart and snappy with heart aplenty. The story is mostly compelling and very cleverly constructed, it mixes action, comic-book adventure and political thriller and does it in a way that is well-balanced, that is alive with nimble nuances and in a way that the film gives off a sense that it knows what it's trying to be. It's suspenseful and exciting with its fair share of themes that gives the film emotion and depth. The characters are engaging and interesting, with their personalities deeper and more expansive, and there is a much more believable villain this time around(the big reveal was actually quite surprising). A great thing considering that the cast of cast is quite large if not quite to the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink extent; the interplay between the characters works a treat also. Anthony and Joe Russo direct astutely and the acting is fine, with Chris Evans even more confident than he was in the first, Scarlett Johansson at her fearless and Anthony Mackie fitting comfortably in his role. Samuel L. Jackson is as dependable as ever, Robert Redford in a bold move gives seasoned support and is not stiff at all and Sebastian Stan is similarly authoritative. All in all, while there are a couple of issues with the second half Captain America: The Winter Soldier is an excellent sequel and manages to outdo the enjoyable first film. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Captain America: The Winter Solider, directed by the best two directors that MCU has on the team, in the Russo Brothers, crafted this well directed, brisk paced spy/action film, that has a lot to be praised for. The Russo Brothers took the MCU style, and completely flipped it into their own, which completely works, while becoming a model film for the MCU. They incorporated this darker and gritter tone, that essentially grounded the film well, while inevitably throwing in some well timed humor. Even though this new approach to the MCU was a breath of fresh air, the Russo Brothers set themselves up for some nitpicks, by transforming some things that were already set and stone, for the most part.

The Winter Soldier does everything that a sequel should do, and that's improve on every aspect from the last film. The creative team told a juicer, more cohesive story, with better character involvement and development, while the action not only took a step up, but became one of the standout films for it's action sequences. Not only did they improve from the first installment, keeping the continuity involved, but they created one of, if not, the best stand-alone films the MCU has put out to date. The creative team utilized so many great layers and depth, to really break everything down, while adding in a tremendous amount of tention throughout the entire narrative.

With Shield being the main focus of the film, I wasn't too sure on how things were going to play out, but because of the Russo Brothers creativity, I was perfectly okay with it! With Shield being center of attention, it allowed for Sam Jackson to have a lot more character moments, which had a heavy hand in the success of the film! Chris Evans is an absolute stud as Captain America and Steve Rogers! He is fleshed out much more, having the best character arch of the film. His character is a lot more complex this time around, other than being that public figure everyone knows him for. Evans steals every scene that he's in because of that genuine patriotism persona he carries, being nothing short of admirable. Scarlett Johansson was also another key contributor to the success of the film. We've seen her in a few films prior, getting a little bit more and more to do as the films go on, and she really sets out her skillset here. With decent chemistry and tention between her and Captain America, and her and Nick Fury, she shows once again, that she is capable of being an Avenger. Anthony Mackie gets his debut in the MCU as Sam Wilson/Falcon, and he is just an all around good addition. He doesn't add much as far as the superhero antics go, but he is a great compliment to Captain America, and the team. The Winter Soldier is a GAME villain! He doesn't have much to say, but his physical presence is quite enough for him to be a decent villain, with a great tie in to the series.

This is probably one of the strongest screenplays by Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus. They wasted no time after The First Avenger, to hop right into the screenplay for this film. McFeely and Markus added a great amount of wit to this script, by making everything cohesive to the story, while incorporating some dialed down, yet sharp humor. They added a great deal of politics to the narrative, that isn't just all in your face; it flows extremely well with the story, feeling authentic.

The action of the film was definitely the driving force of the film. All of the action scenes were shot so well, with many exciting and gritty action sequences! The Russo Brothers executed the hand-to-hand combat in such a professional way, and it just looked fantastic! The visual effects weren't heavily relied on, like they usually are, but when they were present, everything looked seamless.

Overall, there is no reason why this film shouldn't be at the top of your list; one of the best the MCU has to offer !

We need this kind of people like captain America to convey justice,kindness and love.

A political and action thriller that has an awesome espionage spin to it. Chris Evans and his team kick butt, and Scarlett Johansson is as hot as ever. Plus, mysterious and sinister villains that pose an intimidating threat! Not to mention, the score hits it out of the park with the feels! This is easily the best standalone MCU movie imo. Hands DOWN!

The fact that I rate this movie with 10 is not an exaggeration. This particular movie I really consider to be the best of MCU as the character development, the story, the action scenes, the direction and many more details still shock you.It could be said that this is a political drama with a strong Marvel dose in it. The dialogues are also excellent and careful written as well as the casting. I understand that many other movies like Infinity War, Avengers etc. are considered by most to be 'better', but if you watch this specific movie twice or more, you will realize that you are facing a masterpiece in all respects. In most parts of it, you think that you are in the movie and you feel that you are experiencing the emotions of the characters. In my humble personal opinion, I will repeat that Captain America: Winter Soldier is a masterpiece and will always be my number one Marvel movie.