When I saw the Superbowl ad for this movie I had zero interest in seeing it...ever. Not even on blu-ray or Netflix. It came across as completely corny in that commercial. The release of Iron Man 3 followed by Thor: The Dark World the year before seemed to signal a downward spiral for the quality of Marvel movies and the sight of Scarlett Johannson's bright, Kool-Aid red wig and Samuel Jackson's Matrix-wannabe leather trench coat just seemed like more of the same. By the way, none of the posters were any better. The revelation that the Falcon was in the film wasn't welcome news either. Sidekicks and characters with wings are usually massive red flags letting you know you're about to see something that sucks donkey nuts. I wondered if history was repeating itself like when 1989's Batman eventually devolved into Batman and Robin...or when Superman descended into Superman IV...The Empire Strikes Back begat Attack of the Clones...and on and on and on. As entertaining as The Avengers is, the truth is Captain America hadn't added much to the thrills. In fact, his goofy costume with the red pirate boots was one of the liabilities. Whose decision was it to put him back in the outfit that he himself (and everyone else) ridiculed in his first solo movie? I get it. It's his signature costume from the comic book, but Captain America: The First Avenger's director, Joe Johnston, wisely realized that it was impossible for that suit to be taken seriously in a live-action, real world setting.
Eventually, two things convinced me to give it a shot. First, I saw a trailer with an uncharacteristic somber tone that contained a single shot of Cap standing over about a dozen bodies. Second, the word-of-mouth was not just overwhelming, it was thoroughly positive. Everyone that I talked to gave it an enthusiastic recommendation. A female friend told me she'd gone to see it three times already and didn't mind seeing it again. At this point I still wasn't convinced. Hell, some people just like action, no matter how terrible the movie is. But I was curious.
From the very beginning it's evident that Winter Soldier is an entirely different movie than Marvel's previous offerings. The most striking disparity is between this film and the first Cap adventure. The sequel isn't a merely a departure. It belongs to another genre altogether. The First Avenger was a light-hearted, good vs. evil, period war movie about a superhero. Winter Soldier is a mostly sober conspiracy thriller loaded with paranoia, suspense, timely concern about government overreach, global surveillance, spies, assassins and shades of grey. According to the filmmakers, there was also a reassuring reliance on practical stunts and special effects and less dependence on CGI whenever possible. Luckily, somebody wised up and replaced the stupid blue lasers with bullets. There are no traces of mystical energy sources and no Nazis. Unlike in The Avengers, there are also no aliens, no Iron Man, no Thor, no Hulk, no Loki and best of all, no Hawkeye. Jackson's Nick Fury and Johannson's Black Widow do make appearances, however. This is the most grounded and mature Marvel movie so far but those two don't let you forget that this is based on a comic book when they're onscreen because neither one looks like they belong in the real world. Luckily, it's only the look that's distracting. They fit right in otherwise. But so far, neither of them is worthy of a solo movie. It seems like somebody overlooked some of the details somehow. Like, why the hell is BW's hair the same color as Ronald McDonald's? And why doesn't she, at the very least, put it in a ponytail when she goes on special ops missions? And as for Colonel Fury...why is he in all black leather when everyone around him is either in a uniform or a suit? Even in the office?!
Despite my reaction to the trailer, the Falcon's inclusion was a great decision. He's no more a sidekick than Black Widow is and his wings are way, waay more realistic than Jackson's wardrobe. Incidentally, he is Captain America in the comics, as he's currently traded in the wings and taken over the costume, shield and duties from Steve Rogers.
Aside from the costume, Chris Evans' Steve Rogers hasn't changed drastically. His hallmark sincerity and stoicism's still there but he's a little more suspicious of people's motives now and there's the suggestion that he's disenchanted with his role as a soldier in today's world. This only serves to broaden and deepen the character and Evans portrays the new depth perfectly.
There are a ton of superhero movies out there and lots more are on the way. Honestly, most of them are a big waste of time and money. Only a handful of them are actually good. There's the Dark Knight trilogy, The Avengers, this movie, and then there's everything else. In that order.
Winter Soldier is the 4th highest-grossing film in the U.S. for 2014 and 7th highest-grossing film of the year, worldwide. It might have been #1 if it'd had a better trailer director.
Originally published 12/25/14
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