Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Directors: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo

Disney

In Theaters: 04.14

After Joss Whedon wrapped up his ensemble adventure with The Avengers, the first phase of Marvel’s cinematic universe was complete and the next round of solo superhero flicks began. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) got “Iron Man 3,” everyone’s favorite god of thunder (Chris Hemsworth) got “Thor: The Dark World” and now, America’s patriotic poster boy gets his due in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” Brothers and directing duo, Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, hit the ground running, wasting no time bringing us into the current world of Captain Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) as he copes with being an ice cube for decades only to be thawed out in present day.

Along with doing his best to keep up with current trends and technologies, his beliefs in S.H.I.E.L.D. are put into question when Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) paints a cloudy, grayish picture of the world that conflicts with the black-and-white view held during the Greatest Generation-era. Are we fighting for freedom or instilling fear? If that wasn’t enough, a mysterious assassin deemed The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) arrives to eliminate anyone in his sights. The Russo brothers promised a Marvel movie that emulated a 70s conspiracy thriller, and they succeeded with flying colors.

The inclusion of Hollywood legacy, Robert Redford, as the director of the World Security Council, adds that pinch of perfection to their desired genre. Obviously, since it’s a Marvel movie, the action is intense. The sheer force of Captain America’s blows upon the baddies can be felt to your core, and the partnerships of Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Anthony Mackie as The Falcon give the film a buddy cop impression that only induces smiles.

Marvel has unlocked the secret to perfectly extracting the stories and characters from their source materials by not staying fully true to the pages yet also refusing to neglect their entertaining foundations. Also, rather than making each sequel an exact replica of its predecessor, the studio allows daring creativity for the greater good of filmmaking. This latest addition is gritty and gripping—full of twists that even the best of geeks can’t see coming.