 ***PLEASE NOTE: A Blu-ray 3D disc is only compatible with 3D Blu-ray players.*** Tagline: In heroes we trust. From the studio that brought you the greatest super hero movie of all time, Marvel's The Avengers, comes Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the global phenomenon that teams Captain America (Chris Evans) with the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and a new ally, the Falcon (Anthony Mackie), in a fight for the future of mankind. Following the cataclysmic events in New York with the Avengers, Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, is living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the entire world at risk. As the conspiracy deepens and it's no longer clear whom to trust, Captain America, Black Widow and the Falcon must join forces to overthrow their insidious enemy's most mysterious and powerful weapon yet - The Winter Soldier. Storyline: For Steve Rogers, awakening after decades of suspended animation involves more than catching up on pop culture; it also means that this old school idealist must face a world of subtler threats and difficult moral complexities. That comes clear when Director Nick Fury is killed by the mysterious assassin, the Winter Soldier, but not before warning Rogers that SHIELD has been subverted by its enemies. When Rogers acts on Fury's warning to trust no one there, he is branded as a traitor by the organization. Now a fugitive, Captain America must get to the bottom of this deadly mystery with the help of the Black Widow and his new friend, The Falcon. However, the battle will be costly for the Sentinel of Liberty, with Rogers finding enemies where he least expects them while learning that the Winter Soldier looks disturbingly familiar. Written by Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com) Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Kenneth Brown, August 21, 2014 -- If you would have told me at any point in the last five years that two of the best comicbook films of all time, two of Marvel's finest offerings, two of the highest grossing movies of 2014 and two of the most entertaining and satisfying surprises of the year would be Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy, I would have either laughed in your face or dismissed your optimism with a skeptical "we'll see." And yet here we are. Guardians, a hilarious romp through the weirdest, wildest, most colorful corners of the galaxy, following the... um... weirdest, wildest, most colorful team of superheroes ever brought to life on the big screen, is a massive success, a fan favorite and a critical darling. Winter Soldier, a tense, dramatic conspiracy thriller that somehow makes its strangest comicbook elements work wonders, is a masterfully conceived and executed sequel that takes Captain America -- and, along with Guardians, the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe -- in a bold, exciting direction. Both are outstanding films. Both boast astonishing confidence, production design, action and visual effects. Both are terrific fun. Both represent a brave new world for comicbook movies. And each one for completely different reasons. Which is Marvel's crowning achievement? How do you even compare the two? Answer: you don't. Other than ranking the films by personal preference, it's a fool's errand to pit Cap, Black Widow and Falcon against Star Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot. You sit back, think to yourself it's good to be a geek, soak it all in, and wait for the inevitable Avengers crossover. Love 'em both. Watch both of 'em over and over and over again. Enjoy each one on its own terms. So as much as the conversation of late has been dominated by "which Marvel movie wins?," let's just focus on The Winter Soldier. More than a gripping comicbook film, it's a gripping film. No small feat considering all the superheroes, inhuman action, indestructible shields, sentient computers, secret organizations, future tech, flying fortresses and memory- wiped, cryogenically frozen, cybernetically enhanced assassins. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is, hands down, one of the year's best blockbusters. After the cataclysmic events in New York with the Avengers, Steve Rogers, aka Captain America (Chris Evans), is living quietly in Washington, D.C., trying to adjust to the modern world. But when S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Captain America struggles to expose an ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, Sam Wilson. Codename: Falcon (Anthony Mackie). However, the heroes and select members of S.H.I.E.L.D., among them Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy... the deadly Winter Soldier. Despite the Russo brothers' background in absurdist comedy (Arrested Development, Community), Captain America: The Winter Soldier is deathly serious and intentional in every move it makes. From break-neck, jaw- dropping action sequences to thoughtful story construction, poignant man-out-of-time character complexities, sharp sociopolitical commentary, nods to the conspiracy thrillers of the 1970s, sparse but much-appreciated humor and comicbook easter eggs aplenty, the Russos effortlessly juggle competing elements to great effect. Make no mistake, The Winter Soldier shouldn't work. The moment the true villains begin to reveal themselves, the entire house of cards should topple. Rather than apologize for its leftfield comic inspirations, though, the film embraces each one, changing exactly what needs changed (Falcoln's powers and costume for one) and throwing caution to the wind with more outlandish characters and concepts (Toby Jones' Arnim Zola). The sheer skill required for such a balancing act makes it clear the Russos were the right directors for the job, and the manner in which they and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely still manage to focus on the unfolding drama and lend each character, hero and villain alike, substantial depth, in some cases with limited screentime, is a testament to their precision and command of their craft. (Not entirely convinced? Be sure to listen to the Russos' audio commentary, which lays perceived plot holes and questionable decisions to rest once and for all.) The cast takes the Russos' marching orders to heart too. Evans is such a tortured, soulful idealist that his most principled actions are inspiring rather than campy; his scenes with Sebastian Stan are terrific, and terrifically moving too, to the point that what should be a rock-em, sock-em fist fight is transformed into a far more interesting and meaningful clash of will and purpose. Johansson, meanwhile, is such a welcome addition to the cast that the film's biggest mystery might just be why, oh why, hasn't Black Widow received her own standalone movie? More than an ice-cold government spook, her Natasha Romanoff has a tough exterior that hides something softer, more vulnerable, and far more intriguing behind its walls. Topping off the featured trio is Mackie, a bit of fun and lightness in the midst of so much heaviness and darkness. He comes on a bit strong, yeah, but Falcon is used sparingly and in all the right ways. Adding heft to the conspiracy is Robert Redford, who's so good as Alexander Pierce that it's difficult to tell if he's a pawn, a king or a king-slayer. (As it should be.) Stan is fantastic as the Winter Soldier, conveying more behind a mask, in the shadows and in near-silence than many Marvel villains do with loaded monologues strapped to their hips. Frank Grillo is deliciously evil as the henchman of henchmen, Emily VanCamp is memorable (albeit underused) as Agent 13, and Smulders and other S.H.I.E.L.D. mainstays are strong, at-times amusing additions to the mix. Even Jackson, usually relegated to barking orders on the sidelines, gets one helluva car chase (along with other choice scenes), finally earning his stripes as Fury. The rest of the cast is pitch-perfect as well, and there isn't an expendable bit player in the bunch. (Except maybe Gary Shandling, who returns for a funny little cameo as Iron Man 2's Senator Stern.) What doesn't gel? I had a small list but, frankly, after listening to the Russos' audio commentary (which I can't praise enough), that list is no more. The filmmakers systematically scratched off or addressed every criticism I had -- even patched up a few plot holes -- and made it so future viewings will be even more enjoyable. I know debate will continue to rage as to whether Captain America: The Winter Soldier or Guardians of the Galaxy is Marvel's finest hour thus far, but both films indicate something very, very exciting. With each Phase, the Marvel Cinematic Universe becomes a richer, more absorbing, more thrilling place to be. Bring on The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America 3, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Doctor Strange... it's safe to say Marvel isn't buying the naysayers' claim that comicbook movies are dying. They're more alive than ever, and have plenty more to bring to the screen. Captain America: The Winter Soldier only accelerates Marvel's upward momentum, while somehow promising even better things are to come. As much a wiry, dramatic conspiracy thriller as it is an action-packed comicbook blockbuster, the Cap sequel places Steve Rogers squarely atop the Avengers' roster and delivers one of Marvel Studios' best, not to mention one of the finest comicbook movies of all time. More than that, The Winter Soldier stands as one of 2014's most memorable and satisfying blockbusters, and as a gripping slice of conspiracy-cinema to boot. Disney's Blu-ray is a must-own release too, thanks to a first-class video presentation and an excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track. It's a bit light on supplemental material (additional content is no doubt being held back for the inevitable Phase Two box set), but the filmmakers' terrific audio commentary more than makes up for it as far as I'm concerned. Be sure to add this one to your collection post-haste. Trivia:
[CSW] -4.1- This movie almost has too much action. The plot was written in the spirit of the comic book character, so it comes across as corny a few times, but it is a good, logical story with some great comedic moments in it. It fits in with the other movies in the Marvel universe. Some of the story was a little obvious, but that too is to be expected. The story was engrossing and had a few unexpected moments of seriousness and some nice plot angles. Anthony Mackie is also a great addition as another sidekick, Sam Wilson, "The Falcon"... the first black super hero, both in comics and on the big screen. If you're a comic book actioner fan, you don't want to miss this! The computer generated special effects are as awesome as always... and should be even better in 3D. I rented this 2D version to see if I might be interested in getting the 3D version, which I did when the price came down. (Based on Comic Book) Cast Notes: Chris Evans (Steve Rogers / Captain America), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier), Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson / Falcon), Robert Redford (Alexander Pierce), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Frank Grillo (Brock Rumlow), Maximiliano Hernández (Jasper Sitwell), Emily VanCamp (Kate / Agent 13), Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter), Toby Jones (Dr. Arnim Zola), Stan Lee (Smithsonian Guard), Callan Mulvey (Jack Rollins), Jenny Agutter (Councilwoman Hawley). IMDb Rating (09/10/14): 7.9/10 from 232,093 users
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