CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
Directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Cert. 12A. 136 mins
Superhero Steve Rogers / Captain America (Chris Evans) and his adversary, the mysterious, brainwashed assassin the Winter Soldier, may be the title characters, but this is really an ensemble piece, concerning the vast organisation known as S.H.I.E.L.D.
These are ostensibly the good guys, but it’s far more complicated. Captain America works with S.H.I.E.L.D., run by director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), but questions the methods and philosophy of ‘the-ends-justify-the-means’.
Gripping action
As a vast conspiracy becomes apparent, Captain America teams up with Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Sam Wilson / Falcon (Anthony Mackie) to uncover the truth and save the day. All the key players are highly skilled and this makes for gripping, and superbly choreographed, action sequences. With minimal use of CGI, the action is tangible, immer-sive, and visceral.
This is a superhero film which will appeal to those who aren’t fans of the genre, as it functions as an exciting political thriller about a hero with a strong moral compass who’s thrown into a world of moral ambiguity. As such, it bears some similarity to Christopher Nolan’s recent Batman trilogy, and the Bourne films.
The film’s comic-book roots are apparent in plenty of dramatic plot twists and heroic moments. Much of the film benefits from the 3D subtly enhancing the visual experience.
The film’s characters are searching for freedom, friendship, trust, truth and redemption, all of which ultimately find their fullest expression in Jesus.
