Film Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier [2014]

The sequel to Captain America: The First Avengers, reintroduces Bucky Barnes as the Winter Soldier who is a brainwashed Russian asset.The film begins with the introduction of Sam Wilson AKA the Falcon. Steve Rogers saves a few hostages from a SHIELD ship which is taken over by Batroc. The rescue draws the attention of the security counsel which is addressed by SHIELD’s Alexander Pierce.

Nick Fury is ambushed in board daylight and targeted for assassination. Fury defends himself and attempts to get away in a high speed chase before encountering the Winter Soldier. Nick Fury escapes and heads to the apartment of Steve Rogers who just unknowingly meets Agent 13 of SHIELD’s Special Service. Fury reveals SHIELD is compromised before he is shot by the Winter Soldier. Rogers chases after the Winter Soldier who gets away and Nick Fury dies.

Rogers meets Alexander Pierce and after the meeting Rogers gets on an elevator where he knows he is about to be ambushed by SHIELD agents. Rogers overpowers them and escapes to the ground floor by jumping off the elevator and gets away via motorcycle. Pierce declares Captain America as a fugitive of SHIELD.

The Black Widow and Rogers teams up and decodes the drive Fury game him. They head to a secret SHIELD base where Rogers was trained. They find Arnim Zola who reveals HYDRA grew inside of SHIELD. They are trapped inside the base after SHIELD fired a missile. The next day Rogers visits Sam Wilson and kidnap Agent Stillwell who is a Hydra agent. They take him to the location of the helicarrier however they are confronted by the Winter Soldier. Rogers discovers during the battle that the Winter Soldier is his former partner Bucky Barnes.

Rogers, Wilson, and the Black Widow are captured by SHIELD however one of their captors is Maria Hill who helps them escape and takes them to Nick Fury. Rogers plans to dismantle both SHIELD and HYDRA. He warns them about launching the 3 specialized helicarriers. Now Captain America, Falcon, Maria Hill, and the Black Widow prepare to stop HYDRA at all costs. Overall The Winter Soldier is one of the best Marvel Studios sequels produced. The next sequel will clearly lead to his assassination while the Winter Soldier is set up as the new Captain America. 

RECOMMENDED – 4 OUT OF 5