Three Stars
When looking at a film like
Captain America, one has to go in expecting the worst but casually hoping for
the best. Captain America 2 marks the ninth film in the Marvel Cinematic
Universe. After clunky, and frankly boring, films like Iron Man 3 And Thor: The
Dark World I can’t say I had high hopes for the future of the franchise.
Thankfully this film marks a return to form for Marvel Studios and provides
what I fell is the first summer movie of the season.
The film opens on Washington D.C,
where the man clad in stars and stripes currently resides. Steve Rogers has
always been the weakest character in the Marvel universe and the Russo brothers
seem determined to right that in this film. Steve seems to be struggling as
much with his lack of character as the audience was during The Avengers and he
begins building a character straight from the from the beginning. As we move
through his day we are introduced to a young military vet with a hidden talent
and reintroduced to Nick Fury, director of the national security firm S.H.I.E.L.D,
and Natasha Romanoff, avenger and agent of shield. After a quick action
sequence to establish the pace and lay a little ground work for the plot, Fury
takes us on a tour of Shield’s facility. The building resembles a Pentagon
stand in and we learn about Shield’s new defense program. This is where we get
to the meat of the issue as the captain begins to argue the very relevant issue
of security v.s. freedom. One line with Fury is particular poignant as the
captain stats, “I thought the punishment came after the crime.” Steve’s freedom
based ideology clashes directly with Fury’s security dominated persona, which
provides a nice contrast of the two leading heroes. Along the way me meet Alexander Peirce, the
second head of Shield and long time friend of Fury. The plot really kicks off
when Fury’s car is attacked and we are introduced to the masked assassin with
an iron arm known as the Winter Soldier. With people disappearing and files
being withheld from even Shield’s leader we soon find ourselves in the middle
of a plot of corruption that runs through Shield’s very heart.
The film itself is very
captivating with incredible action sequences and lots of twists in the plot.
The whole thing ends up playing with two sides. On one a modern shoot ‘em up
action flick, the other an intelligently crafted political thriller. On one
hand I would have much rather had it they had just gone as a straight up
classic spy thriller but from an economic stand point the classic big budget
action sequences make sense. The film is so engaging on no small part due to
the skilled directing of the Russo brothers. While their credentials would not
suggest they would make great big budget blockbuster pictures this film begs
otherwise. The Russo’s have previously demonstrated their exceptional
filmmaking skills on shows such as Arrested Development and Community but with
this film they really show their range of talents. Another big reason the film succeeds
is the script. Sharply written to prey on a time when people’s biggest fears
are of boogeymen and terrorists.
For what it is the film is
incredibly smart. It draws a diverse audience with all its different facets,
which makes sense from a financial standpoint. I would have preferred it if the
fight scenes where left off the final cut but without them the movie misses its
core audience of teenaged boys. The best part is that this movie really
breathes new life into a flagging franchise. It brings a freshness that hasn’t
been seen in the bloated market of superhero movies since the likes of Iron Man
and The Dark Knight. The film also really fleshes out the character of Steve
Rogers. Its little moments when Scarlet Johansson pesters Steve about women
that really shows that he’s more than just a flag carrying a shield. He’s a just
a man stuck far away from home and there’s something rather tragic about it. With
they way we are left at the end of the film it only builds more intrigue toward
the future of Marvel and what lies in store for everyone’s favorite heroes.
Keep telling stories.
John
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