I should preface this with "I have yet to watch the whole MCU". That said, as of right now, I consider this the single best superhero movie I've ever seen.
The movie manages to mix political intrigue and modern-day concerns about "security vs. freedom" with super soldiers and spy thriller action in a pace-perfect blend of action and suspense. There are several twists in the movie and all of them are spaced out well enough that it forms a cohesive plot and keeps you engaged as a viewer. The overarching theme also works very well in setting up the major twist of the movie as it comes across as a sensible and realistic reality in which the main antagonists could operate within our own world.
Captain America represents the last bastion of Black and White Morality in a world that can only see in bad and not-so-bad and it turns out he was on the right side of history all along, with much of his character development being his realization that he can still fight for the values he grew up on even in a society like ours. The action in The Winter Soldier is less straightforward than the average superhero adventure without completely changing the direction, like Iron Man 3 did with Tony out of the suit. Instead the action is conveyed much more like a modern television drama, with plenty of gunfire and explosions but accentuated with a Vibranium shield for good measure. The characters are mostly familiar faces with a Big Bad who makes sense but is also unconventional for the genre. The film's outcome sets a massive status quo change for the MCU and exudes an "enemies everywhere" vibe that can even turn someone as powerful as Captain America into a man on the lam.
I highly recommend watching this movie, even if its key twist is spoiled for you, as the whole package is a timeless entry in the genre.
THE definitive superhero movie for me
I should preface this with "I have yet to watch the whole MCU". That said, as of right now, I consider this the single best superhero movie I've ever seen.
The movie manages to mix political intrigue and modern-day concerns about "security vs. freedom" with super soldiers and spy thriller action in a pace-perfect blend of action and suspense. There are several twists in the movie and all of them are spaced out well enough that it forms a cohesive plot and keeps you engaged as a viewer. The overarching theme also works very well in setting up the major twist of the movie as it comes across as a sensible and realistic reality in which the main antagonists could operate within our own world.
Captain America represents the last bastion of Black and White Morality in a world that can only see in bad and not-so-bad and it turns out he was on the right side of history all along, with much of his character development being his realization that he can still fight for the values he grew up on even in a society like ours. The action in The Winter Soldier is less straightforward than the average superhero adventure without completely changing the direction, like Iron Man 3 did with Tony out of the suit. Instead the action is conveyed much more like a modern television drama, with plenty of gunfire and explosions but accentuated with a Vibranium shield for good measure. The characters are mostly familiar faces with a Big Bad who makes sense but is also unconventional for the genre. The film's outcome sets a massive status quo change for the MCU and exudes an "enemies everywhere" vibe that can even turn someone as powerful as Captain America into a man on the lam.
I highly recommend watching this movie, even if its key twist is spoiled for you, as the whole package is a timeless entry in the genre.