Captain America's second film in the Marvel franchise is pretty much an action film with a strong political-thriller undercurrent that shifts character alliances and cranks the stakes to huge levels. It starts off with a thrilling hostage crisis on a boat, which sets off a series of events that causes the characters to go on the run and fight against massive odds. There are loads of great fight scenes, all fast-paced, hard-hitting, and choreographed with expert precision. The stuntwork is a thing of beauty. But that's not all; scenes in-between the action remain engaging thanks to the suspense and the personality of the characters. The film culminates with a fantastic climax involving a huge amount of mass destruction.
What really makes the film great, however, is the constant stream of peril the story dishes out. It is a huge challenge that makes for a very thrilling plot (and will undoubtedly serve as a paradigm shift for whatever may happen in Avengers: Age of Ultron). The film does take its time to let the characters shine a little (and character conflicts make up the most relevant dynamic for the various conflicts involved). Underneath it all, the film daringly underscores the threats of the modern world, so troubled by the loss of privacy and liberty through surveillance and technology. It's a world where Captain America finds himself way out of his element, but that's also what makes him the perfect hero for this story, because it's only his old-fashioned down-to-Earth mindset that gives everybody a chance. In the end, the film provides a relevant reflection on modern-day geopolitical issues, and the film hints at the scary notion that our world could be subverted. It's a captivating paranoia-thriller, inspired heavily by similar thrillers of the 1970s (such as Three Days of the Condor), but with big-scale action the likes of which only Marvel can dish out.
This film sports some fine photography; it's very solid most of the time, but tends to get jittery during the action scenes. Editing can be rather fast and hectic, but it gets the job done without being too overbearing. Acting is swell; Chris Evans is still apt as Captain America, and it is especially impressive seeing how physically demanding the fights must have been. Sebastian Stan elicits a good amount of sympathy for his character, and he has quite the presence. Scarlett Johansson is given quite a bit of screen time as the Black Widow; her character seems way more sarcastic than usual, but she's still easy on the eyes. Robert Redford is quite suitable in his role. Everybody else does alright. Writing is okay. This production features lots of good, slick-looking sets, props, costumes, and special effects. Music is okay too.
Despite having some shakey camera work in the action scenes, the film is pure excitement, and still has room to breathe and make a few relevant points on the characters and their ongoing struggles. As one of the better films in Marvel's repertoire, it comes casually recommended.
4.5/5 (Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good)
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