Captain America The Winter Soldier Review: The Price of Freedom is High
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Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Director: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
10
Where to Watch Captain America: The Winter Soldier?
The third sequel of Phase 2 is our time to check back in with Steve Rogers. Captain America The Winter Soldier needs no real introduction from me. Not only is it considered one of the best MCU films and one of the best superhero films ever made, but it is widely considered to be a great spy/action film overall. Since release, this film has received loads of praise and hype, and I am here to completely agree with that. There’s no twist, it’s not a take I disagree, it’s a great movie. Personally, I don’t think it makes my top 5 for MCU but it definitely makes my top 10.
I guess let’s start by talking about the overall tone and genre of the film. It has been stated since this film was released that Marvel took a very specific direction with this film. They decided that this film would not just be a standard superhero film but that it would also take many cues from a different genre which in this case was political thriller/spy films. This choice to lean into a subgenre really allowed this film to be distinct and have a very specific vibe when watching it.
If it weren’t for the physics-defying shield, metal wings, and metal arm this film could easily be a grounded spy thriller. This direction would be something that the MCU would continue doing in the future. They would take a different genre and pair it up with the superhero formula that they had concocted for their universe with the result being something completely unique.
A spy thriller is perfect for Captain America. He was the face of the military in WW2 and even in the comics he tends to get along relatively well with the government. It also makes sense that after The Avengers, Cap would join S.H.I.E.L.D. as it was a government organisation that dealt with bigger threats that could use Cap’s skillset.
The setup in this movie is excellent. HYDRA as a villain was excellent because they operate in the shadows. I love seeing how all these different characters that we have seen up to this point were secretly evil and we didn’t know it. It also fits with the myth of a HYDRA and how “ cut off one head two more appear”

Like with Iron Man 3, we see our hero’s identity questioned. Captain America has always been the Boy Scout, by the book, a pure hero in most people’s eyes. A lot of people even tend to say he is a cop. However, even in the comics, this has proven not to be true. When Cap can no longer stand by what his government is doing he tends to fight back against them. Like I said in the review of the first film, he is meant to represent what the United States should be and in general the morals everyone should try to aspire to.
So now this film throws the MCU Cap into that exact situation. What happens when the institution you put your faith in is doing something you consider fundamentally wrong.? Steve in this movie is tested and he has to put his morals and ideals above all else. Even if that gets him labeled a fugitive and hunted by the people he worked beside. I just really like how Steve sticks to his gut and fights the one thing he believes should be guaranteed which is freedom.
Black Widow has a similar crisis of faith as after she had done so much wrong in the past she had believed that her work for S.H.I.E.L.D. was helping people. Unlike Steve, she had never questioned her orders because she thought that she was doing good. She has to prove to herself in this movie that she can still be a hero.

Two new characters that I want to discuss in this film are Bucky and Sam. Now I know that Bucky isn’t really a new character but he gets more to do in this film. The Winter Soldier storyline was a relatively new comic book addition only being released in the 2000s and I think it’s cool how it was included here. Everything changes for Steve knowing that he is fighting Bucky. For Bucky, we see a brainwashed soldier who after seeing his former best friend is nearly brought out of the programming that has had a hold on him since the 1950s.
One of my favourite scenes in the film is at the end when he can’t finish the mission because it is Steve and there’s something inside him that knows he is his friend. Sebastian Stan does a great job with his facial acting conveying many emotions. Sam Wilson is a great character to include in this film as well. He is just a regular soldier who is retired but like Steve, he wants to do the right thing. He comes out of his retirement to help Steve fight HYDRA and sticks by his side after that. He obviously gets rewarded for that later on.
The action in this film is incredible. Up until Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, it had my definitive favourite fight scenes in all of the MCU and depending on the day it is still my number one. The hand-to-hand combat in this film is excellent. It shows how Captain America is more than just a serum and a shield. He knows how to fight and how to utilise his skills to the best of his ability. You can tell he knows many different fighting styles. It shows how Natasha can hold her own as her style of fighting is very distinct and targets obvious weaknesses.
It makes the Winter Soldier even more threatening when you see how he handles every weapon. My favourite scene in the movie is the fight between Cap and the Winter Soldier on the street because how I just love each block and punch that was thrown. I really thought that they did a great job conveying how strong both of those characters are.

All in all this film is incredible, this is certainly one of the MCU films that I revisit often and turn on any day and enjoy. It works as a standalone spy film, a sequel to the first Captain America, and a piece in the larger puzzle of the MCU. It does some great setup for things to come and transformed the MCU in ways that are still emulated today. It has great acting and great action. Definitely give this one a rewatch!