Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) Review

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

At multiple points in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” the newest installment in Marvel Studios’ expanding superhero universe, characters justify their actions with explanations akin to, “Out with the old, in with the new.” It’s something that Captain America, a.k.a. Steve Rogers, deals with as he acclimates to the current state of modern warfare. He’s a bright colored model plopped into a grey world that challenges his steadfast resolve as the stakes, both personal and broad, are raised higher than ever for him.

The eponymous hero, still figuratively frozen in his 1940s ideals, struggles to comprehend agency S.H.I.E.L.D.’s overzealous measures taken to ensure national security in the wake of New York City’s alien invasion from “The Avengers.” With leader Nick Fury and partner Natasha Romanoff engaging in secrecy behind his back, Rogers feels that his trust has been betrayed. But when a mysterious assassin, known only as The Winter Soldier, and hostile forces from the past threaten to upend the entire establishment, Rogers must figure out where his true loyalties lie when nothing is as it seems.

Much like with “Iron Man 3,” “The Winter Soldier” shows a side of Marvel willing to inject real world themes into its stories of super-powered beings. The actions of S.H.I.E.L.D. act as a mirror image of the current United States political landscape where paranoia runs rampant and drone armies are being built up. This doesn’t sit well with Steve Rogers, who comes from a time when America put faith in its people without having to monitor every action being they take.

The Winter Soldier himself, with strength and agility that matches the Captain, represents that corrupted side of America, even as he’s underserved within the plot. He’s a man that has lost sight of who he once was, and the relentlessness of his pursuit leaves little in its wake when the paths of him and Captain America cross. The fight sequences in “The Winter Soldier” carry a level of intensity unmatched by any other Marvel entry that sells the danger our heroes experience by grounding the action in the (relative) real world. Only in the climax do the special effects take over, but that hardly matters when the film has so successfully attached us to these characters.

Anthony and Joe Russo’s past in television (“Arrested Development” and “Community”) no doubt informs their work as directors here as they give equal due to the character relationships amidst the conflict. Everything is deftly balanced with new characters such as Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson and Robert Redford’s Alexander Pierce making strong impressions even as old standbys like Natasha and Fury are able to become the fully fleshed out characters they never quite were before.

And at the center of everything is Chris Evans` Steve Rogers, whose understated performance carries the weariness of a man still trying to find his place in this world he still doesn’t quite understand. Evans finds the heart and light touch in a hero who doesn’t have the bluster of Thor or jest of Tony Stark, making him arguably the most endearing of Marvel’s super lineup. He’s also got the most emotional baggage too, especially once he learns the truth about the Winter Soldier and everything he thought he was fighting for.

Even with the grave circumstances at hand, the Russo’s remember that this is a comic book movie first and foremost and embrace that sensibility when appropriate. Evans, Mackie, and Scarlett Johansson have an easygoing chemistry between them with lighthearted quips to break the tension when appropriate. The directing duo and returning “Captain America: The First Avenger” screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely carefully weave in references to other Marvel characters in ways that feel organic to the established world, some of which alter perceptions of events in previous films.

With shattering changes for these characters and implications for where their story leads them next, there’s the sense of a new dawn for the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward. The testing of limits has made their bonds even stronger as they venture off into the new world. Yet in it’s final scenes (both in the main film and the second of two post-credits scenes), “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” also presents a yearning to rediscover the past and reclaim a heroic ideal that has faded over time. Thankfully Captain America, the quintessential Man Out of Time, is here to keep that ideal beating strong and insuppressible.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) Review

The Amazing Spider-Man

The summer of 2012 has proved to be an extremely divisive time for movie fans. “Brave” has had a similarly mixed reaction to that of the first “Cars” movie, “Prometheus” has people debating fervently whether it is ambitiously successful or complete bunk, and now “The Amazing Spider-Man” has split the line between two groups: camp Raimi and camp Webb. Sam Raimi fans hold his original movies close to their hearts (with good reason, barring the mediocre but not terrible “Spider-Man 3”), while many others believe that director Marc Webb has successfully restarted the franchise on more proper footing. As I walked into the theater, I contemplated over which side I would land on, unsure about whether this new film would end up as a successful reworking or tired remake.

While it retreads similar ground in the origin story that the 2002 original movie did, the movie takes on a slightly different tact by throwing in the element of Peter Parker’s parents and by spending more time with the characters leading up to the point of Uncle Ben’s death (at this point, if you didn’t know that, the joke’s on you). Rather than the Green Goblin/Norman Osborn, we have Dr. Curt Conners, a scientist at Oscorp (Osborn is still very much a figurehead in the background) who is working on a formula for regenerating body tissue, especially in the hopes of getting back his lost arm. While Peter is being bitten by a radioactive spider and then exploring his newfound superpowers, Conners must test the formula on a human in order for it to be used on the ailing Osborn. In a desperate move, he tests it on himself, and the lizard D.N.A. in the formula enhances his body to the point where it takes over and turns Connors into a monster.

There are many more character connections, plot threads, etc. that can be discussed, but that would take up more space than needed. Along the way, Peter catches the attention of Gwen Stacy, who is enamored with his good-hearted nature after standing up to a school bully. With Webb’s previous film being “(500) Days of Summer,” it should come as no surprise that the relationship and chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone is exceptionally done. Their sharp and playful banter provides the spark of life that raises them above the pairing of Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst.

Garfield does an incredible job of juggling Peter’s impossibly awkward and nice demeanor with the inner torment he holds because of his parents abandoning him. He sometimes lashes out at others, and the majority of the film is about him learning to use his Spider-Man powers for the good of others rather than just his personal vendettas. The theme of Peter figuring out his “identity” and his character arc that runs through the plot provides the compelling backbone for the film that distinguishes it from the original.

Dr. Connors is also searching for something, but it brings him down a more dangerous path. Connors/The Lizard follows in the tradition of the “Spider-Man 2” interpretation of Doc Ock as a sympathetic villain, as his endgame plan is not entirely malicious. In fact, once he figures out how to grow back his missing arm, Connors wants to share his miraculous discovery with others in the world that suffer from defects. Of course, we still want Spider-Man to win out in the end because Connors’ good intentions are twisted and warped, but it fleshes out the character with more intriguing layers underneath his scaly exterior.

Although Webb’s approach to the action doesn’t have the zany energy that Raimi brought to the table, he has an eye for creative angles and spider-like choreography to keep viewers on their toes. There’s still room for improvement though, as a funny but incomprehensibly shot fight in a subway train proves. It also helps that while he takes on an overall darker tone to the material, a sense of humor is maintained throughout thanks to Spider-Man’s quips and the ever-reliable Denis Leary as Gwen’s police captain father.

When taken as a whole, “The Amazing Spider-Man” never reaches the heights that “Spider-Man 2” did. It’s not as smoothly constructed, with multiple points where the editing begins/ends scenes at awkward times, and has sections around the middle that tend to drag. Add to that James Horner’s uneven score, which doesn’t establish a theme worthy of a hero like Spider-Man, as well as being painfully bad in one scene that comes off like a cheap horror movie. However, the elements are certainly there for a superior sequel (comic fans know what’s coming with Gwen and Osborn involved), and I would argue that it establishes a stronger franchise footing than the 2002 movie. With Spider-Man fans split down the middle on their preferred version, this new iteration will have to pull out the big guns with the next installment to win everyone over.

3.5/4