Here's the dilemma with superhero movies and action movies in general: you have to grade them on a different curve than other movies. The same goes with comedies. When you say that a comic book movie is good you might catch yourself adding "for a comic book movie" at the end. I love Watchmen and I though 12 Years a Slave was phenomenal but they're not in the same league. If I go out and say 12 Years was the best movie of 2013 and quite possibly one of the best and most heartbreaking movies I've seen, (which I do) then when asked about Watchmen naturally I'll say something along the lines of, "It was an awesome movie. The fight scenes were incredible to watch and Zach Snyder did an amazing job directing. It was a really good movie, for what it was."
It's just what's natural for us because it's imprinted in our brains that a movie about a guy dressed in costume that fights bad guys can't be a "good movie". That changed though in 2008 when Christopher Nolan gave us The Dark Knight. With his vision and amazing performances by Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight able to what most action movies could not, and that is being able to hold a candle to the so called "great movies" you hear buzz about near awards season instead of being confined to being called "popcorn flicks". So it broke the barrier for other superhero movies to follow but unfortunately none have followed. (You can catch my ranking of the Batman movies here!) Mostly because superhero movies don't take themselves that seriously and that's not a bad thing. But the question is, do I take a movie like The Winter Soldier and grade it on a curve or do I say, "The Dark Knight set the bar, let's see how this does"?
Well, right out of the gate this movie came out swinging. Cap was not fucking around and neither was Nick Fury. Chris Evans once again did a fine job playing the not-from-this-time-period Steve Rodgers. He's compelling in the way where you can get behind him because you can relate to him. He was an average schmuck (below average actually) with a great heart and some big love for his country. ('Murica!) His veins just so happen to be pumping serum that makes him super human. But the characters carry the movie pretty well. Scarlet Johansson is back playing Black Widow and on a side note her stock has gone down a bit for me. I'll be the first to admit that I was on Scar Jo's dick for the longest time. I was on that train all the way, my friends. I mean it's Scar Jo! (Oh yeah!) But something just isn't doing it for me. I don't know what it is but it just isn't the same. Now Robin Scherbatsky, I mean Cobie Smulders was looking real good. Scherbatsky has been looking pretty damn fine as of late. But I digress. There's a couple other old and new characters that are fun to watch.
The plot was well written. I've seen superhero movies with some shitty plot lines. You need to make sure the plot follows some coherent path, if you ask me. I've seen superhero movies play it safe and present a coherent plot that makes sense, isn't corny and is interesting. I've also seen movies that overreached and over-complicated themselves and ended up confusing everyone. Captain America: The Winter Soldier hit the mark just right. I'm not gonna be the asshole that reveals plot twists and revelations but I will say that the movie captured my attention and it was thrill to follow the ride through its many turns. It was simple enough to understood by Simple Jack but with enough material to avoid being dull. The plot also touched on some relevant subjects as well not limiting to secret societies and the big brother government theory.
Now the question everyone is asking is, "How are the action scenes?" I mean, it is a superhero movie, I should be talking about superhero stuff. Well, let me just say I was satisfied. I was actually more than satisfied, I was downright pleased with what I saw. There was no shortage of action sequences and I had my eyes glued to the screen the whole time. The movie found the right balance between dialogue and expository scenes that drove the movie forward and action scenes that were intended to draw audiences to the theaters in the first place. So in the grand scheme of the things I had to grade this movie on the superhero movie curve. It didn't quite accomplish what The Dark Knight did but it was a good effort. Compared to the other Avenger movies it might have been the best yet. So, for a superhero movie I'd give this film a Guapisimo. Again, for a superhero movie it does everything right and is everything it should be. And honestly, without the curve, I think the movie was quite good.
Hope you've enjoyed this review. Hit me up on the comments section if you have a movie you think I should review or any other suggestions you may have. I'm on Twitter @ELGUAPO3 and Instagram @CAPTAINCRUNCHTIME. Make sure you follow me so you don't miss one ounce of wisdom. Keep on the lookout for new posts because you never know when I decide to drop some rare shit like Lil B. Stay Guapo out there!
Maybe there were one too many twists by the end, but at least it still kept my interest for the most part. Good review Mario.
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