Marvel Gets Stronger
It's hard to believe that “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is the ninth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This in the span of six years, since the release of “Iron Man”. If the reviews and box-office predictions are of any indications, there's no slowing down for this franchise, which is turning out to be the most successful.
After the mega-success of the “Iron Man” trilogy, it's hard to tell if Captain America can do better in the big screen. There have been previous adaptations, but no big-budget picture on him. Until now. This superhero is quintissentially American, which spells success. “Captain America: The First Avenger” was a critical success because it had less computer-generated action scenes, which became the norm in Hollywood. It relied on old-fashion (action) fun, reminiscent of “Gunga Din”, and a witty screenplay (by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely). Then there was the cast. (No need to tell more about Tommy Lee Jones and company.) Set during World War II, this superhero came at the right place at a right time, when America was looking for someone to thwart the Nazis. Johann Schmidt was part of Hitler's special team, looking for anything that would make the Third Reich invicible. It happened to be the Tesseract, a bluish cube from another world, with unlimited powers, hidden in a chapel in Tønsberg, Norway. Not to worry, as the military had a “super soldier” experiment and they find their man in Steve Rogers. He may be diminutive and skinny, but he had a lot of heart. He also wanted to prove that he could be one of the bravest, which caught the eye of Dr. Abraham Erskine. He was transformed into Captain America, ready to face Schmidt, a.k.a. Red Skull. He was the head of Hydra, a terrorist organization which our superhero beat fair and square. Or so the moviegoers thought.
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” revealed that the organization may be down, but not out at all. It built its ranks during the next decades, taking its time before striking out when the world least expected it. What remained of this group also infiltrated Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate (S.H.I.E.L.D.), an espionage and law-enforcement agency. It was the very organization that Rogers was part of. There were more startling revealations, which made this sequel engaging. It may not be fun to watch, like the first, but Anthony and Joe Russo, siblings prolific on film and television, sticked to the old-fashion action formula that made the first installment a success. (Yes, there'll be a third.)
Chris Evans, in the titular role, couldn't be better. He's no stranger to superheroes, having played Johnny Storm in “Fantastic Four”. He was backed up by a bunch of fine thespians, from Samuel L. Jackson (as Nick J. Fury) to Scarlett Johansson (as the Black Widow). Sharp viewers will figure out from the trailer that Robert Redford would be the villain, but the Russo Brothers have some surprises. What wasn't surprising was the mid-credit scenes, where two more superheroes were revealed. (X-Men fans would figure it out right away.) Just wait for it.
