Much has been made of Steve Rogers' status as the man out of time; a guy from a simpler time, with simpler values. Usually, this is to show how a more straightforward, black-and-white, right-and-wrong attitude is better. And yeah, Steve always tries to do The Right Thing; but a Good Guy Doing Good Things isn't interesting - the core of good storytelling is conflict - so the question with The Winter Soldier is, how do you make Steve Rogers conflicted?
Obviously, bringing back his best childhood friend as a brainwashed assassin helps, turning on its head Captain America's core belief that enemies are always just enemies; before Bucky's unmasked, Rogers fights him with complete conviction, pulling no punches, but once he knows who the Winter Soldier is, his focus changes from defeating Bucky to redeeming him.
Even aside from that, the whole thing's against the morally-grey backdrop of Project Insight, SHIELD's ambitions pre-crime punishment system. It's a pretty dark grey, at that, and Steve doesn't like it; as he says, punishment usually comes after the crime. Fury calls him naive, urging him to get with the programme and realise that the world isn't as simple as it was in the '40s.
And in a way, he does - this is a less trusting Steve Rogers than we've seen before. The best example I can think of is that, in The Avengers, he immediately takes Black Widow at her word when she says Hawkeye can be trusted again; but after the events on the Lemurian Star that open the movie, he doesn't have so much faith in her - she has to work a little to earn that back.
I think the core of Winter Soldier is that, in making the world more grey, and making the distinction between right and wrong based on who's doing the thing, it just makes it easier for the bad guys to blend in, hiding in plain sight until the Helicarriers are in the air - and that's when you get real glad to have someone who thinks in more straightforward terms on your side.
There is precisely one thing I don't like about The Winter Soldier, and it has nothing to do with the story, the pacing, the characters, or the editing, which are all, frankly, bloody brilliant. No, the single tiny thing (which might be the most pathetic nitpick of any of these movies so far) is that I don't like Falcon's wings. The flexible bird-wing design just doesn't do it for me.
So, yeah, it's a great piece of moviemaking. Everyone gets a decent arc, it has real heart and soul, the action is great, and despite a two-and-a-quarter hour run time, it never feels baggy or like it's outstaying its welcome. Hands down, The Winter Soldier the best of the MCU movies.
...at least, until Friday, if the buzz is to be believed.
Obviously, bringing back his best childhood friend as a brainwashed assassin helps, turning on its head Captain America's core belief that enemies are always just enemies; before Bucky's unmasked, Rogers fights him with complete conviction, pulling no punches, but once he knows who the Winter Soldier is, his focus changes from defeating Bucky to redeeming him.
Even aside from that, the whole thing's against the morally-grey backdrop of Project Insight, SHIELD's ambitions pre-crime punishment system. It's a pretty dark grey, at that, and Steve doesn't like it; as he says, punishment usually comes after the crime. Fury calls him naive, urging him to get with the programme and realise that the world isn't as simple as it was in the '40s.
And in a way, he does - this is a less trusting Steve Rogers than we've seen before. The best example I can think of is that, in The Avengers, he immediately takes Black Widow at her word when she says Hawkeye can be trusted again; but after the events on the Lemurian Star that open the movie, he doesn't have so much faith in her - she has to work a little to earn that back.
I think the core of Winter Soldier is that, in making the world more grey, and making the distinction between right and wrong based on who's doing the thing, it just makes it easier for the bad guys to blend in, hiding in plain sight until the Helicarriers are in the air - and that's when you get real glad to have someone who thinks in more straightforward terms on your side.
There is precisely one thing I don't like about The Winter Soldier, and it has nothing to do with the story, the pacing, the characters, or the editing, which are all, frankly, bloody brilliant. No, the single tiny thing (which might be the most pathetic nitpick of any of these movies so far) is that I don't like Falcon's wings. The flexible bird-wing design just doesn't do it for me.
So, yeah, it's a great piece of moviemaking. Everyone gets a decent arc, it has real heart and soul, the action is great, and despite a two-and-a-quarter hour run time, it never feels baggy or like it's outstaying its welcome. Hands down, The Winter Soldier the best of the MCU movies.
...at least, until Friday, if the buzz is to be believed.
Next: Avengers: Age of Ultron
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