Captain America: The Winter Soldier

A substantial disappointment after 2011’s better-than-expected Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier follows Chris Evans’ title character as he embarks on a quest to clear his name after he’s branded a traitor by certain dark forces. It’s clear immediately that directors Joe and Anthony Russo aren’t looking to replicate the old-fashioned feel of Joe Johnston’s first film, as Captain America: The Winter Soldier opens with a generic action sequence that could’ve been pulled from any number of contemporary thrillers (ie the rapid-fire editing and shaky camerawork lend it an incoherent, unexciting feel). The film does, thankfully, improve past that point, as scripters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely offer up a propulsive narrative that’s been augmented with a number of agreeable elements – with the conspiracy-based storyline certainly far more entertaining and compelling than one might’ve expected. It doesn’t hurt, either, that the movie boasts a raft of charismatic performers within the supporting cast, with, in particular, Robert Redford’s engaging turn as a senior S.H.I.E.L.D. official standing out as an obvious highlight. And although the opening hour contains a handful of impressively exciting set-pieces (eg Cap must take down an elevator full of villains), Captain America: The Winter Soldier begins to lose its grip on the viewer in the rather tedious midsection and buildup to the third act – with this vibe ultimately compounded by an almost interminable final stretch that’s rife with over-the-top, overblown action sequences. (And, typically, most of this stuff feels as though it’d be more at home in a video game than in a movie.) It’s a shame, really, given the effectiveness of Captain America: The First Avenger and the central character’s likeable, appealing nature, with the film, in the end, establishing itself as just another mindless product geared towards teenage boys.

** out of ****