HOLLYWOOD—Very rarely do sequels excel over its predecessor. I’ll be the first to admit: I was not a fan of “Captain America: The First Avenger” for a variety of reasons. For starters, it took the picture quite some time to get going, the action was not as explosive as one would have expected and I was not a fan of Chris Evans having his face digitized on someone else’s body before his transformation. It simply took away from the direction of the film in my opinion.

 

So while I was weary going into the theater to see “Captain America: The Winter Solider,” I must say this sequel is a major improvement over its predecessor. It has even more riveting characters, a villain that is an equal adversary to our hero and it’s filled with tons of surprises and twists that will leave audiences gagging. The first film may have been a failure in my eyes because its setting took place during a time frame not in the present. This time around our hero Steve Rogers (Evans) finds himself adapting to the current America, where technology and life is very different compared to the time period he had become accustomed to.

Its like moving to a new city and adapting to the ins and outs of that culture; Rogers is a subdued character, so after more than two years living in Washington D.C. and still working with S.H.I.E.L.D., he begins to adapt thanks to his chance encounter with war vet and PTSD counselor Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), who later transforms to Captain America’s ally, Falcon.

 

This is a major stepping stone in the comic book universe, as Falcon is the first African-American superhero; its quite the staple to say the least and to see Mackie embody that role is a revelation.  It’s kind of the sidekick that we’ve always wanted in the superhero movies. In my opinion, Robin was always an unwanted character to Batman, with Captain America that’s not the case. The movie revolves around the mysterious Winter Soldier portrayed by Sebastian Stan.

 

For those not in the know, the villain will be quite recognizable if you saw the first movie. The Winter Solider is none other that Captain America’s good friend, Bucky Barnes whom he suspected died after falling from a fast moving train. It appears he’s out for vengeance and wreaks a ton of havoc along the way that is a complete adrenaline rush for any action junkie. At the forefront of the mysterious foes threats is Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson).

Jackson is notorious for lots of yelling and over the top antics in many of his films, but Fury is a character that suits the actor so well; there is a nice balance of ego and charm to the character.

Another notable addition to the sequel is Scarlett Johansson who portrays Natasha Romanoff aka ‘Black Widow.’ She is also an agent/spy who sends quite a few chemistry sparks in Steve Rogers’ direction. Johansson was a revelation as her character in “The Avengers,” and brings that same intensity and irrationality to this franchise. While Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) appears in the picture as a love interest for Rogers’, the chemistry isn’t quite there yet in my opinion.


It’s almost a foreshadowing of things to come for the audience, but I see a better pairing between Captain America and Black Widow. We can’t forget to discuss the addition of Oscar-winner Robert Redford as S.H.I.E.L.D. senior leader Alexander Pierce. Without telling too much, let’s just say there is more to Pierce’s character than meets the eye.

 

The best thing about “Captain America: The Winter Solider” is the writing feels more polished in my opinion from scribes Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. There is more of a sense of urgency this time around, which brings a ton of intrigue and mystery to the audience in my opinion. It’s a fight to save
Washington D.C. from an adversary that is literally beating the pulp out of Captain

America himself. This is no cakewalk for our superhero, which is put to the test not just physically, but emotionally and mentally.  Unexpected moments spurt throughout the film that re-awakens the audience just when you think you know where the story is headed.

I was not just fully entertained by “Captain America: The Winter Solider,” it’s the first movie of 2014 that literally was a thrill ride from start to finish, which all those other action flicks headed to the multiplex in the next three months should take note of.