It's been three years since the first Captain America movie and two since The Avengers. So it's about time that the Captain starred in his own film again; he continues his story in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Chris Evans returns as the all-American hero Steve Rogers, and, just as in The Avengers, he's still adjusting to being a part of the modern world and a part of the spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D. On what seems to be a hostage rescue mission with the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), he learns of possible other objectives in place.
As he investigates, he soon unravels secrets that threaten both the integrity of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the safety of the world.
The Winter Soldier represents a refreshing new direction for Marvel, as it was filmed as a political thriller. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo weave a complicated web of mystery as you're never really sure which characters to trust. But this is a superhero film after all, and the action scenes are as intense as you could hope for.
Evans again plays the Captain to a T, and Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) get more screen time. Sebastian Stan is brilliant as the menacing, yet confused, title character, who proves a worthy adversary.
As with the other Marvel films, this one seamlessly unites past films while leaving plenty of crumbs about what's yet to come.