Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2014  PG-13  ACTION  2h 16min
CAST— Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, Hayley Atwell, Robert Redford, Samuel L. Jackson
MUSIC— Henry Jackman  DIRECTORS— Anthony Russo, Joe Russo  BASED ON— Characters appearing in Marvel Comics

     Cap returns in this action-packed continuation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Taking place after The Avengers (2012) we find Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) still a man out of time. He now works with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) as a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative, though his conscience is often at odds with his orders. As Rogers continually acclimates to modernity there are new threats on the horizon: a mysterious assassin pops up, one who may have connections with Rogers’ past, and the former Nazi science division Hydra reemerges as the hidden hand behind… well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The morally charged Cap finds an unlikely ally in the cold-hearted Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), with additional assistance coming from newcomer Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), AKA the Falcon. More contemplative than one might anticipate this film offers a thoroughly different landscape than The First Avenger (2011), showcasing Evans as a Captain America in the midst of an identity crisis while offering a slice of the MCU that is no doubt intended to reflect a modern societal viewpoint.
OUR RATING— ***
PRECEDED BY— Iron Man (2008), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), Thor: The Dark World (2013)
FOLLOWED BY— Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Doctor Strange (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017),  Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)