Captain America: The Winter Soldier

I enjoyed this film in it's entirety. Besides being a wonderful movie on it's own, this is the first modern superhero flick where I can look at the main character and say "This IS Captain America", no other film has given me that feeling so completely. While Robert Downey looks and acts A LOT like Tony Stark, and Henry Cavil seems like the perfect actor to play Superman, the material they have been given to work with hasn't always been quite spot on to stay true to the characters they're playing, but I feel like this version of Cap could have stepped right out of the pages of a comic, they captured his character wonderfully. While some of the other second phase Marvel movies have been mediocre as films, I feel as if they have been putting more effort into capturing the basics of the Marvel Heros and bringing them to the screen, but no other film has done it so well. I may sound a bit redundant, but to me this key to a good superhero movie. I don't look to nitpick on random facts and minutiae, but I do always want to see a movie where they at least attempt to portray the basics of what makes the character who they are, rather than just putting out a film with a superhero's name in the title and a completely unrecognizable character making there way through the film. Iron Man 3 did a fairly good job of this, giving us a more well rounded and recognizable Tony Stark than we have seen before on the big screen, but they fell short on a few points, and the film seemed a bit lacking at times. Thor 2, while a decent film, didn't show me much in the way of character development, and while there were moments where I felt they captured Thor as a character well, I feel like they missed more often than not. I hate to sound like I'm nitpicking, but I can't really see Thor as a character NOT being a God, and in the films, they have gone out of there way to point out that the Asgardians are not Gods, it just annoys me a bit, and it makes the actions of the characters seem even less believable than if they were divine. In the comics, Odin can get away with being a massive dick BECAUSE he's the All Father, because he sees almost everything, and you can believe that he's acting and making choices on a wider scope than other characters, but in the films, lacking divinity, he just comes across as a bit of a tyrant, a wise tyrant, but a tyrant all the same. Hell, in the comics even Tony Stark, the man of science who believes everything is explainable, is convinced that the Asgardians are deities. The Winter Soldier though feels as if it could have come straight from the pages of any stand alone Cap story. Chris Evans does a wonderful job as Captain America, he really fits into the role, and it shows throughout the film. He looks like Cap, and he does a great job of making the character believable. The fight sequences were fantastic, super well choreographed, very technical, and the way they were filmed made you really FEEL every blow. I enjoyed Bucky aka the Winter Soldier, I think the actor cast to play him did a good job, but I feel like the character was a bit underused and could have been developed more, I'm hoping that will happen in future films though. Scarlet Johansson continues to succeed as Black Widow, I was surprised with how large her role was in this film, and she handled it really well, bringing more depth to the character than we have seen before. She did a great job humanizing and fleshing out Natasha in The Avengers, and now has taken the character even farther in The Winter Soldier. Marvel has done a great job of bringing these characters to the big screen and giving us stories that have a comic book feel. As a fan of the source materiel, I'm constantly amazed that we have been able to see all of this play out in films, it's like a dream come true, and I hope that this continues for a long time.

As a fan of the Marvel comics, Marvel Studio's Cinematic Universe and film in general, I was looking forward to Steve Roger's next adventure unfold on film following Chris Evan's great performances as Captain America in 'Marvel's Captain America: The First Avenger' and 'Marvel's The Avengers'. To say that 'Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier' met my expectations is an understatement. This film is GREAT for fans of comic books, comic book movies, action adventure films, suspense thrillers and fantasy films with a sense of humor. The strength of Marvel Studios is that each film features a very unique character in a very specific genre who happen to inhabit a very distinctive universe and they've managed to pull off a magnificent sense of cohesion without tripping over their own cape. The film, handled very confidently by the Russo Brothers, is a love letter to the labyrinthine political thrillers of the 1970's while still managing to be a thoroughly modern big budget superhero blockbuster that in many ways surpasses the previous films in this series, including 'Marvel's The Avengers'. Robert Redford, star of 1976's 'All The President's Men', even pops up to lend credibility to the tone and genre this film is paying homage to. Two years have passed since Steve Rogers was thawed out from 70 years of ice and assembled the Avengers on Park Ave and 42nd Steet to successfully defend New York from an alien invasion. The Avengers have gone their separate ways and Steve Rogers, now working for S.H.I.E.L.D., struggles to figure out what to do with himself and where he fits in. Times have changed and is Steve Roger's moral compass, his values and ideals, as outdated as he feels at times in this new world? The film, for all the insanely orchestrated set pieces and explosions, still takes the time to explore the daily life of a thoughtful man strong enough to have saved the world in WW2 and still humble enough to not want a shred of recognition without throwing a wrench in the pacing. Steve tries his best to move forward in life but stills finds himself thinking back to what he lost and left behind in the 1940's. Visits to Smithsonian exhibits about his legendary battles against Hydra, the Nazi rogue science division, in WW2, are his chance to reminisce about old friends, brothers in arms and a first love, in one of several callbacks to 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' that fans of that film will find fun and heartbreaking in equal measures. The repercussions of the earth-shattering events of 'Marvel's The Avengers' are truly felt in this film and the global sense of paranoia and constant fear of attack is felt as the World Security Council debates the benefits of having the ability to take out threats before they happen. Loyal a (super) soldier as ever, Captain Steve Rogers has no issue taking orders from his superior officer Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), but has the wits, confidence in his beliefs and trust in his intuition to speak up when something doesn't feel right, reminding Fury that in the 1940's, punishment came AFTER the crime, a sly commentary in the real world's current War on Terror and the use of drones to execute targets remotely. Rogers senses that something is amiss and to reveal any more would be a disservice to the tightly paced, intricately woven script (written by Christopher Marcus and Stephen McFeely) that brings Captain America out of WW2 and firmly into the present in a film that feels more of Marvel's take on 'The Bourne Supremacy' than Marvel's take on 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'. If you haven't seen any previous Marvel Cinematic Universe films, you won't be lost, but it GREATLY dimishes the impact of certain events in a film that is sure to DRASTICALLY affect the plot of Marvel films to follow. If you're a fan of superhero films or summer blockbusters, you'll love the explosive action, thrilling hand to hand combat, exciting supporting cast (including fellow Avengers) and if you're NOT a fan of these types of films, you'll love the fantastic acting, truly surprising plot twists, subtle social and political commentary and the attention given to Steve Rogers, the man and not Captain America, the superhero. Marvel Studios knocked this one out of the park, and Chris Evans carries the film as effortlessly as Steve Rogers carries his trusty shield. The acting is solid, the action is gritty and rough, and the plot rewards multiple viewings. Not just a solid action film, but a genuinely great film overall, I can go on and on about 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' so I'll stop and wrap things up by reminding you to, as always with Marvel Studios, STAY AFTER THE CREDITS ;)

Outstanding movie 🎥🎥🎥🎥🎥

Well, here we have the sequel I wasn’t really looking forward to and wasn’t especially interested in. I liked the first movie well enough, but the idea of another movie didn’t interest me all that much. I’m just not that into Captain America as a character. But I must say, whatever expectations I had were shattered. This movie was excellent. It was nicely-paced and struck a good balance between humor and drama; something that isn’t always easy to do. All the major characters worked well, even the Black Widow, who I normally just roll eyes at and quickly lose interest in. I will say that the titular Winter Soldier was a bit undeserved. He didn’t really do much, other than look vaguely menacing and incredibly hot (note to self: watch for guys cosplaying as him when Comicon rolls around). I also like that Nick Fury was actually given a larger role, which is a nice change of pace from his normal habit of popping up, making a couple of quips and leaving again. The movie itself did indeed live up to the notion, as its directors said it would, of feeling like a 1970s political thriller (complete with Robert Redford), with a bit of action thrown in; and the action was, for the most part, in service to the plot. That’s something fairly rare in many movies now (I’m looking at you, Michael Bay). It was also nice to see some discussion about the ethics of SHIELD and the way they behave, though I wish it had been more than a surface discussion. I also really enjoyed seeing Captain America get a lot more characterization than he had in his previous two major appearances. The one minor complaint that I have about the movie is that it was a bit crowded with main characters. We had Captain America, Falcon, Nick Fury and Black Widow, in addition to several different villains. I like a good ensemble cast, but there is a limit. Seeing the Winter Soldier get a bit more development would have been nice, too, but mostly I just spent time looking at him and thinking, “Giggity!” a lot. As a final word on this movie, be aware that there are two credits teasers. One, that actually matters, happens in the middle of the credits. The other, which doesn’t, really, happens at the end. Stay for both, unless you’re at the theater I work at, in which case get out quickly! We have a mess to clean up.

Directed with the sure hands of brothers Anthony and Joe Russo (TV’s Community) from an excellent screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is easily the best of the stand alone Marvel films and a thrilling action film full of big surprises and twists with far reaching consequences. A superior sequel like X Men 2 and The Dark Knight, it raises the stakes of good story telling and intricate plotting of comic book adaptations in the guise of a political thriller. Steve Rogers AKA Captain America (Chris Evans) continues his adjustment to 21st century life after his thaw from the deep freeze (in Captain America: The First Avenger) and befriends a fellow veteran, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). On a typical mission for S.H.I.E.L.D., Cap and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) lead a team of agents to rescue a pirated ship which turns up an interesting bit of information. Meanwhile, as S.H.I.E.L.D. readies the major launch of a defense system in Washington, D.C., there are growing concerns expressed by boss Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to his superior, Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford). As suspicions multiply, all hell breaks loose when there is an assassination attempt on one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s own. The conspiracy leads Captain America to a confrontation with a mysterious, formidable figure, The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), whose strength and skills are extraordinary. With only a small circle of comrades, everything Cap has come to value comes crashing down. Loyalties are tested and just who will survive a major shift in the world order is just the beginning of an insidious plot. For fans of Cap, these are grand times as the filmmakers have chosen a major story arc (The Winter Soldier) from his comic annals and incorporated Silver Age characters, e.g. The Falcon (Mackie) and Batroc. Recently, super hero films have chosen to bend the rules and take chances with tradition. This film goes much further than any previous Marvel adaptation. It features a good mystery, topical subject matter on individual privacy, and significant plot twists so much so that it is essential for the viewer to watch them unfold without any spoilers. The smart script contains witty lines amid a pervasive feeling of mistrust and paranoia. When Cap responds to Fury’s state of the art weaponry to combat threats and says, “This isn’t freedom. This is fear,” it sums up the theme of the story. Think of this as homage to 1970s conspiracy classics like Three Days of the Condor, The Parallax View, and Marathon Man. The film also employs moments that references Mission Impossible, The X Files, RoboCop, and 24. Acting is uniformly strong as some old, familiar faces return, and a few new ones get introduced. By now Evans has become the embodiment of the iconic hero, retaining his sense of justice, duty, and morals, virtues which are downright refreshing in a post 9/11 world. Rogers is a Rip Van Winkle out of his time and still learning to assimilate the world changes and cultural references with amusing results. Evans’ chemistry with Johansson is believable yet ironic since their two characters have vastly different backgrounds. In a costarring role, Johansson’s Black Widow is resourceful, smart, and deadly as a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative whose history is only beginning to be scratched. Perhaps Black Widow should have her own film! Jackson’s Fury has an expanded role and reveals more facets of his mysterious background. Robert Redford (All the President’s Men) has a significant, atypical role as a high level official, and he is outstanding. His presence alone adds legitimacy and authority to the film. Mackie (The Hurt Locker) is an ideal buddy in arms to Evans. Emily VanCamp makes a good first impression as a young agent, and Cobie Smulders (returning as Agent Maria Hill) provides solid backup. The many impressive action sequences are noteworthy for their ferocity and meticulous detail, but the standouts are a mad, opening car chase through the streets of D.C., and a remarkable fight in a glass elevator that surpasses the gem in Die Hard: With a Vengeance. There are moments of intense hand to hand combat that recall the best moments of the Bourne films on steroids. You’ve also got to love that shield; the film wisely displays all the creative ways Cap’s shield is employed in combat. The violence here is realistically depicted and not cartoonish which pushes its PG-13 rating. Extensive use of handheld cameras and more live action special effects than CGI lend a stronger sense of realism. D.C. locations make a splendid backdrop for much of the film. Taking super hero filmmaking to new heights, Captain America: The Winter Soldier successfully interconnects what we know from previous films and effectively challenges you to reevaluate everything in the Marvel Universe. It certainly helps to have seen the previous films, but there is sufficient background and context that a casual outsider would still enjoy it. (Fans of TV’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will have a field day as the events tie directly with the show.) Though the film ends with open ended story threads that beg for another sequel, consider this as The Empire Strikes Back of Captain America. That’s not such a bad place to be. (As usual, don’t forget two post credit scenes which are significant.)

Marvel Comics produces such mindless PG-13 fun: Captain America is my favorite anachronism. Because of a military experiment in the 40s, he is mistakenly placed in a future time where he does not belong, so his earnest comprehension of that world is engaging and fun. This time out, we enjoyed Large, Medium and Small visions of that world. For Large, we had humongous aircraft poised to start World War III; Medium offered truly astonishing vehicular mayhem and blowie uppie stuff; while Small brought endless fisticuffs and gun battles. The parts I really liked were even smaller: the personal exchanges between our hero and his cohorts...AND his rousing, patriotic speech to the folks at S.H.I.E.L.D. Their new threat comes from old history, an awesome Soviet agent known as "Winter Soldier." We watch: * Chris Evans ("The Nanny Diaries") This is Evans' fifth time out as Steve Rogers/Captain America (the sixth is in production right now). This guy is earnest, sincere, patriotic, a born leader, and alone: the woman he loved is in her 90s, so you do the math. * Scarlett Johansson ("Don Jon") Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow seems to be the only person left that our hero can trust...and she's a little iffy. (I first saw Evans as The Harvard Hottie in "The Nanny Diaries" wearing nothing but a hand towel and Johansson was the Nanny.) * Anthony Mackie ("The Fifth Estate") Sam Wilson/Falcon seems to be a likely addition to The Avengers. He meets our hero during his morning run around the Tidal Basin. * Samuel L. Jackson ("RoboCop") is our perpetual Nick Fury, the force behind S.H.I.E.L.D. It was hard for me to watch when his vehicle was targeted by the villainous Hydra forces. * Sebastian Stan (Lots of TV) is Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, a fierce fellow with a bionic left arm; our hero thinks he knows him.... * Robert Redford ("All is Lost") Elder statesman Alexander Pierce is determined to win peace at any price. Screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeeley ("Pain and Gain") bring us many intimate moments leavened with humor; there is only a hinted flirtation, and mild profanity. The loss of trust between our hero and Nick Fury is a problem. He says,"It's trust that turns men with guns into an army." Two things: Expect a LOT of Computer Generated Imaging and be sure to suspend disbelief! Our savvy screening audience stayed put for both of the teasers we have come to expect from Marvel during and after the final credits. I'll own this DVD when Amazon tells me it's available.

I really enjoyed this movie. Sequels are really hard to do because of the expectations from the first movie. But this movie delivers. Great plot that flows nicely. Great fight scenes. Chris and Scarlett have great chemistry. You really felt in what Steve was fighting for. Steve is a moral man that does not take sides because he shares gender, race, country, religion, or political parties. A very rare quality in people. I see that side of me in him. I don't care if your my family or friend, if your right your right. If your wrong, as a real friend I will tell you that your wrong. Too many people don't care if their family, friend, or politician is wrong, they will defend them no matter what. We have seen that with the liberals and Biden. Easily the worst president in history. Yet they lie and twist everything no matter what he does. There is a difference between supporting a friend or family member when they are wrong. But supporting does not mean defending them. Too many people get that mixed up. But Steve is always aiming to do the right thing. And in this movie, he knows that his friend Bucky is still in there at the end and is willing to do what he has to do to help him. I would have liked to see more Nick Fury in action rather then being the politician of the group. Falcon is a nice supporting character who loves his country and loves his fellow soldiers. The three make a great team.

I watched the crap out of this movie. When it first came out in theaters, I couldn't wait for it to hit DVD so I could get it an watch it again. I say that about a lot of movies I like, but usually my interest for them kind of fades after a while and I end up either not getting them, or not watching them after I do get them on DVD. Not the case with Winter Soldier. I watched it this morning again, finishing it five minutes before I had to leave for work... and now I want to watch it again.... hehe. But seriously. CA: Winter Soldier... or CA2, was probably one of the best comic action movies in the last 5 years. What's so different about CA2 from the Avengers? Not all that much really, except that Captain America is kind of alone. So what's different about CA2 from CA1? Its totally different... and totally the same. The first Captain America was a period based movie during the second World War, and basically the creating of a hero, based around the fall of Hydra. The second Captain America dealt with Hydra again, but this time Steve Rogers was a little older and a little wiser. He was looking at the past in a way very few heros have ever gotten the opportunity to--as a living relic. There was that surreal moment when he went to a museum exhibit about himself and saw a boy who recognized him in the crowd. And quietly, like Steve does, signaled for the boy to keep it a secret. It says something about Steve Rogers as a character... always the silent hero. And this movie was very much about that internal compass and heroism that fuels Steve Rogers. If watching Shield implode on itself, Natasha do crazy amazing stuff, and Sam Wilson fly on a pair of incredible metal wings through a bunch of explosions doesn't sell you, along with all the crazy stuff Steve Rogers does... there's the fact that Natasha ended up in Steve's arms like four times. Yes, there's even a cute factor in this movie. And if that doesn't do it for you, there's always Bucky. So you see... plenty to love about this movie. But I think what made this movie really great wasn't just the fact that we were watching yet another hero trying to battle some unknown evil. Steve was battling the organization that brought him back and gave him a purpose... and yet even that organization wasn't totally evil. Even the weakest in that organization rose up to fight the good fight.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is excellent film-making, not excellent superhero genre film-making. It is essentially a spy thriller with superheroes thrown in. Whether you are a long time Marvel stalwart or simply a fan of great movies, this one swings for the fences and attains home run status. Really "WS" has everything; intrigue, formidable action, solid acting, an epic, resonant plotline and the demonstration by Marvel that they see the big picture down the line, heading into Phase III. This is easily the best Marvel film in years and is the best film I have seen in quite some time. There is just...do....damn...much going on...yet all is evenly managed with nothing jangling and tripping over itself. I am still processing everything that happened in WS. Long and short, Cap is now in modern time as a full S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and wondering about his place in our world. He carries out shadow op missions for Nick Fury, yet does not connect with anyone in the "modern world" including his co-worker, Black Widow (Scarlett Johanssen). The only venture he makes to connecting with the present is with Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) a fellow soldier and veteran. There is an instant bond between them because of their war time experience and the two translate very well on film as Cap and the eventual "Falcon", Cap's long time partner/friend from comics lore. Mackie has been giving strong performances for years and it is good to see him in a successful mega franchise where his talent can be noticed on a much greater scale. From the gentle mockery while Cap runs laps around him at the beginning to the Sam (Mackie's) extolling the virtues of Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man" as a template for making sense of the world around you, the two characters fates will unquestionably become linked and shine on screen. With Widow and Cap, there is a borderline friendship as he does not truly trust her and she, a staunch S.H.I.E.L.D. supporter and spy with an extremely checkered past, does not make it easy for him to afford her the little trust he does have. Trust is a huge plot device in this film. With the recent Wikileaks phenomenon and massive releases of covert information streaming forth continually of late, on a world scale there is a creeping paranoia that even the most hardened non-conspiracy minded cannot ignore. The core matter of the film powerfully examines this concept asking if anyone is truly trustworthy and if we ever truly know anyone. This being said, the scale of the film is massive. The fights are beautifully choreographed and realistic, particularly as regards the Winter Solider (Sebastian Stan) and Cap/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). Their battles are evenly matched, intensely physical and top tier cinematically. Noteworthy of mention is Georges St. Pierre's cinematic foray as "Batroc" a very old Cap enemy torn from the pages of golden age Cap books. St. Pierre is not an actor, but his physical prowess is unquestionable. As a former UFC champion; his physicality is fluid, natural and brings the fight scenes with Evans to a new level. He will not win an Oscar for his performance, but he assuredly has a future in action films or at the very least action film choreography. The film is beautifully linked with its predecessor, "First Avenger". Toby Jones's return as Arnim Zola is a masterstroke for any long time Captain America fan. It is brilliantly done as are the flashback scenes with Cap and Bucky (Stan). Everything is linked and Marvel demonstrates supremacy once more in seeing things so far down the line, including a few name dropping references to Phase III, 2015-2016. Marvel/Disney just gets it. Theirs is a path of brand saturation, and with three more Marvel based films coming out this year alone, they are assuring their legacy. Steve Rogers/Captain America is coaxed by Widow/Natasha to ask women on dates and live a little, at least attempt to embrace the modern time he is now a part of. He gently deflects her attempts and when not on missions, visits his first love, Peggy Carter, now in her 90s and fairly ill. Hailey Atwell reprises her role and the moments between the two former lovers, now forever separated by age are poignant and powerfully acted. WS however is not a romance and as such the tale must move past this aspect. Intrigue begins and mounts with Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson) being questioned by Cap as to whether or not their cause is just. Nick discovers that his agency may be compromised and attempts to investigate. The next 1.5 hours are a manic, circuitous ride as Fury is taken out of the game and Alex Pearce (Robert Redford), a former superior of Nick's, is brought in to investigate the goings on and determine if indeed S.H.I.E.L.D. has been sabotaged. When Cap learns via Widow of the Winter Soldier's involvement in the recent acts of terrorism, he begins a pursuit which takes him back to the 40s, learning that nothing is as it seems and that the past does not stay dead. Sebastian Stan deserves a nod as well for his performance as a severely damaged/manipulated man pulled into a life of violence and slaughter. His scenes with Evans are fantastic as he really doesn't get to say a lot, but conveys disruption, sorrow and well, the state of being completely lost with a mostly physical performance. Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff gets an expanded role in this film. Her performance is easily among her best. I have not been a huge fan of her casting as this long time cold war established fan favorite, but she is very capably making the role her own. She plays a very hardened character, having seen and done too much since a very young age. She opens up a bit in this film, showing a variety of vulnerability, humor and plain straightforward kick-assery. She proves herself invaluable to Cap/Steve, helping him understand covert can be overt and that becoming part of modern times does not come at the expense of one's character. There could very easily be a Black Widow film in the aftermath of this film, should the powers that be will it as her arc is fairly open at the film's end. There is so much I could say about this movie, but so much of it would spoil a journey so very much worth taking. Simply put, Captain America: Winter Soldier is simply outstanding and well worth your time....just see it already!

Parfait.

De 3d Bluray zat in de verpakking in plaats van de 4K

Dopo un primo episodio in cui viene riproposta - come si conviene - la genesi del l'eroe, nel secondo il nostro Capitano viene spietatamente quanto inevitabilmente, catapultato nei problemi del nostro presente: ma il passato è veramente passato? Il futuro è quello per cui aveva combattuto? Nick Fury, capo indiscusso di SHIELD, affronta la sua stessa creatura, in un film che riproduce la trama di una bellissima graphic novel a lui dedicata, pubblicata circa 20 anni fa'. La Vedova Nera, a sua volta, è portata a domandarsi per cosa sia giusto fare la spia. Nello sfondo una serie di trame complottistiche molto in voga nella società odierna, per cui il detto "le apparenze ingannano" pare fare da padrone. In tutto questo bailamme - in cui evidentissimi sono i richiami alle spy stories anni 70 - emerge, ancora, la purezza de Capitano, non solo assurto a mero stereotipo patriottista, ma anche unico appiglio che ha lo spettatore alla residua nobiltà del genere umano ed alla vita reale e quotidiana, ambedue fortemente messe in dubbio in ogni suo aspetto. L'amicizia poi, quale valore fondamentale, invero trionfa sulle mistificazioni elaborate dal sistema, sulle macchinazioni altrui. Un gran bel film che - come del resto gli altri film dedicati al capitano - tende a suscitare qualche riflessione profonda nello spettatore, non solo azione (peraltro fantastica) e non solo effetti speciali (superlativi). Comparto tecnico di questo blu ray di eccellente fattura. La traccia ING è da spavento costringendovi ad abbassare il volume standard del vostro impianto HT con cui fruite di solito la visione degli altri bluray. Purtroppo come al solito non altrettanto può dirsi della traccia audio ITA resa in DD 5.1. Il video è splendido essendo ovviamente girato con le più recenti e migliori strumentazioni digitali. Lo steelbook è estremamente elegante e raffinato. Vi è anche un secondo disco (in formato dvd) di contenuti speciali. Da avere per i collezionisti assolutamente !

Ich hätte nie erwartet das Captain America einer meiner absoluten Lieblinge des MCUs werden würde. Ich meine, come on: sein albernes Kostüm (besonders im ersten Avengers-Teil), sein plakativer Name, sein simples Schwarz/Weiß-Denken -und Gehabe. Wie käme ich dazu diesem Charakter auch nur im Entferntesten was abzugewinnen. Wobei zugegebenermaßen sein erster Film nicht ganz so schlecht war. Und ja, Steve Rogers ist nicht ganz unsympathisch (v.a. Dank Chris Evans Darbietung). Aber neben Iron-Man zog er lange Zeit den Kürzeren für mich. Das änderte sich aber schlagartig als dieser Film das Licht der Marvel-Welt erblickte. Die Russo-Brothers nahmen diesen simplen Charakter und zwangen ihn aus seinem Schwarz/Weiß-Denken auszubrechen und sich weiterzuentwickeln. Und Alter Falter… Das gelang ihnen wirklich, wirklich gut. Story im Groben: Steve Rogers lebt sich allmählich in der neuen Welt ein, in welche er 2 Jahre zuvor erwacht ist. Da er nichts Besseres mit sich anzufangen weiß, kämpft er für S.H.I.E.L.D. an vorderster Front. Doch Zweifel plagen ihn, denn die Welt hat sich seit 1945 doch drastisch verändert. Jeder um ihn herum scheint sein eigenes Süppchen zu kochen. Selbst seinen engsten Kollegen scheint er nicht trauen zu können. Nach einem scheinbaren Routine-Einsatz, gerät für den unbeugsamen Helden alles aus den Fugen. Jemand in den eigenen Reihen agiert verdeckt aus dem Hintergrund um nicht nur S.H.I.E.L.D., sondern auch die gesamte Welt in den Abgrund zu reißen. Nahezu auf sich allein gestellt, ohne zu wissen wem er trauen kann, macht Rogers sich auf die Verschwörung aufzudecken, wodurch er alsbald selbst zum Gejagten wird. Dicht auf den Fersen ist ihm hierbei der mysteriöse und gefährliche Winter Soldier. Meine Meinung: Dieser Film sticht aus all den MCU-Filmen mit am Meisten heraus. Beim zweiten Cap-Film handelt es sich um einen Action-Thriller, wodurch er sich schon stark vom ersten CA-Film abhebt. Klar, der Film hat seine typisch albernen MCU-Momente. Aber diese binden sich m.M.n. ganz gut ein und sind zur Auflockerung der Stimmung ganz gut. Denn der Film ist extrem spannend, düster und bietet tolle Kampf-Choreographien (kein Vergleich zu den miserablen Kampf-Einlagen des ersten Cap-Abenteuers). V.a. aber haben mir die Story und Figuren Spaß gemacht. Man hat sowohl alte Gesichter in Form von Cap’s Avenger-Kollegin Black Widow, als auch Maria Hill, Jasper Sitwell und Nick Fury, aber auch viele, viele Neuzugänge wie Robert Redford als S.H.I.E.L.D.-Chef Alexander Piers, Brock Rumlow, Sharon Carter und allen voran Sam Wilson aka „The Falcon“. Daneben gibt es noch nette Cameos bekannter Gesichter wie Hayley Atwell als Cap’s große, aber stark gealterte Liebe Peggy Carter, sowie dem schmierigen, aus „Iron Man 2“ bekannten, Senator Stern. Der Cast ist hervorragend und in top Spiellaune. Chris Evans entpuppt sich als echter Glücksgriff für die Rolle des Captain America, da er es schafft der Figur Glaubwürdigkeit und Tiefe zu verleihen. Auch bekommt Scarlett Johansson hier deutlich mehr zu tun. Wobei ihre Figur der Natascha Romanoff, alias Black Widow, hier das erste Mal deutlich zwielichtiger erscheint als noch zuvor in „Iron Man 2“ und „The Avengers“. Genauso wie auch der Meister der Geheimnisse Nick Fury, welcher wie gewohnt von Samuel L. Jackson gespielt wird. Vom Altmeister Redford darf man generell perfektes Spiel erwarten. Auch er schien Spaß an der Rolle des Alexander Pierce gehabt zu haben. Zur Figur des Winter Soldiers will ich an dieser Stelle nichts verraten. Lasst euch selbst überraschen. Was man den Russos hoch anrechnen muss ist der Mut diesen Weg mit der Figur des Captain Americas zu gehen. Nicht nur das sich Steve Rogers weiterentwickelt und hinterher nicht mehr blind irgendwelchen Institutionen wie S.H.I.E.L.D. oder dem eigenen Regierungsapparat vertraut, er legt auch sein einfältiges Schwarz/Weiß-Denken ab und sieht sich selbst damit konfrontiert Geheimnisse vor seinen Freunden aufzubauen (siehe die Kulmination dessen in „Civil War“). Er wird damit als Charakter greifbarer und interessanter. Zumal man diesmal keinen wirklich greifbaren Schurken hat wie noch zuvor mit Red Skull und Loki. Ja, es gibt einen zentralen Drahtzieher, aber wie Cap, tappt der Zuschauer auch zunächst im Dunkeln. Man hat zudem hier nicht das Gefühl ein x-beliebiges Einzelabenteuer zu sehen wie noch in Thor 2. Die Geschichte hat drastische Auswirkungen auf den kompletten Handlungsverlauf des MCU. Fans der Reihe werden hier viele, viele Querverweise zu anderen Figuren finden. Easter Eggs gibt es daher viele (erst beim letzten Durchgang ist mir selbst wieder eines aufgefallen). Das CGI ist okay. An manchen Stellen besser, an anderen wieder eher schlechter (gerade gegen Ende gibt es wie ich finde einen etwas nicht so schönen Schnitzer). Die Musik von Henry Jackman ist zweckdienlich und für sich gesehen eher austauschbar. Wobei er hin und wieder die eindeutig besseren Ur-Themen von Alan Silvestri aufgreift. Fazit: „The Winter Soldier“ ist nicht nur einer der besten MCU-Filme, er ist auch eine absolute Überraschung, da sicher die wenigsten erwartet haben dass man so viel aus dem guten Cap rausholen kann. Ich meine, wir reden hier über einen der m.M.n „lächerlichsten“ Superhelden- und die Russo-Brothers transformieren diese ursprünglich platte Figur in einen facettenreicheren und interessanten Charakter. Der Spagat den man geschaffen hat zwischen untypisch -und doch typisch MCU ist sehr interessant. Die letzten beiden CA-Filme fühlen sich auch deutlich geerdeter an. Zumindest wenn man diese mit den Abenteuern der Guardians, Dr. Strange oder Thor vergleicht. Manche halten den Streifen gar für Marvel‘s Antwort auf DC’s „The Dark Knight“, was ich persönlich für zu übertrieben halte. Dennoch ist dieser Film ganz klar ein Highlight der zweiten Phase und des MCUs im Allgemeinen. Volle Empfehlung!