Quickie Review:

Four words – Best Marvel movie yet. That's a bold claim to make, but one I stand by. In this second stand-alone appearance of Captain America, we see him struggling to come to terms with the changed perspective of the modern world on freedom and security. CA:WS takes more of a spy thriller approach to the story, which ends up being very entertaining to watch unfold. This is the most bad-ass version of Cap we have ever seen, and he encounters an equally intimidating villain called the Winter Soldier. A must-watch movie with great action, characters, and story. What more can one ask for? Do yourself a favor and go watch it as soon as possible.

Full Review:

Time to defend my bold claim.

Captain America: Winter Soldier, is directed by the Russo bros. (Anthony & Joe) who are mostly known for directing TV shows. Considering this is their first big-budget movie, they absolutely did an incredible job. I like how they made this movie feel more like a spy thriller than the generic, campy comic-book action. The story is very well paced and I enjoyed watching every minute of the mystery and conspiracy unfold in front of me. Despite being a blockbuster movie, I was surprised to see it go deeper than the usual popcorn flick by touching upon some relevant social issues. That's not the focus of course, but it is nice to see the directors take a serious approach, yet still manage to keep it fun and engaging.

Credit has to be given to Chris Evans playing Captain America. I always liked Cap the most of all the Avengers heroes, because of how honest and incorruptible the character is. Evans continues to play him brilliantly, but in this movie we also get to see his full fighting capability. This truly is the most skilled and powerful Cap we have ever seen. The action choreography is amazing. You feel every punch he throws and you will always be on the edge of your seat. Speaking of throwing, we see some of the most creative and impactive use of the shield so far. The main villain of this movie is Winter Soldier and he was excellent. He is definitely the most intimidating villain we have seen in the Marvel movies. Every encounter between him and Cap is exhilarating to watch, especially the climax where you really feel the gravity of their struggle. There is honestly no weak link in the casting at all. Even the newcomers to this franchise such as Robert Redford and Anthony Mackie made a dent in memorable performances.

After watching the CA:WS I just can't deny the fact that I haven't enjoyed a Marvel movie this much since Avengers, which many, including myself consider to be the best one (till now of course). CA:WS is all the more impressive bearing in mind that it was able to deliver the same amount of enjoyment without the spectacle of all the Avengers teaming up together. That is why I have to single it out to be the best Marvel movie yet. This is a must-see. I just can't stress that enough!

REMINDER: There is a mid-credits and an end-credits scene, so do not leave after the movie ends. I see people make this mistake, so make sure you are not one of them. Enjoy!