After several months of hearing how good this film was I was giddy to finally have the opportunity to watch this on Blu Ray, and thankfully the film exceeded my expectations.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is an excellent action espionage film that keeps you glued to your seat but also delivers a message that closely hits home. I would easily put Winter Soldier with Skyfall and Ghost Protocol as the three best espionage films within the last 5 years.

The Winter Soldier is expertly paced, which is essential for any espionage film. And much credit to Chris Evans for his excellent performance as Captain America. One flaw I had with the first film was that Captain America didn't feel special, nor did I believe he was a true superhero; I identified him more as a soldier than a comic book super hero. But the Winter Soldier changes that and even propelled Captain America as one of my favorite superheroes to date.

This film does an excellent job in showing you just why Captain America is such a beloved character. Not only can he whoop some serious butt but he also embodies what we as people and as Americans should strive for and achieve, something that the other superhero films lack.

Another bright spot to this film was Samuel L. Jackson's performance as Nick Fury. Unlike other films, Fury is often times in the back- fold and plays more of a secondary character rather than a omniscient powerful presence that his character demands. But this film flips that, and even gives Fury the spotlight for one intense action sequence.

But the film is far from perfect. Scarlett Johansson's performance as Black Widow was exciting but lacked any depth, although the banter between Evans and Johansson was light-hearted and fun. My biggest problem of the film was the main villain Alexander Pierce, portrayed by Robert Redford. Pierce lacked that villainous presence and simply felt forced upon, much like the main villain from Iron Man 3, portrayed by Guy Pearce.

Nonetheless, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is an incredibly exciting film that should please any moviegoer. The film is wonderfully paced, has incredible CGI, excellent actions scenes, and most importantly, it has a message that isn't shoved down your throat but has a lasting impact long after you finish watching. I'd highly recommend purchasing this film! I'll give this movie 8.7 out of 10!