One of the best sequels of all time, and definitely one of the top five comic book films ever made.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) is a superior sequel in every sense, but mostly in the thrilling espionage direction The Russo Brothers take.

A lot of MCU films struggle with a lot of separate yet similar problems.

Consequences in the film don't have rippling effects in the MCU despite the film emphasising they do
A lot of uninteresting and one-dimensional villains with bad or barely any motivation


I believe this film is able to avoid all those MCU issues and deliver an incredible political action thriller that happens to be set in the MCU.

What stands out to me the most is the direction, which felt necessary at this point in the MCU, one that felt fresh and intriguing. Also, the action in this film is a huge step-up from anything we had seen before in the MCU, and became a blueprint for every film after it. It's really underrated how much you can feel the force behind every punch and every time the shield is thrown.

Robert Redford's Alexander Pierce is incredible and the HYDRA revelation is executed really well, and is a game changer for the future of the MCU, without it feeling like it was done at the expense of the arcs of the main characters.

It's able to balance the parasite that is growing inside of S. H. I. E. L. D. and what it means for every character, as well as the menacing introduction of The Winter Soldier.

The third & action-packed final act may be a bit overdone and cliched, but the fight between Steve and Bucky is able to hold it all together really well.