'CAPTAIN America: THE WINTER SOLDIER': Five Stars (Out of Five)

Sequel to the 2011 hit Marvel Comics superhero flick 'CAPTAIN America: THE FIRST AVENGER' and the ninth installment in 'THE AVENGERS' film franchise. It picks up two years after the end of 'THE AVENGERS' movie with Steve Rogers still working for S.H.I.E.L.D. (and living in Washington D.C.) when he discovers a terrorist plot inside the agency. He has to team up with Black Widow, and a new ally called Falcon, in order to stop the threat. The movie was directed by Anthony and Joe Russo (who are best known for directing TV shows like 'COMMUNITY' and films like 'YOU, ME AND DUPREE' and 'WELCOME TO COLLINWOOD'). It was written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (who also co-wrote the first one). I found it to be immensely entertaining and well made; on a pure action movie level it is the best of the Marvel superhero films!

The action begins when a S.H.I.E.L.D. ship is hijacked by Algerian pirates. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a.k.a. Captain America, leads a team into rescue the hostages while agent Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), a.k.a. Black Widow, retrieves important data from the ship's computers. Rogers was unaware of Romanoff's plan and is angered by her jeopardizing the mission. He later learns, from Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), that the data has to do with something called 'Project Insight', in which three Helicarriers are to be used to eliminate potential threats to S.H.I.E.L.D. (using spy satellite intel that they're linked to). After Fury is targeted by crooked S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, led by an assassin known as 'Winter Soldier' (Sebastian Stan), he informs the Captain that the agency has been compromised and gives him the thumbnail drive (with top secret information on it). Rogers then finds his own life in danger as well and has no one to trust (or turn to), except his 'Avengers' ally Black Widow and a new friend named Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), a.k.a. Falcon.

The cast also includes Robert Redford, Frank Grillo, Cobie Smulders and the stunningly beautiful Emily VanCamp. It's action packed and full of intense suspense driven drama. The stakes feel much higher in this movie than the prior film (or 'THE AVENGERS') and the whole thing is totally engaging and involving (with enough humor thrown in here and there to make it really amusing as well). The CGI is surprisingly light for a Marvel superhero film and the Russo brothers did a great job of giving it that classic action movie/political thriller feel. I like that it has a completely different style than the first one (and any other 'Avengers' movies) and really think it's arguably the best in the franchise (at least as far as action flicks go). I like the real world political commentary (it's obviously a critique on using drone strikes for targeted killing) and it does seem a lot more believable and reality based than most other films in it's genre. It's always funny (though) that none of the other superheroes are around when the world is in great danger (in these individual superhero movies); you'd think the other Avengers would want to be there when something very serious happens to a mutual friend and everyone's lives and well being are placed in harm's. It is a comic book movie though and that's to be expected I guess.

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