Marvel is clearly shifting its gears to make each installment of its superhero fare darker, grittier and even contemporary. After the mediocrity of Captain America: First Avenger, our 95 year old super soldier must now face several challenges and rise as a truly capable hero whose superpower isn't just his shield but his dedication to good and of course, his enhanced physical prowess. Television directors Joe and Anthony Russo (Arrested Development, Community) bring a lot more action, cheekiness and character depth to convert even the Marvel fan into its worshipper. We see a lot more of our beloved characters through various challenges that unfold in seamless commonality with profound implications on the future. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is easily the studio's biggest production second only to The Avengers with an elaborate plot that connects the Cap's WWII history, today's security issues and a subtle lead up to the next Avengers.

Two years since the battle of New York, a nostalgic Steve Rogers looks back at his regrets and losses and at the same time, makes sincere attempts to catch up with American pop-culture of the past decades that he has missed. Now, as Captain America, his mission is to free hostages aboard a S.H.I.E.L.D vessel from pirates along with the very attractive and capable Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) who retrieves secretive data onto a flash drive as the Cap battled the mercenaries on deck. Upon their return to the Triskelion, director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) introduces the Cap to 'Project Insight', the agency's big public surveillance plan which involves fully weaponized Helicarriers that can preemptively eliminate threats while they monitor every human on the planet. But Fury's inability to decrypt the retrieved drive makes him suspicious of the project's real intent. After evading an engaging assault on him involving a car chase, Fury is shot by a new mercenary from whose clutches he had narrowly escaped. In his last minutes, the director had warned Captain to not trust anyone in S.H.I.E.L.D. After an immediate pursuit of the assailant, Cap loses track of this ghostly villain whom Natasha knows as The Winter Soldier. Scientifically enhanced powers enable him to match Cap's abilities and his true identity will draw demons out of Cap's past. Unable to cooperate with S.H.I.E.L.D., Cap is now branded a fugitive by Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) and is being hunted by the very agency that revived him. But an even bigger threat for the Cap is the level at which S.H.I.E.L.D has been compromised with a terror organization that he knows only too well. Thus, the Project Insight now has devastating implications in the wrong hands and Cap will need the help from agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and Falcon (Anthony Mackie) to prevent the Helicarriers from taking flight and targeting millions of innocent lives.

The lines of good and evil that the Captain once knew are now blurry and will soon disappear completely. In all this, the action is a combination of raw force from our hero, who uses his exceptional physical capability and fluid choreography, that enhances the effect by making it realistic. Action merely supports the elaborate storyline and not the other way around. Every sub-plot has a thrilling action sequence starting with the hostage rescue, Fury's furious car chase, the heroic combat in the Triskelion elevator, Falcon's aerial dog fight against S.H.I.E.L.D machinery and the epic explosions along the Potomac river. The 'Cobra' type infiltration is delightfully evil within the agency and its connectivity even impacts the 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'

All the excitement and intrigue can be attributed to the exemplary screenplay by Christopher Marcus and Stephen McFeely who co-wrote the Narnia movies and more recently, 'Thor: The Dark World'. The story behaves as a grown-up political conspiracy thriller and also lends suspense, twists and character insights that make the Marvel world even more interesting. Chris Evans overcomes any shortfall and showcases better physical might to prove that he is more than a shield. He has convincingly established himself as the most capable leader of the Avengers with this installment. The stunning Scarlett Johansson gets more screen time than all her Black Widow appearances put together. Her cheekiness is well balanced with her serious kick-ass ability to fight and she establishes herself as a worthy Avenger. Samuel L. Jackson too enjoys more screen time and has some fun action sequences as well. Robert Redford plays the wrong man in the top league brilliantly while Anthony Mackie as Falcon proves to be the Cap's comic aide who can stand his ground when needed. The gorgeous Cobie Smulders gets elevated in the ranks of what remains in S.H.I.E.L.D and we sure hope to see more of her in future Marvel films. Stan Lee's cameo is hilarious.

The Russo brothers have adroitly pulled off an ambitious project that will propel the Captain America franchise to the successes of Ironman and Thor. Chris Evans has proved that he is a capable superhero and with such a contemporary take on infiltration by evil forces, he can leave the battling of Asgardian forces and comic book villains to his fellow Avengers. This soldier will not let decision makers trade in freedom for security and it is this righteous principle that makes him a super soldier. He is more than the serum that made him. He is more than his invincible shield. He is now more than just an Avenger.