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In the past few months there have been many reasons to be excited for the sequel to 2011's "Captain America: The First Avenger." From Black Widow's promised prominence in the plot to the intrigue of how Captain America himself will adjust to the modern world, the hype for this movie has been overwhelming to say the least. On top of that were the glowing early reviews, some of which saying that "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is even better than "The Avengers." I'm sure the question on everyone's minds is: "does this live up to the hype?" You bet.

The sheer amount of suspense and political intrigue in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" would make it a fine sequel on its own. However, not only does this film manage to surpass the excellent first installment, but in some ways surpass "The Avengers."

Taking place after the events of 2012's "The Avengers," Captain Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans reprising his role) struggles to adapt to a world shrouded in fear and obsessed with security. Now working for the government organization S.H.I.E.L.D, Rogers faces the conflict of being ill-informed of his recruiters' ulterior motives and hidden agendas. The retro, simplistic era of the 1940s is far behind him, and Rogers must use his skills and wits to take down a possible conspiracy inside of S.H.I.E.L.D. Coming along for the ride are Black Widow (played reliably well by Scarlett Johansson) and newcomer The Falcon (played by Anthony Mackie of "Pain and Gain"). Together they must take down a force none of them expected to face.

Unlike previous Marvel films like "The Avengers," and "Thor," the plot of this movie is much more down-to-Earth. In today's world of NSA controversy and outright paranoia, many plot elements in this film give it a very modern and relevant feel. In many ways, this is a stark contrast to the retro, swashbuckling feel that the first "Captain America" gave off. This is a perfect way to tell the Captain's story; Steve Rogers has been thrust into the modern day against his will, and after the fantastical events of "The Avengers," he is just now starting to be affected by today's mentality of security. It's indeed very interesting plot foundation for a superhero film.

As well as being a fine continuation of the first film's story, the new elements that this film brings to the "Captain America" series are quite good enough for the film to stand on its own. Even those who didn't care for the first movie could get a kick out of them. Among the new characters is The Hawk, an ex-military superhero introduced in this film. This character is immensely likable, partly because of Anthony Mackie's fine performance, but mostly because they introduce him from the very beginning and flesh out his character.

Also joining the cast is veteran actor Robert Redford as the sinister Alexander Pierce. Redford is the type of villain that is rather refreshing to see in a superhero film: villains unaided by superpowers or violence and who carry the story with wits and malice alone. He doesn't need a mech-suit or psychic abilities, but he is a fine menace for the First Avenger to go up against.

In addition to the fine new characters, every action set piece in this movie is both exhilarating and an absolute thrill to watch. What makes them even better is that they are accompanies by a gripping story with plenty of shocking and even emotional twists and turns. Even after seeing aliens invade New York in "The Avengers," this movie's more grounded approach to storytelling gives a sense that the stakes are higher than ever in the Marvel Universe. Fear not though, this movie is far from a dark one, and there is plenty of that good ole' Marvel humor to give some levity. I'm pretty sure that audiences won't be prepared for how intense the story alone is.

It's not very common that audiences get an April movie that's not only great, but exceptional. "Captain America: Winter Soldier" is indeed a masterpiece, and as much of a bold statement as it seems, it is one of the best superhero movies I have ever seen. The amount of sheer quality it possesses makes it an absolute must-see.