just watched this last night. i have to say this is THE best marvel film ever. if you're rating the films based on pure fun alone, then the avengers beats it. but overall, the quality of captain america: the winter soldier is simply better. story, acting, impact of the action, and purely on the basis of getting the core characters right.
what made me happiest as a geek is that FINALLY they give us a cap who is the embodiment of human physical potential at its peak. his strength, his combat prowess, the way he moves, the speed of his reflexes, and his incredible tactical mind when in a fight that puts him way above anyone else in the room. except the winter soldier. because we're shown how formidable cap is in action, when the winter soldier more than matches him in their numerous one-to-ones, it really sells just how powerful he is as an antagonist. there were times when i genuinely worried for cap's safety. and (SPOILER) he even gets the crap beaten out of him at one point.
and that's the other thing i like about this portrayal of steve rogers. while he is near-invulnerable in some scenes, it's nicely balanced out in others where they show him taking a lot of punishment, and it comes off like he can get hurt, even die. you're much more invested in the hero when you're not quite sure whether he is going to come out unscathed. chris evans also does a great job balancing out the earnestness of the character with charm, grit and a sense that he is a good man to the core. he is largely what gives this film a lot of its emotional power. sebastian stan also makes a great villain who is surprisingly not one-dimensional as would be expected of a terminator-like figure such as his. i found him poignant. definitely the best baddie, up there with loki.
in fact i don't think there's a performer in this film who isn't great. they all get to shine in their respective ways. sam jackson has a much more significant role and he does a lot with it, even making us care about fury where in previous appearances he was mostly just an exposition device. and hilarious nod to pulp fiction in one scene, btw! scarlett johansson has a lot more nuance to her character this time round and she has strong chemistry with evans. as does anthony mackie as sam wilson/falcon. what i like about his performance is while he has some of the best lines, you never get the feeling he's trying to steal the scenes from evans. he's the best kind of supporting player: makes the lead look good while holding his own on screen. and then there's robert redford. the guy reminds us why he's a hollywood legend, and he carries so much weight in his performance that it's like every word he says is filled with deeper meaning.
i've gotta hand it marvel studios. these guys have got BALLS. i almost couldn't believe what they did here. this is a studio that is unafraid to spend an entire string of films building something larger that ties their universe together, only to rip it apart. not for shock value but for the sake of the story. to say anymore would be a massive spoiler and i fear i've already said too much. anyway, this is something i deeply respect. kudos to the studio, the writers, and the directors. who despite having no prior experience in this department, have managed to deliver some of the best fight and car chase scenes i've seen in any hollywood movie in a long time. i had a bit of a problem with their use of shaky-cam in the fight scenes, as it only served to obstruct, not aid, our enjoyment of the excellent choreography and execution. but thankfully the russos don't overuse it and the car chases are for the most part pretty lucidly staged.
i'm excited to watch this again, this time in non-imax 3d (the 3d is useless, don't bother). just to get another feel for the film and soak up the themes and the various aspects that might have escaped me the first time round. but on this first viewing, i've no doubt that a couple of minor flaws aside, this is not just marvel's best film, this is an excellent film in its own right.
just my 2 cent's worth. hope this impromptu review helps in some way.
Spoiler: 
