What do you do in a world where moral
values are dying and all around we see the sacrifice of our freedoms for the
government to give security? In Captain America: The Winter Soldier,
the title character Captain Steve Rogers wrestles with protecting the people,
but still giving them their unalienable rights.
The film stars Chris Evans as Captain
America, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and
Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce.
SUMMARY
It has been two years since the events of The
Avengers film and Steve Rogers (aka Captain America) is trying to work
in a modern society, as he had previously been frozen from 1943 until the
present. In addition, he has been working with the security department SHIELD.
Early on in the movie, Captain America and Agent
Natasha Romanoff (aka Black Widow) are sent to lead a strike team against
terrorist-pirates who hijacked a SHIELD boat. However, while trying to rescue
hostages and fighting pirates, Captain Rogers finds Black Widow downloading
content from the ship's computer. He was not told about her side mission and
later confronts Nick Fury at the SHIELD headquarters.
After his encounter with Captain America, Nick Fury
tries to access the items on the electronic chip from Black Widow. Much to his
surprise, he finds that he is not allowed access...and that, apparently, he
programmed that order!
He becomes worried and asks Alexander Pierce, the
head of SHIELD, to delay an upcoming project. Pierce promises to do what he can
but says that the World Security Council likely won't agree with the idea.
Soon, Nick Fury is driving to meet with one of his
agents but is assaulted by false "police." After his car takes much
battering and is flipped over by an assassin, he makes a clever escape under
the streets of Washington, D.C. He flees to Steve Roger's apartment where the
assassin (called the Winter Soldier) attacks them.
Eventually, Steve and Natasha learn that there are
terrorist forces hiding within SHIELD, and they must fight against their hidden
enemies to bring the truth to light...before innocent people suffer.
CONTENT
There is heavy violence in the film, though not
necessarily gory. Guns are fired almost non-stop from the opening scene to the
closing credits. Knives, rockets, and bombs are also used in addition to guns.
In a few scenes, we see blood, including once when a man is stabbed. In
addition to the war violence, a man's memories are erased by his brain being
electrocuted (and the audience hears screams). Also, a man shoots his innocent
maid after she witnesses a top secret meeting.
In much of the movie, there was no foul language, but
within the last twenty-some minutes, there were several uses of swear words:
one s***, a b****, one or two uses of h***, and God's name. Sadly, this mostly
clean film added this, apparently to "appeal" to audiences. It didn't
appeal to me.
The sexual content is pretty minor, but there are a
couple various scenes. While undercover, Steve and Natasha kiss in an attempt
to "blend in" with the crowd. Later, Natasha mentions a scar on her
stomach and makes a comment about no more bikinis; Steve makes a vague comment
in reply.
The movie illustrates a good point from George
Orwell's book 1984: when we want security so much, that we
sacrifice privacy and freedoms, will we not lose our real security in the first
place? Captain America brings this point up to Nick Fury when the latter shows
the Captain some new weapons: "This isn't freedom. This is fear."
For those who have seen The Avengers, Thor,
or Captain America: The First Avenger, this second Captain America
film might seem a bit of a disappointment. Now, don't get me wrong, the movie
was still enjoyable and relatively clean. However, compared to Marvel's recent
accomplishments, it kind of paled. I felt like I was watching more of Mission
Impossible with a super hero than a Marvel movie. Still, it was a
decent movie and much less dirty that some recent Hollywood releases.
This is a perfect movie for someone who does not
necessarily enjoy superhero movies but likes action. Now if you are more of
a Thor fan, this might not appeal to you quite as much.
Overall, Captain America: The Winter Soldier features
good acting, a really great plot, and some important values for Americans
today. The violence, however, makes this film less of one for all ages and
more geared to teens/adults.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Length: 136 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, gunplay, and
action throughout
Directors: Anthony and Joe Russo
Producer: Kevin Feige
Music: Henry Jackman
Year of release: 2014
Primary audience: Teens, adults
No comments:
Post a Comment