By Ian Rapoport
Executive Arts Editor
Superhero movies have come to dominate Hollywood, encompassing everything from intergalactic Vikings in “Thor,” to vigilante high school children in “Kick-Ass.” With this level of variation, simply making a fun action film is not enough.
As the next film in Marvel’s behemoth “Avengers” series, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” proves to be a basic, easily-forgotten experience. Even though the film succeeds in being a thoroughly exciting flick, with constant action and upbeat writing, “The Winter Soldier” is marred by a lacking protagonist and a generally uninspired plot, robbing the film of any discernible aspects.
“The Winter Soldier” follows Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), also known as Captain America, a former WWII super soldier, who was frozen near the war’s end then awoken in the 21st century. He now works with the international defense agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D.
Once S.H.I.E.L.D. is taken over by an unknown, sinister force from within, Rogers is declared hostile by the group, and he is forced to track down the cause of the issue. All this happens while Rogers is fighting off agency troops who are working with a mysterious assassin known as the Winter Soldier.
Like most of the “Avengers” films, “The Winter Soldier” is carried by its over-the-top action. In one scene, Rogers leaps 20 stories out of an elevator to, only seconds later, smash the engines of a jet with his shield; this is one of the film’s more grounded moments. While such relentless excitement can be monotonous, the action remains so constantly ridiculous it is hard not to be entertained.
The moments where the intensity slows prove just as enjoyable, as the lighthearted dialogue lends the film a sense of personality. Much of this comes from Rogers’ partner throughout the film, Natasha Romanoff, or the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), who pokes fun at Rogers being over 70 years old and even makes snide comments about the lack of his romantic life. While none of this is very funny, it makes the duo come off as genuine people and keeps the film from being too serious.
Unfortunately, this charm proves shallow, as Rogers is a one-note protagonist. His only discernible aspect is that he is from another time period. Otherwise, he is a straightforward, strong moral hero. While this does not make it hard to root for Rogers, his one-dimensional personality leaves the audience largely indifferent to his struggles and keeps it from building an emotional stake in the action.
Set up as sort of a spy thriller, the film’s story is full of twists; disappointingly, almost none are surprising. While the revelation midway through the film is commendable, due to the modern-day connections it makes with government surveillance in post-911 America, it is not enough. For each genuine surprise, there are two that feel either obvious or unnecessary, and by the film’s end, the plot devolves into a predictable series of events.
However, despite these flaws, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is far from a complete disaster, as the action and writing successfully create an amusing blockbuster. It is unfortunate that its weak hero and predictable nature hold back the film’s potential, ultimately resulting in a flick that is only forgettably fun.
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“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is rated PG-13 and is now playing in theaters across the nation.
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