The Winter Soldier Captain America: The Winter Soldier - User Review Thread! - SPOILERS!

[Spider-Fan]

Hey guys, here is a thread where you can post your reviews for the movie. You may also use untagged spoilers here, but you must tag everywhere else! Have fun

 

[doglee80]

Hurry up and get in here, buttholes, I'm ready to have this movie spoiled!!

 

[Captainhulk]

Here's a online review. The reviewer states that there are two credit scenes. I assume a mid and end credit. So stick around when the credits roll.
http://www.slashfilm.com/captain-america-winter-soldier-review/

 

[Visiting Arkham]

Here is the review I posted last night with some basic thoughts, though feel free to ask for more detail if you need it.

I just got back from a screening, and I thought it was great. It ranks as just below The Avengers and Iron Man 3 for me. The action is spectacular, most likely the best it's ever been, but more than that was the characterization. More specifically, Cap, Black Widow, Falcon, and Nick Fury are beautifully written, with Steve Rogers himself making a massive impact. He is probably my favorite Marvel character at the moment, and the way they wrestle with his moral standing in a grey world is done perfectly, and it absolutely evolved on the uncertainty we see in The Avengers.

The film felt very grounded, and I could absolutely see why it's been described as a conspiracy thrillers. From visiting Cap's apartment to showing the bureaucracy of SHIELD, there was a weight that you could feel, that motivated the character's actions and moved the plot forward. Even the big reveal of the film, which could have come off as cheesy, went over smoothly because of everything we have seen prior.
I would say they way SHIELD is payed off in this film makes Iron Man 2 completely worth it from that standpoint, and I am actually excited to see what happens on Agents of SHIELD now (as opposed to mildly interested).

That said, it's not a perfect movie. While I loved the action, I'd say the camera work could be slightly too jerky at times. You could tell the choreography was beautiful, but there were times when I would have loved to have seen a combination of moves that were edited a bit too much for my liking. My biggest gripe, if you can even call it that, is the Winter Soldier himself. Sebastian Stan is great in the role, and his look and physical prowess are amazing to watch. However, his entire role in the film felt like it was missing something, like it was 80% complete. There are a couple of scenes peppered in to make us care about who he is and what this means to Cap, but I felt like he could have been integrated more into the plot and the emotional arc for Steve. As it stands, he is certainly an obstacle, and there is definitely catharsis to his story, but it could have been slightly more effective.

Overall though, this is a thrilling, wonderful movie. The Russos made a classic action/thriller, one with heart, brawn, and humor. I can't wait for what they'll do with Cap 3 with this experience. I give it a 9/10.

 

[TJByrum]

Thank you for the review Visiting Arkham, I am glad you liked it.

You say the 'big reveal' of the film could have been cheesy... I don't want to know the 'big reveal' but what exactly do you mean by "could have been cheesy". Is it something like the Mandarin in IM3?

Also, you talk about the jerky (shaky) cam, something I have been concerned about. Would you say it is like the Black Widow fight on the ship at the beginning? I thought that fight was pretty cool and well-made. I've seen other fight scenes of Bucky and Cap in the street, and it was easy to tell what was going on from the little bits I saw. Was the scenes you saw... hard to follow?

Do you think the fact that Bucky's role was only "80% complete" could spell out foreshadowing for Cap 3, or do you think they just under-utilized him?

 

[Broseph44]

Thank you for the review Visiting Arkham, I am glad you liked it.

You say the 'big reveal' of the film could have been cheesy... I don't want to know the 'big reveal' but what exactly do you mean by "could have been cheesy". Is it something like the Mandarin in IM3?

Also, you talk about the jerky (shaky) cam, something I have been concerned about. Would you say it is like the Black Widow fight on the ship at the beginning? I thought that fight was pretty cool and well-made. I've seen other fight scenes of Bucky and Cap in the street, and it was easy to tell what was going on from the little bits I saw. Was the scenes you saw... hard to follow?

Do you think the fact that Bucky's role was only "80% complete" could spell out foreshadowing for Cap 3, or do you think they just under-utilized him?

I haven't even seen the film, but the last part about Bucky I don't think from everything I've heard that he's under utilized. I think it's just setting up more so/foreshadowing him for Cap 3. Especially with the

Spoiler

2nd after credits scene. His story def isn't done obviously.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Just to let you know, I will be adding a poll next Thursday!

 

[TJByrum]

Just to let you know, I will be adding a poll next Thursday!

That's cool. Have you seen the movie yet Spider-Fan?

 

[Spider-Fan]

That's cool. Have you seen the movie yet Spider-Fan?

I wish!

 

[BoredGuy]

Just to let you know, I will be adding a poll next Thursday!

Cool, and please make sure it doesn't get locked until EVERYONE has the chance to vote on it!! t:

 

[Spider-Fan]

Cool, and please make sure it doesn't get locked until EVERYONE has the chance to vote on it!! t:

Well, can't guarantee that...those polls lock when thread manager makes a new thread

But, what I CAN do is make a polling thread where people are not allowed to post/comment...or perhaps they may post a link to their review in this thread, but not comment.

 

[BoredGuy]

sounds like a good idea
The non-discussion poll's probably the best bet

 

[Dasher10]

Does Batroc die? Also, is Pierce the Red Skull or if not, does he have an alias? Also, do we see Zola's robot body?

 

[Ultron-5]

The movie was very VERY good. I am so happy that cap gets the best phase 2 film so far. What a coincidence though, because cap 1 was my favorite solo film of phase 1. The fights scenes were badass and Chris Evans gave a great performance as cap. I liked falcon and winter soldier was awesome, so I can't wait for cap 3. I hope we will see bucky as the good but troubled winter soldier in cap 3, and we most likely are from what that post credits scene tells us. The MCU is headed in a different direction now, and after seeing this movie, along with that dark mid credits scene I can't wait till may 1st 2015.
My verdict 10/10

 

[Huddsy]

Does Batroc die? Also, is Pierce the Red Skull or if not, does he have an alias? Also, do we see Zola's robot body?

Spoiler

Baltroc: Don't know
Peirce: No
Zola: No, his mind has been put into a hard drive but no robot body. The hard drive is also destroyed.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Someone please give me all the spoilers, thank you

 

[universeman]

What about

Spoiler

Avengers Tower did they show it?

 

[Visiting Arkham]

You say the 'big reveal' of the film could have been cheesy... I don't want to know the 'big reveal' but what exactly do you mean by "could have been cheesy". Is it something like the Mandarin in IM3?

Also, you talk about the jerky (shaky) cam, something I have been concerned about. Would you say it is like the Black Widow fight on the ship at the beginning? I thought that fight was pretty cool and well-made. I've seen other fight scenes of Bucky and Cap in the street, and it was easy to tell what was going on from the little bits I saw. Was the scenes you saw... hard to follow?

Do you think the fact that Bucky's role was only "80% complete" could spell out foreshadowing for Cap 3, or do you think they just under-utilized him?

1. It's not like The Mandarin, it's more a shift in tone. The first half of the film is very gritty and grounded in the reality of this morally ambiguous spy organization, while the reveal elevates it to more of a comic book story. It's handled very deftly, but in the wrong hands it could have been really jarring and unbelievable.

2. It's not so much hard to follow as it is almost overwhelming. There is SO much action and hand-to-hand combat, you can get lost in the constant array of choreography. It's nothing you can't handle, but it was hard occasionally to contextualize what you were seeing and putting it in a larger scope, but nevertheless awesome. I would pin it somewhere between the hand-to-hand in The Raid and the Bourne Supremacy/Ultimatum in terms of the cutting technique.

3. Bucky's role feeling somewhat incomplete is absolutely foreshadowing Captain America 3, and I'm sure his arc will be amazing. In this film they take him 4/5 of the way there, and it was very satisfying, but as I've elaborated on in other threads I would have liked more from him.

 

[Visiting Arkham]

What about

Spoiler

Avengers Tower did they show it?

Spoiler

I didn't catch it myself, though I knew about it in advance. The point where it comes in the movie is a bit of an Easter Egg galore, a pure surge of information, so that specifically wasn't quite on my mind.

 

[speno94]

1. It's not like The Mandarin, it's more a shift in tone. The first half of the film is very gritty and grounded in the reality of this morally ambiguous spy organization, while the reveal elevates it to more of a comic book story. It's handled very deftly, but in the wrong hands it could have been really jarring and unbelievable.

Visiting Arkham, what is the 'reveal' in the film that elevates it to more of a comic book story? Could you maybe put it spoiler tags? Thanks.

 

[Webfoot Hero]

Visiting Arkham, what is the 'reveal' in the film that elevates it to more of a comic book story? Could you maybe put it spoiler tags? Thanks.

Spoiler

From other posters, they said one big reveal was that Zola's consciousness was in a computer in bunker underneath Camp Lehigh (where CA did his initial training in TFA) and one of those responsible for Hydra being able to infiltrate SHIELD.

 

[Visiting Arkham]

Spoiler

From other posters, they said one big reveal was that Zola's consciousness was in a computer in bunker underneath Camp Lehigh (where CA did his initial training in TFA) and one of those responsible for Hydra being able to infiltrate SHIELD.

Spoiler

Yes, it begins with Zola (who I thought was pretty reluctant about HYDRA, but alright) uploaded into a gigantic room of computers to fit his entire AI, and from there Zola explains how HYDRA has been sowing seeds of chaos for over 50 years (putting the events of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe into question), and then it's revealed how characters we've seen throughout the films have been HYDRA the entire time, whispering "Hail HYDRA into each others ears when they get the chance.

It turns a gritty conspiracy film into an Illuminati-esque, decades spanning infiltration of the world's most powerful institutions, almost an Invasion of the Body Snatchers situation. The Russos pull it off very well though, and instead of feeling bowled over by the twist, I couldn't help but smile at the absolute courage it took to pull of something so massive.

 

[TJByrum]

Spoiler

Yes, it begins with Zola (who I thought was pretty reluctant about HYDRA, but alright) uploaded into a gigantic room of computers to fit his entire AI, and from there Zola explains how HYDRA has been sowing seeds of chaos for over 50 years (putting the events of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe into question), and then it's revealed how characters we've seen throughout the films have been HYDRA the entire time, whispering "Hail HYDRA into each others ears when they get the chance.

It turns a gritty conspiracy film into an Illuminati-esque, decades spanning infiltration of the world's most powerful institutions, almost an Invasion of the Body Snatchers situation. The Russos pull it off very well though, and instead of feeling bowled over by the twist, I couldn't help but smile at the absolute courage it took to pull of something so massive.

Spoiler

Wait... so Zola is 'dead', but he's been uploaded into hard drives? I assume that's what the Falcon and TWS was fighting over at one point ("Give me the data drive!")?

You say:

Zola explains how HYDRA has been sowing seeds of chaos for over 50 years (putting the events of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe into question), and then it's revealed how characters we've seen throughout the films have been HYDRA the entire time, whispering "Hail HYDRA into each others ears when they get the chance.

Are you saying that HYDRA has had a hand in everything from Iron Man (1, 2, 3), Thor (1, 2), Hulk, and even the Avengers!? Can you give us an example of one of those 'characters' who whisper 'Hail HYDRA'?

Also, Zola didn't seem like that bad of a guy in TFA. He seemed almost hesitant to say 'Hail HYDRA' at one point. I don't get whether he's some mad scientist or what.

 

[Visiting Arkham]

Spoiler

Wait... so Zola is 'dead', but he's been uploaded into hard drives? I assume that's what the Falcon and TWS was fighting over at one point ("Give me the data drive!")?

You say:



Are you saying that HYDRA has had a hand in everything from Iron Man (1, 2, 3), Thor (1, 2), Hulk, and even the Avengers!? Can you give us an example of one of those 'characters' who whisper 'Hail HYDRA'?

Also, Zola didn't seem like that bad of a guy in TFA. He seemed almost hesitant to say 'Hail HYDRA' at one point. I don't get whether he's some mad scientist or what.

Spoiler

Yes, Zola is completely AI, he apparently died from disease in the 1970's, hence why so much room is needed to store his consciousness. I guess you could explain away him suddenly being so malevolent by saying it's the AI and not the human Zola who is speaking to Cap, so he is merely looking at HYDRA controlling the world in the most logical of viewpoints.

They show a newsreel from the mid 20th century to present day over Zola's speech, implying HYDRA has been involved in almost every war and conflict over the decades, making things more and more chaotic and giving SHIELD/the government more power to exert control such as surveillance and drone warfare. They don't come right out and say that they've meddled in the events of all the films that have come before, but it's strongly implied through...

Senator Stern! It appears he's been HYDRA the whole time, making his crusade against Tony Stark seem like a vendetta to get the Iron Man tech away from private citizens and into the hands of HYDRA. Agent Sitwell has also been HYDRA this whole time, so you have to really question SHIELD's motives throughout the timeline.

 

[Minxie]

Spoiler

Wait... so Zola is 'dead', but he's been uploaded into hard drives? I assume that's what the Falcon and TWS was fighting over at one point ("Give me the data drive!")?

Spoiler

Actually I don't think the Winter Soldier was ever tasked to get the data drive in the movie? From what I remember he was simply sent after Steve and Natasha to kill them (because they'd found out about Zola/Hydra/Hydra's plans through the data drive). He never spoke of the data drive while they fought. (someone correct me if i'm wrong)