CAPTAIN AMERICA : THE WINTER SOLDIER - Wednesday 16th April 2014.

The second instalment in the Captain America franchise and Steve Rogers third outing (including 'The Avengers') which I saw last night does not disappoint! 'CAPTAIN AMERICA : THE WINTER SOLDIER' leads us on from the first film and is post the big save the world set piece that concluded 'The Avengers' so dramatically. References are made to this in this film (as they are in all subsequent Marvel adaptations) to keep the continuity going and to ensure the tie-ins remain strong to underpin subsequent movie plots. We have also references to Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and right at the end to Thor, and the introduction of new character The Falcon, and the building of The Black Widow's back story.

This is a solidly grounded movie with Steve Rogers playing down any Superhero moniker and letting us know that he has been scientifically modified and transported into the present day through no fault or wish of his own (he is after all ninety years old, living in a chiselled 30 year old body whose mind is still in the 40's) - a fact he is still coming to terms with. His only power is in his brute strength and his ability to wield convincingly a big metal dustbin lid. He has a conscience, has emotion, he bleeds when shot or knifed, but can handle himself in a fist fight, is agile on his feet, is athletic and wants to do the right thing. He is at odds with what S.H.I.E.L.D is asking of him and herein lies the story when it is discovered that this organisation has in fact been compromised (by 'Hydra' - refer first instalment) and 20 million civilians are gonna die as a result.

There are a number of impressive set pieces to capture our interest and propel the story along. To open the film we have The Captain and Black Widow doing their thing aboard a hijacked ship very convincingly and well realised. There is a very impressive mid-city car chase involving Nick Fury where the 'carnage' is deftly handled, and at the same time it is good to see Nick Fury (aka Samuel L. Jackson) getting more screen time and a slice of the action. Then there is the big climax when the S.H.I.E.L.D global HQ falls in an attempt to thwart Hydra, and Tony Stark's latest airborne international security and anti-terrorism technology crashes & burns . . . in a big way! In between there are a number of smaller bouts, hand to hand combat, close quarter fights that just show us that 'The Cap' can easily hold is own and is not to be messed with. Interestingly though despite the many references to his Superhero colleagues in the S.H.I.E.L.D stable where is Tony Stark and Bruce Banner when you need them?

Robert Redford has a juicy role to play here too as Nick Fury's boss at S.H.I.E.L.D and shows that the highly respected grandaddy in front and behind the camera can still deliver the goods, and double cross with the best of 'em! And then there is 'The Winter Soldier' - the modified cryogenically frozen and reanimated enemy to underpin Hydra's efforts and bring down The Captain and S.H.I.E.L.D - but there is more here that you'll learn as the film progresses and reintroduces a character from the first film that is 'almost' Steve Rogers undoing, but ultimate saviour.

This is a well handled, solidly told and not overbearing second film in the Captain America series that is more grounded and convincing in many respects than those others from the Marvel stable. Be sure to watch out for the trademark Stan Lee cameo, and wait for the end credits to watch a further ninety second grab that is a precursor to a subsequent instalment. See it on the big screen, and you can live without the 3D.




-Steve, at Odeon Online-