Now Playing

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.

Captain America: Winter Soldier
Starring: Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Robert Redford, and Cobie Smulders
Synopsis: At this point, the Marvel universe that involves The Avengers is well established. After a slew of origin stories, “The Avengers” dominated at the Box Office in 2012. In the period since, each of those super heroes have continued the story. Last year Iron Man and Thor each had a new adventure, and on Friday it was time to check in again with Captain America. I continue to marvel at the way this universe expands and connects. Like the other films, “Captain America: Winter Soldier” expands the world, digs deeper into the characters and opens up a new set of challenges. And like the other films, this one has a style and tone all its own. “Winter Soldier” feels like a political thriller and asks some hard questions about the nature of privacy versus security, all the while advancing the Marvel universe. This is a different kind of film. Each of these individual character stories has its own tone and themes, and this is no different. The first “Captain America” film was a nostalgic, WWII origin story. This is more of a modern spy story. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo are known for their comedic work. They’ve worked on several sitcoms — including “Animal Practice,” “Happy Endings” and “Community.” That would seem to necessarily lend itself to this kind of action-oriented political film. But the pair brings out some of the lighter moments, some of the comedic relief and highlights the personal relationships. All that helps to grow these characters — particularly Steve Rogers and Black Widow. The film also has some good supporting performances from characters coming into the Marvel world, such as Mackie as Falcon and Emily VanCamp as a young SHIELD Agent. The story also features a twist, which I won’t ruin here, that ties back to Captain America’s origin. That sets up a number of possibilities, as does what Captain America and Black Widow discover about SHIELD. It keeps the world going, opens possibilities for the second Avengers film and future installments in Captain America’s world. What I also liked about the film was the way it tackled a larger issue. The film doesn’t attempt to answer the question, but it certainly wants the audience to think about what they’re willing to sacrifice for security in the modern era. “Captain America: Winter Solider” is hardly the first film or TV show to ask the question, but I liked the way that was woven into the storyline here. At this point we know what to expect from a film in this Marvel universe. It’s always fun to see how the stories connect, how each new film ripples into other films and TV shows and the action sequences. Marvel has changed the way films are told, and it will be interesting to see if they burn out, especially with other franchises hoping to follow this model. But for now, these Marvel universe films remain bankable and entertaining. In short, summer movie season arrived a month early with the “Winter Soldier.”
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, gunplay and action throughout.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:

Friday, April 11 — "Draft Day," "Rio 2," "Oculus"

Wednesday, April 16 — "Heaven Is For Real"

Thursday, April 17 — "Transcendence"

Friday, April 18 — "Bears," "A Haunted House 2"

Friday, April 25 — "The Other Woman," "The Quiet Ones," "Brick Mansions"