Playing this week: ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’

MANILA, Philippines – This week, The Captain is flying solo. 

Captain America: The Winter Soldier, directed by Emmy Award-winning brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, picks up after the catastrophic events in The Avengers, where New York was faced with an extraterrestrial invasion. The narrative opens with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), living quietly in Washington D.C., where he continues to adjust to the modern world.

The peace, however, is soon disrupted after a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague faces an attack. Intrigue and mystery follow, and the world is once again at risk. Captain America once again teams up with Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and with the help of a new ally Sam Wilson aka the Falcon (Anthony Mackie), they set out to expose and end of the villainous conspiracy.

(READ: 7 things to know about Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

In a twist, they find themselves facing The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), a new villain with deep ties to The Captain. This new enemy, formerly known as Bucky Barnes, was believed to have died in World War II. Decades later and with no memory of his past, he resurfaces as a hardened, enhanced, and brainwashed Winter Soldier, intent only at one thing: killing.

See photos from the film:

Several films have been released about the Avengers universe, each with a distinct chatacter, noted a review by GQ magazine. The franchise moved on to a different genre in The Winter Soldier, to resemble a “’70s-style espionage thriller.” 

What is notable, according to the review, is how the film appears to be a “completely standalone film,” yet at the same time, “layered with references to the wider Marvel universe.”

As with most sequels, however, this superhero flick is faced with the problem of creating higher stakes or increased danger for the character.

“Superhero films’ weakness, ironically, is invulnerability: The lack of any threat takes any dramatic tension out at the start. The Winter Soldier does this better than most, but you’re still rarely in doubt that the hero will save the day.”

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes were pleased, rating the film fresh with 93%, while 99% of viewers are excited to see the film. 

All photos courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

– Rappler.com