by Stephanie Palazzolo, assistant editor
Between kidnapped Nigerian girls, global warming and strikes for higher wages, it seems like the one thing the world desperately needs today is a superhero, someone that we can all look up to and count on. Marvel brings this dream to life in their latest superhero flick, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” in which our favorite muscle-rippling, Nazi-punching, all-American hero Steve Rogers returns to save the world while simultaneously struggling with adjusting to modern life after being frozen for several decades.
The story opens with Steven Rogers, played by Chris Evans, flinging himself off a helicopter into the ocean (a heroic yet more-than-slightly impossible feat) in his mission to rescue hostages from a ship under the anti-terrorism agency S.H.I.E.L.D, a faintly sketchy espionage organization that Steve works under. During the mission however, Steve learns that his partner, Natasha Romanoff, played by Scarlett Johansson, has different orders to extract data from ship.
Upon returning to headquarters, Steve discusses with his superior Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson, the new Project Insight, where satellites in space will identify and eliminate terrorist threats before they’ve even become evident. Fury becomes suspicious of Project Insight, though, after failing to decrypt Natasha’s data and is attacked and killed by the mysterious Winter Soldier. Steve and Natasha learn that Hydra, a Nazi program from the World War II era, is alive and well in S.H.I.E.L.D. and is manipulating their leaders into launching Project Insight and killing millions of people around the world. Throughout the movie, the main protagonists try to stop the launch of Project Insight, all the while fighting against the recurring Winter Soldier.
Overall, the movie was satisfying, full of action and sure to impress and thrill any die-hard superhero fan. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is different than other action movies in that it is relevant to society’s fear of terrorism and resonates with anyone who realizes that Project Insight is something that could even happen today. In addition, Steve Rogers doesn’t come off as any other good-looking yet empty-headed body builder. “Captain America” is full of character development for both Steve Rogers and female protagonist Natasha. The movie also has plot twists and surprises galore, not to mention the several tear-jerkers that left the audience misty-eyed.
At times, though, the movie can fall back into its action roots with confusing fight scenes. For the most part, however, it manages to stay interesting and engaging, proving to be a film enjoyable for anybody, whether you’re a superhero fanatic or a chick-flick lover.
Interested? Check out showtimes at Cinemark and Premiere Cinemas.
