Co-Host: Adam Hitchcock, The Streaming Circuit podcast
Cast:
Joe and Anthony Russo, Directors
Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, Writers
Henry Jackman, Music
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America
Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow
Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon
Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill
Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow
Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter / Agent 13
Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter
Toby Jones as Arnim Zola
Jenny Agutter as Hawley
Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
Maximiliano Hernández as Jasper Sitwell
Garry Shandling as Senator Stern
Georges St-Pierre as Georges Batroc
Plot Summary: In a gritty and politically charged world, Captain America finds himself questioning his allegiance to a government shrouded in secrecy. Set against the backdrop of a morally ambiguous Cold War, Steve Rogers uncovers a sinister conspiracy within the highest echelons of power. When an old friend believed to be dead re-emerges as the deadly Winter Soldier, Cap must navigate a web of deceit, betrayal, and espionage.
As Cap battles his own doubts and confronts a shadowy organization manipulating global affairs, he forms an unlikely alliance with a renegade Black Widow and a war-scarred Falcon. Together, this trio of outsiders takes on a cabal of powerful figures orchestrating a plot to reshape the world order.
With intense action, razor-sharp dialogue, and a soundtrack that pulses with tension, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, is a thrilling rollercoaster ride through a world where the line between hero and villain blurs into shades of gray.
Budget:
$170-177 million
Box Office and Ranking:
#19 among all MCU films
Worldwide box office: $714.4 million
Total domestic box office: $259.8 million
Domestic opening weekend: $95 million
Critic Scores:
RT: 90%
Metacritic: 70
Letterboxd: 3.7/5
Did You Know?:
Unlike other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this movie minimized the use of visual effects as much as possible. Anthony Mackie elaborated: "The Russos, what they did that was so great was, they wanted to stay with live-action, which is a dying art form. If they could build it, they built it. If we could do it, we did it. They wanted to do as little CGI as possible. That's why the movie looks so great."
Anthony Mackie's appearance in this film fulfills his dream of playing a Marvel comic book character. He wrote a series of e-mail pleas to Marvel, wanting to play any comic character that would appear on film. Though the studio repeatedly replied to him that they will respond in due time, Mackie's emails caught the attention of producer Kevin Feige, who subsequently offered him the role of Sam Wilson a.k.a. Falcon.
Nick Fury relates a story of his grandfather being an elevator operator. In real life, Samuel L. Jackson's grandfather was an elevator operator.
The mall/shopping center in which Black Widow and Captain America visit, in order to find the origin of the encrypted USB stick, is called the Tower City Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The front of the building, and its concourse, were used in The Avengers (2012) as the opera hall in which Loki confronts German opera patrons.
When Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) is opening his refrigerator, a jar of Newman's Own Sauce is visible on the shelf, an apparent homage to Redford's long-time friend and two-time co-star Paul Newman.
Best Villian: Alexander Pierce
Best Love Interest: Peggy Carter
Best Sidekick: Falcon
Best Scene:
In the Bunker
Apple Store/Mall
Shield Goes
Pierce Holds Widow Hostage
Wipe the Winter Soldier
Best Action Scene:
Elevator Fight
Carrier Takedown
Fury Escapes
Lemurian Star
Rooftop Chase
Best Lines:
Steve Rogers: Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?
Nick Fury: What's not damaged?
Fury Car: Air conditioning is fully operational.
[Smithsonian Guard discovers that Captain America's World War II uniform has been stolen]
Smithsonian Guard: Oh, man. I am so fired.
Bucky Barnes: I'm with you til the end of the line.
Natasha Romanoff: Hey, fellas. Either one of you know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a fossil.
Steve Rogers: On your left...
Steve Rogers: Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky.
Sam Wilson: Hey, Cap, how do we know the good guys from the bad guys?
Steve Rogers: If they're shooting at you, they're bad.
Nick Fury: [holds a photo of Alexander Pierce] This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize. He said that peace is not an achievement but a responsibility. It's stuff like this that gives me trust issues.
The Stan Lee Rubric:
Legacy: 8
Impact/Significance: 8.25
Novelty: 9
Classic-ness: 9.5
Rewatchability: 8.5
Audience Score: 8.8 (84% Google, 92% RT)
Total: 52.05
Remaining Questions:
Why does everyone seemingly always shoot at the shield, it doesn't cover his whole body?
How did the Vibranium shield cut through the Vibranium arm?
How did Sam survive the parachute fall from the helicarrier since he only opened his chute seemingly 100 yards above the roof?
How did Hydra expect Americans to willingly let the random valedictorian from Iowa get killed?
Wouldn't a fall from 50 stories into the water like that have killed Cap?