CAPTAIN AMERICA 2 Marginally “Marvel”ous

RATING: 6.5/10 [HAIL HYDRA]

Ever since “Iron Man 3” fell just that last few yards short of expectations, the Marvel fandom had been waiting with a lot of thirst for the new Captain America film. Thankfully for the Bangladeshi section of that avid Marvel following, Star Cineplex brought “The Winter Soldier” into its theatres -- in no less than 3D -- 10 days after its North American release. The film saw an unusual but not unexpected jam-packed premiere on April 12 at the 3D-plex.
Without giving out too many spoilers (Nick Fury dies, BTW), the film opens with Captain Steve Rogers (reprised by Chris Evans) being hurried into a mission to rescue a S.H.I.E.L.D. carrier vessel from the sea that has been under attack from pirates -- along with Natasha Romanoff (you see a lot of her in the film, played of course by the smokin' Scarlett Johansson) and a S.T.R.I.K.E. team. Rogers is not happy upon finding out that Romanoff has her own separate mission on the vessel, and when confronted, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) shows him “Project Insight”, a monstrous-scale project of three heli-carriers designed to preemptively eliminate any security threat to the US. Not long after, Fury is ambushed and chased down viciously by a mysterious “Winter Soldier”, but escapes and hides in Rogers' apartment and barely has time to inform Rogers that S.H.I.E.L.D. is compromised, before he is taken down by the assassin. Rogers is left to trust no one after S.H.I.E.L.D. turns on him, and along with Romanoff discover HYDRA, a project that had infiltrated and been operating within S.H.I.E.L.D. for decades, and is looking to eliminate any possible future threats to it. With his new friend retired para-rescuer Sam Wilson (aka Falcon from the Marvel comics, played by Anthony Mackie), Rogers and Romanoff set out to save the world, and are encountered by the Winter Soldier, now assigned to neutralise them. Rogers recognises the metal-armed super-villain as his best friend Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), but the connection is not reciprocated by his brainwashed buddy.

The plot touches upon the whole global surveillance and control (a pretty good cinematic picture of the NSA) by governments, and the action sequences and dialogues are not downers, but the overall story sags at a number of places. It probably has to do more with the Russo brothers -- Anthony and Joe -- who have taken helm of the film; their CV includes the film “You, Me and Dupree” and TV series like “Happy Endings”, “Arrested Development” and “Community”. The whole dynamics of Rogers' “feelings” for Bucky is uncomfortably unconvincing, even with his character back-story. The thought that these two might be in charge of the third Captain America film -- set to release on the same date as DC's “Batman v Superman” -- may be a little unnerving for Marvel fanboys (and girls).
Scarlett Johansson is breathtaking throughout, Mackie -- who looks like Will Smith on a budget -- is also solid, as is veteran thespian Robert Redford. Apart from the direction and screenplay, there really isn't much to complain about.