I have never been able to hide my disdain for the first Captain America film, as its only purpose was to set up the backstory for "The Avengers." Besides that it was also really bad. The effects were sloppy, the nostalgia was off-putting, and the story and villain were lame. With the Russo brothers behind the wheel on this film, the action is ratcheted up quite a bit, and it's really quite entertaining and well-choreographed. The interchange between the characters is interesting, the conflict that furthers the plot is intriguing, and the mysterious winter soldier is both a complex villain and a surreptitious foil. The main villain is even complex and well played, brining political undertones to the narrative. The conspiracy concerning S.H.I.E.L.D. and the secretive Hydra makes for an intense power play between Captain America, Black Window, and the members of the elite organization. The plot swerves into the Bourne trilogy oeuvre for a while, but most of the film is pure superhero action. The thing that keeps this from being absolutely perfect is the same as the first film. The set up for the next "Avengers" film often leaves inconsistencies in the plot and a lack of resolution. Altogether this was a solid part of the "Avengers" canon and a decent set-up for the next film.

A winning sequel concerning the life of Steve Rogers, aka Captain America (Chris Evans), and how he tries to continue to conform to society in Washington D.C. However, when government actions force him into action again once Nick Fury's (Samuel L. Jackson) life is threatened by mysterious forces, he must abandon his hopes of ever living a normal life. Evans is once again a fantastic pick to play the role of Captain America, Scarlett Johansson is also great as Natasha Romanoff, and Robert Redford is a lot of fun as the villain. It is a typical summer popcorn movie that does not try to be anything special, but the plot is just so much better organized than the first film, with some nice twists thrown in for good measure. It does not come close to any kind of greatness, but it is a solid movie that deserves a view.