Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The reviews told me that it was intended as a political thriller. At least, as much of a political thriller as you can get in a superhero movie. And at that, it succeeds. It's not exactly layer upon layer of Machiavellian plotting, but as I said, it's a superhero movie.
It differs from a political thriller in that the main characters are not powerless. They are not able to casually succeed in 'win-space' as I believe Robin Laws and Rob Heinsoo put it - that point in most superhero movies where the hero is simply exercising his abilities in glee or practice or demonstration and is not truly challenged like Iron Man versus Afghani terrorists with paltry small arms.
They can be and are challenged, at and above their level. The innocents of the world, whom they protect, both hinder and protect them as happens in the best political thrillers. They must trust no one. And the nature of the superhero genre allows challenges, and the stakes, to be all the more frightening.
Strengths? Many. The subject matter is topical and easy to understand. Captain America is Captain America, and that is a damn hard achievement. The primary main characters have an easy and relatable way about them which again helps draw us in. We call back to the strength of the previous movie and the strengths of the character.
Partran has mentioned that the great strength of the Marvel movies is that they love their characters and seek to bring out what they love onto the big screen; while the DC movies hate their characters and focus on the changes they want to make to the characters, then use the big screen as an excuse.
Weaknesses? Few. It's a little long for what it is. The climax smacks a little much of red-key-red-door videogameyness/plot coupon collecting, while the secondary climax is more proper for the political thriller. Georges St. Pierre as Batroc the Leaper could have been used a little better and a little longer, but I think I was already complaining about length and this isn't a Batroc movie.
Finally, the main villain's last words were, "Hail Hydra," instead of, "You may have defeated me, Captain America, but the Hydra has many heads!"
What can you do?
It differs from a political thriller in that the main characters are not powerless. They are not able to casually succeed in 'win-space' as I believe Robin Laws and Rob Heinsoo put it - that point in most superhero movies where the hero is simply exercising his abilities in glee or practice or demonstration and is not truly challenged like Iron Man versus Afghani terrorists with paltry small arms.
They can be and are challenged, at and above their level. The innocents of the world, whom they protect, both hinder and protect them as happens in the best political thrillers. They must trust no one. And the nature of the superhero genre allows challenges, and the stakes, to be all the more frightening.
Strengths? Many. The subject matter is topical and easy to understand. Captain America is Captain America, and that is a damn hard achievement. The primary main characters have an easy and relatable way about them which again helps draw us in. We call back to the strength of the previous movie and the strengths of the character.
Partran has mentioned that the great strength of the Marvel movies is that they love their characters and seek to bring out what they love onto the big screen; while the DC movies hate their characters and focus on the changes they want to make to the characters, then use the big screen as an excuse.
Weaknesses? Few. It's a little long for what it is. The climax smacks a little much of red-key-red-door videogameyness/plot coupon collecting, while the secondary climax is more proper for the political thriller. Georges St. Pierre as Batroc the Leaper could have been used a little better and a little longer, but I think I was already complaining about length and this isn't a Batroc movie.
Finally, the main villain's last words were, "Hail Hydra," instead of, "You may have defeated me, Captain America, but the Hydra has many heads!"
What can you do?