Directed by Anthony & Joe Russo

The Winter Soldier is one of the better recent entries in the Marvel superbajilliondollar universe: the action set-pieces were brilliantly directed, and the story felt “big” enough to warrant a whole film, unlike Thor 2 and Iron Man 3. Where the film was lacking however, was that magical heart that should ideally come attached to the Marvel brand. I felt like you could just change the names of the characters, and there wouldn’t be much difference to any other half-decent run-and-gun action thriller. The first Captain America differed from the pack because it had a wonderfully nostalgic tone, which wasn’t present in the sequel. Not necessarily anyone’s fault, but hopefully they bring back the good ol’ fashioned Cap’n back someday.

B