Age of The Nerd
The Film
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a bit of an anomaly. Not only is it one of the rare sequels that manage to top its successor, but it also manages to be intelligent and timely while at the same time delivering what you would expect from a summer blockbuster. I have always seen a film like the Dark Knight as a crime drama disguised as a Batman film, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier is similar in the sense that it’s a political thriller that just happened to feature Captain America. Rather than exploring the effect that the world has on Cap (much like his storyline in The Avengers), directors Anthony & Joe Russo do the exact opposite by examining the impact that Cap has on the world.
In many ways, this speaks to a more significant point about the way that this film pushes the boundaries of what you can do with a blockbuster superhero movie. While I won’t spoil the exact details of what exactly happens for those who have not seen it, this film completely restructures the Marvel cinematic universe in a way that feels both refreshing and just plain ballsy. The miraculous thing about Captain America: The Winter Soldier is how they are able to explore the character of Steve Rodgers. He is very much a character that does not change, and that is not a bad thing in this sense because they are still able to test the character in a way that is both gripping and engaging.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier features perhaps the most significant tonal shift of all the MCU sequels. As much as I appreciate this tonal shift, a more realistic style is something that kind of bugs me about this film. Cap has always been the definition of a character that embraces his “comic book-ness.” By approaching the character with an avant-garde shooting style, the Russo brothers have created something that is going for a more natural, real-world look that doesn’t line up with what the character represents. While this indeed juxtaposes the subject matter with Cap very nicely, I can’t help but think that this choice in shooting style amounts to little more than tons of handheld shots (specifically during action scenes) that ultimately give one a headache.
With all this said, the Russo brothers are smart enough not to let this shooting style dominate the whole film, as there are more conventional “cinematic” shots layered within. These and a few other plot points that I have small issues with ultimately amount to nothing more than knit picks. Why exactly? Because this movie has so much more going for it that I can’t hate on a film for having a few small gripes when it is is overall exceptionally well crafted. Both The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy have proved that Marvel has indeed bounced back from last year’s abysmal slate of MCU films and that if given to the right filmmakers, we can have movies that are both entertaining and well executed.
Rating: 4.5/5
The Picture
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is presented in a magnificent 1080P/AVC-Encoded transfer that is absolutely stunning. Much like its tone, Captain America: The Winter Soldier has an entirely different visual feel than any of the other MCU movies. It features a highly desaturated color palette that is mostly comprised of dark and neutral colors, even down to the costuming. The only hints of color that actually appear to pop are in the third act when Cap’s more traditional costume design makes it’s way back to the film.
It’s is a very dark looking movie, and cinematographer Trent Opaloch’s lighting adds to the thematic material of the film, while still being visually stunning. Mainly comprised daylight sources and night scenes complemented by an icy lighting scheme, cinematographer Trent Opaloch brings a very dark look to the movie, and his lighting adds to the thematic material of the film, while still being visually stunning. The transfer itself is as beautiful as the cinematography, and despite the muted color tones, the image never loses its crispness. Black levels genuinely shine on the disk, and the skin tones feel 100% natural. Overall this disc features of the best visual presentations of any Marvel movie yet.
Rating: 4.5/5
The Sound
Captain America: The Winter Soldier features a boisterous DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio track, and surround is the only way to feel the effects of the sound design truly. While the film features a very prominent score, but the fantastic thing is that the sound design never feels lost within the score, and vice versa. Particular emphasis is put on the sounds that the shield makes, and although Cap’s shield interacts with many different materials, every hit and bounce is felt uniquely. The dialogue is clear and crisp throughout and is never lost within the madness of the action scenes. Overall, you can’t deliver much better of an audio presentation than the one that is on this disc.
Rating: 5/5
The Special Features
As with all of the MCU Blu ray releases since their acquisition by Disney, the Captain America: The Winter Soldier Blu ray features an underwhelming assortment of special features:
Audio Commentary- By far the best supplement on the disc, directors Joe and Anthony Russo are joined by screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely in what is a wholly engrossing commentary track. Just about every detail of the film is discussed from their inspiration taken from 70’s political thrillers such as Three days of the Condor (a timeline that the film itself very much follows) to the writing, shooting, and post-production of the film. You very much get a sense of what the Russo brothers were going for when making this film.
Interestingly, the directors also point out little details about the film that you would never know otherwise, such as the fact that this film takes place about two years after The Avengers, and that (although never actually named) Frank Grillo’s character is Crossbones. Overall, an entertaining and informative commentary that gives me a greater appreciation for the craft and care that went into the making of this film.
On The Front Line: An Inside Look at Captain America’s Battlegrounds (HD, 10 minutes): An all too short featurette that focuses on shooting the action elements of this film. All of the critical collaborators appear here and give a brief look into what it took to pull off several practical stunts and car chases. Part of what makes this film so successful is that the action feels so real, and part of that is the practicality on set detailed here.
On Set With Anthony Mackie: Cut The Check! (HD, 2 minutes): A quick behind the scenes look at the energy that Anthony Mackie brought to the set of this film. In particular, it details his catchphrase “Cut the check” when he feels he has nailed a performance. It’s a fun and light piece overall, no substance to the making of the film.
Deleted and Extended Scenes (HD, 4 minutes): A small assortment of deleted and extended scenes- “Hill and Sitwell Talk Loyalty,” “In Pursuit of Captain America,” “Nick Fury’s Circle” and “Widow Reveals Her Past.” Features optional commentary by the Russo brothers.
Gag Reel (HD, 3 Minutes): Your typical outtake reel of actors flubbing their lines and having fun on set.
Rating: 2/5
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Blu-ray presentation of Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a rock solid purchase. Despite the aforementioned lack of bonus material, the disc stands as one of those titles that can really display what the format can do.
