Just when the Marvel Cinematic Universe started to look a little fatigued, brothers Anthony and Joe Russo - best known for the comedy film You, Me and Dupree - delivered what is arguably the best and most satisfying addition in recent memory. Instead of simply reprising the beats of other films in the MCU canon, Captain America: The Winter Soldier set out to be its own man: clinging to a tight, complex narrative with shades of those '70s political thrillers starring Robert Redford (he even shows up here), it's a relentless, crowd-pleasing explosion of a movie. Best of all, Captain America 2 managed to successfully tell an isolated story whilst also making itself known as a movie in the MCU. Still, with Chris Evans delivering his best and most rounded performance as Steve Rogers, it was arguably Scarlett Johansson who dominated the screen, the best moments arising from those asides shared between the Captain and her Black Widow. With inventive set-pieces, highly accomplished action scenes, and a more readily and therefore fascinatingly darker tone, the Winter Soldier is - thus far - the best blockbuster of 2014.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
