Its becoming a rather predictable, biannual occurence; Marvel releases a new film, and said film inevitably becomes a critical and commercial hit. And it's a story that only looks set to continue; Captain America: The Winter Soldier, their latest, is here and its great. Cap's original outing, The First Avenger, was a period treat that was elevated beyond simply killing time for The Avengers thanks to Chris Evans infinitely likeable hero and a surprising emotional punch. The Winter Soldier is, if anything, better: given the opportunity to explore the character's slow adjustment to the modern day, a plot point glanced over in The Avengers, the Russo brothers have toned down the humour that has dominated the Marvel Cinematic Universe of late and crafted a thriller that sets a high bar for the rest of 2014s blockbusters. We can only beg that X-Men: Days Of Future Past tops even this. Sure, it's really only leaning on the envelope rather than pushing and those not converted to Marvels universe building wont have a sudden change of heart here, but for those who've been along for the ride since Tony Stark gave up selling weapons, theres everything you would expect, as well as some nice surprises; for the first time since Iron Man, the plot and villains story are not synonymous. However, it's not perfect. Theres plenty of areas ripe for improvements, from dumb plot developments to little things that smack of a missed opportunity, and ten of those concerns are highlighted here. It goes without saying theres spoilers for Captain America: The Winter Soldier throughout. Continue at your own risk.
