Finally saw this a couple days ago, wasn't a bad movie but just couldn't get too excited about it. I think maybe I've just crossed some point of exhaustion with superhero movies, kind of like I did with zombie movies a few years back.
Nothing much sticks with me after these films are over anymore. All I remember about Spiderman is that I didn't like it as much as the previous series - I can't even remember who the bad guy was. I remember being entertained by the spectacle of the Avengers, but again can't remember much of the plot. The only thing about Superman that I remember is how badly they handled the character, totally missing the mark with who he is. I don't think I could tell you the plot of either Thor movie if asked, and The Winter Soldier basically felt like a retread of Ghost Protocol with less real peril because the hero is made of rubber. I was reasonably excited to see all of these when they came out, but at this point I can't say the same for any more upcoming films.
And I do think there is a deeper message behind the plot of the winter soldier, but I think it's more subtle than what everyone's describing here.
Nothing much sticks with me after these films are over anymore. All I remember about Spiderman is that I didn't like it as much as the previous series - I can't even remember who the bad guy was. I remember being entertained by the spectacle of the Avengers, but again can't remember much of the plot. The only thing about Superman that I remember is how badly they handled the character, totally missing the mark with who he is. I don't think I could tell you the plot of either Thor movie if asked, and The Winter Soldier basically felt like a retread of Ghost Protocol with less real peril because the hero is made of rubber. I was reasonably excited to see all of these when they came out, but at this point I can't say the same for any more upcoming films.
And I do think there is a deeper message behind the plot of the winter soldier, but I think it's more subtle than what everyone's describing here.
It's not about government being bad, either the US government or a nazi element within that government. It's about who should make the decisions about what is done to and on behalf of a country's people. Hydra simply represents the extreme black and white position that a few people can & should decide what's best for everybody. The US government is supposed to represent the ideal of democracy - that the people get to decide for themselves. The problem is the existence of Shield, no matter how well intentioned (for even Hydra expresses good intentions for their actions), shatters that ideal - how can the people decide for themselves if the government makes decisions and acts in secret? That's why captain wants to disband shield in the end, and why black widow publishes all their secret information online - the difference between them and hydra is only in execution, not principle, and neither is compatible with the ideal of a democracy.