MALEFICENT IS NOT THE MISTRESS OF ALL EVIL WE REMEMBER

You would think a film about the"Mistress of all evil" would at least be dark and gothic. Alas, that isn't the case for Disney's newest film Maleficent (which is guaranteed to be a blockbuster). The plot as such is this: After cursing Aurora, Maleficent decides to keep an eye on the child and as Aurora grows they both begin to bond. With a new (and unexplained) attachment to the child, Maleficent begins to question her curse and seeks a way to undo the damage she has done before it is too late.

The marketing itself sells this film as a darker version of the tale. It would seem the film is being more marketed towards the Hot Topic crowd, but in reality it's more of a kids' film than anything else (imagine my surprise). Unfortunately, there is very little darkness here, instead we get lots of sunshine, colors, and wonder. Maleficent is nowhere near as dark as the original Walt Disney version was (interesting, if you think about. These days studios are too afraid to make a dark kids film, yet Uncle Walt inserted a good deal of darkness into his films like Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Pinocchio, Bambi, Dumbo, Fantasia, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, and Alice In Wonderland.)

What about the "Mistress of all evil" herself? How does she fare in this film? Well, if you are looking for the classic Maleficent from the original animated film, you've come to the wrong place. We do get a tiny touch of that character here but for the most part the Maleficent in this film is a completely different character.  I don't know how much I want to give away in this review, suffice it to say that for the most part Maleficent is a good fairy who loses her way and is corrupted by anger and a need for vengeance when a great cruelty is done to her (Yes, Maleficent does get her own backstory here that takes up the first 20 or so minutes of the film). Angeline Jolie portrays Maleficent and does a pretty good job considering what the script gives her to work with (more on that script later). She always has that same air about her that the original Maleficent did. Jolie definitely looks the role, and she always is most impressive whenever she dons those iconic black robes from the original film.

Remember that black crow that was always at Maleficent's side in the classic tale? Well, he is back here with a beefed up role. His name is Diaval, and he is a loyal but sometimes questioning servant to Maleficent. Maleficent can change his form at will, and he is often seen as a human that she has discussions and arguments with. Diavel is portrayed by Sam Riley, who was probably my favorite part of the film. He is in the film a good deal, but isn't given all that much to do (except act as the more or less moral compass of the film) and yet he still manages to impress.

 Sharlto Copley plays King Stefan, who was in love with Maleficent when they were both younger. However, his greed leads him to betray her trust and in return Maleficent places her curse. It isn't long before the king is driven mad by paranoia and a lust for revenge. Copley does a fine job in his early scenes, but quickly is tossed to the back burner and is given almost nothing to work with for most of the film.

What about all those other classic characters? Well, they are pretty much the same as we remember them. Elle Fanning plays Aurora and is pretty good even though she apparently only has three emotions: Joy, wonder, and hesitance. She's essentially the same Aurora we know from the original film. The three fairies are here as well: There's Juno Temple as Thistletwit (the green one), Imelda Staunton (aka Dolores Umbridge) as Knotgrass (the red one), and Leslie Manville as Flittle (the blue one). They are still bumbling idiots like they were in the original, but aren't quite as annoying thanks to a decreased amount of screen time. Prince Philip also plays a minor role here, and he is portrayed by Brenton Thwaites who is given even less to do than any other character in this film (He's pretty much there just to look pretty).

The film is directed by first timer Robert Stromberg, who is known for his visual effects work on films like Pan's Labyrinth (matte Painting supervisor), and Pirates of The Caribbean: At World's End (visual effects design). He was also the production designer on Avatar, Alice In Wonderland, and Oz The Great and Powerful. While his directing skills are nothing special, it should surprise no one when I say that the visual effects and environments in this film are quite good. The film manages to keep familiar elements from the original such as the forest of thorns, Maleficent's decrepit castle, the burning of the spinning wheels,the score mimics the original's in one scene, and a dragon makes an appearance near the end. Yes, there are many nods to the original, and surprisingly the best parts of this film are two scenes which are lifted whole sale from the original classic: The curse scene, and the scene where Aurora is lead through the castle by a glowing green orb.

Unfortunately, all the good will I had started to build up for this film was erased during the last 20 minutes. For most of Maleficent, the story follows the same path that Sleeping Beauty did except we are seeing things from the perspective of Maleficent....and then the last 20 minutes take an abrupt detour into new territory with what is supposed to be a sweet twist (It's really just dumb and insulting) and a new ending that just didn't gel with me, plus some developments that just felt silly.

In the end, I can't say Maleficent is a bad film....it's actually pretty ok all things considered. The actors seem to be doing their best with what the somewhat flimsy script gives them to work with (which is written be veteran Disney scribe Linda Woolverton who also penned The Lion King, Beauty and The Beast, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, and Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland), the environments and visual effects are beautiful, and Jolie does look great as Maleficent. I just wish the film hadn't chosen to turn Maleficent into the hero of the story. Seeing that this film is clearly aimed towards kids, I can't say I'm surprised they went this route, but I really wish they hadn't. Although I do have my fair share of problems with this version of the tale (I really wanted more darkness, but since it's a kids' film there is almost none), I'm still going to say I liked it....somewhat. I'd gladly recommend it to kids and families with kids (the audience I was with was a camp of 60 kids who were quiet for the whole film and even clapped appreciatively at the end), I'm sure they will eat it up and ask for seconds. As for adults, you'd probably do best to look elsewhere.

2.5 STARS

MY TOP 10 FAVORITE FILMS LIST

At 23 years of age, I am proud to finally announce my Top 10 Favorite Films of All Time! A long battle was waged inside my mind, and you can be sure I thought long and hard over this list. I'm not saying any one film is BETTER than any other, but I AM saying that these are what I consider to be my personal favorites. So sit back, and enjoy the fruits of 23 long years of labor.

1. Jurassic Park

2. Jaws

3. Back To The Future Part 2

4. Terminator 2: Judgement Day

5. Transformers

6. E.T.

7. Cabin In The Woods

8.  The Wolf of Wall Street

9.  The Raid: Redemption

10. Blues Brothers

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 WEAVES A TANGLED WEB

In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) finds himself being torn in many different directions. He is still torn about what he should do with the love of his life, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). In the previous film he made a promise on her father's death bed that he would keep Gwen out of his life, for her own safety and while he still has strong feelings for her he doesn't like how breaking his promise makes him feel.

Harry Osborne (Dane DeHaan), an old childhood friend of Peter's and the heir to the Oscorp throne re-enters Peter's life. He suffers from the same disease his dead father had, and it is slowly killing him just like it did to dear old dad. Harry believes Spidey's blood could provide the cure he needs, but Peter isn't too sure, afraid of what it could do to his friend.

Along with all this, a new villain emerges in the guise of Electro (Jaime Foxx). Formerly, dweeb-ish Oscorp employee Max Dillon, Electro is tired of being ignored and decides to force NYC and the world to finally notice him. 

Andrew Garfield is back as Parker/Spider-Man, and looks significantly older. It's pretty hard to buy Garfield as a graduating high school student (maybe if you squint hard enough?), but he is still the best Peter Parker/Spider-Man we have had on the big screen, perfectly embodying both roles here (plus he doesn't take the mask off during fights in this one). Emma Stone is still a nice Gwen Stacy, and her romance and chemistry with Garfield (her real life boyfriend) is both palpable and real. Dane DeHaan is fantastic as Harry Osborne/Green Goblin (his laugh for the Goblin character is absolute perfection). Harry gets a LOT of screen time, while Goblin doesn't get much  (only one or two scenes) but his big fight with Spidey and Gwen is probably the best thing about this film. Paul Giamatti also does a very brief stint as Aleksei Sytsevich aka Rhino. He's only in two scenes here, and has just the right amount of screen time.

Unfortunately, Spidey 2 suffers from exactly what you would expect it to: There are too many story lines to follow. The main ones (despite what the marketing would have you believe), are really about Peter's and Harry's friendship, and Peter's and Gwen's relationship (both share about equal importance). Jaime Foxx is good as Electro, but he doesn't really stand out like I thought he would, plus he's more so on the back burner for most of the film (he's only got two fight scenes with Spidey, both of which are fantastic, and the rest of his screen time is him being tortured and making threats.). Contrary to popular belief, he's not the main baddie here. Instead, it's actually Harry who is the big villain. It's Harry who is the one pulling the strings, and planning the plans. In fact, Spidey 2 can almost double as an origin story for The Goblin.

While the focus is once again squarely on Peter Parker for most of this film, we still get more of Spidey than we did in the first film. I am happy to say we finally get the quick-quipped, fun, and fast Spidey that we all love from the comics. The fights he stars in and the scenes where he's swinging through the streets of NYC are easily the best parts of this film (especially in 3-D, where we get plenty of screen penetrating moments, an impressive deal of depth, and some scenes that once again make you feel like you are Spider-Man. That said, when the fights aren't around the 3-D is almost nonexistent.). 

While The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is indeed a mess, it's still more faithful to the comics than previous Spidey films, the acting is top notch, the 3-D is more than impressive during scenes with Spidey, and Garfield as Spidey/Parker is quickly becoming an icon (at least, in my eyes). The attempt to add some emotion in the end doesn't really work, but that final fight between Goblin and Spidey is still perfect in all the right ways. I'd say that Amazing Spider-Man 2 is indeed a bit better than the first Amazing Spider-Man (this sequel isn't dark, moody, or brooding, but is instead appropriately comic book-y) . Amazing Spider-Man 2 may weave a tangled web, but the end product is still satisfying, enjoyable, and fun. 

4 STARS

UPDATE: Upon a second viewing, I still agree with my original review for the most part. The film has way too many plot lines and it tries to do too much. This much can safely be said about ASM 2, it is an ambitious film, maybe too ambitious. The visual effects are all spectacular (both Goblin and Electro look fantastic,all of the fights are pretty and great,  and the various scenes of Spidey swinging around the city are breathtaking and fun). I think the emotional parts near the end actually work extremely well (maybe I was just having an off day when I first saw this film), and naturally the Goblin/Spidey and Electro/Spidey fights near the end are spectacular and awesome. Jamie Foxx is pretty great as Electro, although (as I said in my original review) he is on the back burner for most of the film. I still think Andrew Garfield is THE PERFECT Peter Parker/Spider-Man, and Emma Stone is just too perfect as Gwen Stacy (Yes, I still love their relationship and think they are a great couple). I'm happy that I can officially say I think this is a much better film than the first Amazing Spider-Man film. ASM 2 is certainly far from a perfect film, but it's still pretty damned great for the most part.

OCULUS PLAYS MIND GAMES WITH SMALLS

In Oculus, we follow Tim (adult Tim is portrayed by Benton Thwaites, child Tim is portrayed by Garrett Ryan) and his older sister Kylie (adult Kylie is portrayed by Karen Gillan, child Kylie is portrayed by Annalise Basso). Tim has just gotten out of a mental hospital and seems to be fully recovered from a traumatic experience him and his sister went through when they were young where their parents tried to kill them. Tim has come to terms with the assumed fact that he was the one who killed his dad, thus saving him and his sister's lives. However, Kylie still holds to her belief that it was the mirror that hung in her dad's office, an aged artifact named The Lasser Glass ( a mirror that feeds off of an organisms energy, has the ability to alter our perception of reality aka play nasty mind games, and if given enough power even has the ability to control a person. It also has a surprisingly large sphere of influence if given enough energy to feed off of), that is the real cause behind that night's events. She has managed to find The Lasser Glass and has spirited it away to their childhood home where she intends to document the mirror (via plants, a dog, and multiple cameras and computers) and the various phenomena she assumes it will create again. If anything should go wrong she has a large anchor set to smash the mirror unless she manually resets the timer it is synced to every hour . Naturally, she ropes Tim into her scheme and it isn't long before it becomes apparent that despite all her best efforts and planning, The Lasser Glass may once again have the upper hand.

Oculus certainly has a strong set-up, and at first it's almost hard to see how things could possibly go wrong with the plan Kylie has come up with. Kylie has things so meticulously planned out that it would seem pretty hard for The Lasser Glass to effectively fight back, and part of the fun of this film is seeing how the tables slowly start to turn.

Every actor in Oculus does a pretty good job with the roles they are given. Both the child versions and the adult versions of our protagonists do equally impressive performances, and Rory Cochran and Katie Sackhoff both are pretty freaky as the parents who slowly begin to spiral into madness. None of these are amazing performances mind you, but they were all much better than I expected them to be, especially by horror movie standards. Mike Flanagan definitely did a pretty impressive job  in the directors seat, as one of the screenwriters for the film (he co-wrote Oculus with Jeff Howard), and as the sole editor of the film as well (which is also top notch and enhances the film a good deal). It's not very often you get a triple threat, and I'm going to say this is one guy that we should maybe keep an eye on.

Oculus is certainly not a scary film, but it is definitely a very twisty and confusing ride. The film will put you in the position of Kylie and Tim where you too will start to question what you are seeing on screen, what time period you are watching (the film switches back and forth between the past and the present a good deal, showing what occurred when Tim and Kylie were kids and what is occurring now that Kylie is attempting to prove that The Lasser Glass is alive), and what is real or a product of The Lasser Glass' variety of tricks. Indeed by the last 20 or so minutes of the film I was pleasantly surprised to find myself sucked into the fascinating and surreal world of The Lasser Glass, where I didn't know what was up or what was down. Oculus' aim is to disorient and confuse the viewer, and it succeeds pretty damn well. Don't go in expecting answers or explanations, you'll have to come up with those on your own.

I've never been a fan of the haunted mirror horror film sub-genre but Oculus takes this stale premise and successfully breathes new life into it, crafting a fascinating film that is hard to tear your eyes away from. It also signals the arrival of a strong new horror character in The Lasser Glass, which has a rich history behind it and a vast array of mind games at its disposal. This thing isn't afraid to play dirty if that's what it takes. With a pretty good script, fantastic editing, strong acting, and an intriguing plot filled with a good deal of mystery, Oculus manages to be a very fun and surreal thrill ride that I wouldn't mind heading out to see again. It's easily one of the better modern day horror films and definitely the best haunted mirror film I've seen.

3.5 STARS

SMALLS THOROUGHLY ENJOYS HIS STAY AT THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a pretty complicated film. It's essentially a story within a story within a story. We start out with a young woman in The Republic of Zubrowka reading a book entitled The Grand Budapest Hotel (a non-fiction narrative in this universe), authored by the Republic's "national treasure". The film mainly takes the perspective as if we are reading the book ourselves. In it, the author recounts his stay at the formerly elegant Grand Budapest Hotel, which has seen better days. The hotel's owner,  Zero Moustafa (When old played by F. Murray Abraham, when young played by Tony Revolori), tells the author about his history at the hotel and the adventure he embarked on with his mentor/best friend M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes), the head concierge at the hotel. When one the frequent elderly patrons of the hotel is found murdered at her mansion of a home, M. Gustave is pinned as the culprit and so together Zero and Gustave have to set out to clear his name, along the way getting involved with a prison break, an art heist, a high speed chase, and a shoot-out.

Now, normally I'm not a fan of Wes Anderson. The other two films of his I have seen (Fantastic Mr. Fox and Moonrise Kingdom), I found to be lacking. The Grand Budapest Hotel though, is a completely different story. It's a film that I by all accounts I should not like, but somehow I wound up loving nonetheless. I couldn't help but smile while watching the film. The film itself is downright labyrinthine with it's multiple stories (there's really only two, but both are equally rich), millions of different cameos/bit roles by Anderson alums, and twisting main adventure plot. It's a rich, complex, and elaborate film but damned if I didn't have a fun time watching it. This is easily the best Anderson film I have seen thus far. 

Tony Revolori is great as young Zero Moustafa, devoted friend to M. Gustav and new Lobby Boy for The Grand Budapest. Saoirse Ronan is cute as Agatha, the bakery girl that capture the affections and heart of Zero.  The beating heart of this film though is easily Ralph Fiennes as M. Gustave, a proud and elegant man from a different time who always holds his head up high and speaks in elegant prose (even in the worst situations he still speaks in elegant prose and maintains that air of sophistication, which I found to be really funny). The Grand Budapest Hotel is his baby.  His whole demeanor is that of sophistication, to the point where you can't help but wonder if everything about him is just an act. Beneath his squeaky clean facade you see a little bit of slime, as he romances rich, older blonde women who gladly give him great amounts of money for his time and attention....yet, he seems to genuinely love and care about these women. At least this much can be said for M. Gustave, without a doubt he is a great man at his core, and he is endlessly watchable.

The second strong point of this film is the dynamic and friendship between Zero and M. Gustave. The chemistry between Ralph Fiennes and Tony Revolori is rich, and their numerous scenes together are a complete joy. You really buy these two as "blood brothers", and it's surprising to find how deeply you care and are invested in their stories by the time the end of the film rolls around.  I'd say they are one of the best contemporary screen duos and are pretty damned memorable. 

The third strong point is easily the sets and atmosphere of the film. The Hotel itself is appropriately grand, lush, European, vibrant, elaborate, richly detailed (you could spend the whole film just looking at the sets the characters are set in and I'd dare say you would be just as satisfied), and elegant. Interestingly enough, a sizable portion of this film takes place outside of the hotel's walls, but we still spend more than enough time inside the hotel as well (The Grand Budapest might as well be a character in the film).  The world Wes Anderson has crafted in this film is one of the best I've seen, every little detail is fully realized and indeed, what's going on in The Republic of Zubrowka is the secondary story of the film, although this plot is all in the background. This story is essentially about how things are slowly going from good to bad to worse in The Republic of Zubrowka and how the characters are kind of helpless to stop this.....almost victims of sort. It's kind of heartbreaking. The setting of The Grand Budapest Hotel is itself a reflection of the state that The Republic of Zebrowka is in (really a genius idea of you ask me). 

As previously stated, many Anderson alums show back up in a head-twirling number of bit roles. These include (deep breath) Jeff Goldblum, Owen Wilson, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Murray, Adrian Brody, Willem Dafoe, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Edward Norton, F. Murray Abraham (as previously noted), Harvey Keitel, Larry Pine, Wallace Wolodarsky, Waris Ahluwalia, George Clooney, Neal Huff, Gabriel Rush, Lucas Hedges, Carl Sprague,  and Bob Balaban. Most of the cast in this film does a great job in their roles, even if the part they have to play is a minor one. 

While most of the film is pretty joyful, exuberant, and fun there is still an underlaying layer of melancholy and what feels like an unavoidable sad fate that finally takes front and center during the last ten or fifteen minutes of the film. Yes, this film does end on an appropriately dour note, but I find that this only added to my overall enjoyment of the proceedings. It was the correct way to end it  in my own personal opinion, and it made the overall film feel all the richer. 

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a fascinating marvel to watch. Even if viewers find themselves wonderfully lost in the twisting and winding plot (it really is quite head-spininng, but in a good way in my opinion. It's hard not to get caught up in it all), they should still find more than enough enjoyment in the acting of Ralph Fiennes (he really is our way in). It's probably a good idea that, if you are new to the films of Wes Anderson, that this would not be a good place to start. Go out, sample other of his films and then come back and see this one.   While I don't think that this is the film that will make believers out of any one who isn't already fond of Wes Anderson, I will say that there is more than enough substance and layers in The Grand Budapest Hotel that even the most jaded of persons should find something to enjoy here.  Buckle in and enjoy the crazy ride.

4.5 STARS

THE RAID 2 MAKES SMALLS FEEL BEATEN AND BRUISED.....IN A GOOD WAY!!!!

I'm not going to waste any time.

In The Raid 2, we pick up immediately after the events of The Raid, with Rama (Iko Uwais) being recruited by the only non-corrupt police boss in town, Bunawar (Cok Simbara), to go deep undercover in one of the two mobs that controls his city. It's all in the attempt to root out the other corrupt cops and put an end to he two mobs reigns of terror. First, Rama is sent to prison for two years, where he has more than enough time to gain the trust and friendship of Uco (Arafin Putra), who's father is Bangun (Tio Pakusodewo), the head of one of the big mobs in the city. Released after his two year stint, Rama is quickly initiated into Bangun's mob where he learns that Uco is teaming up with Bejo (Alex Abbad), a young gangster, in the hopes of igniting a turf war so he can get rid of his dad and take control of the mob.

The Raid had a simple plot that was fairly easy to follow, the focus was more on the action. In this second outing, the focus is definitely more on the plot, and there's more of it. There is more action as well, but it's spaced out this time and there are long stretches of dialogue and exposition in between. Surprisingly, the script and acting is pretty top notch. The best acting here goes to Arafin Putra as Uco and Iko Uwais as Rama. Arafin is perfectly slimy but still likable as the P.O.S who looks to shake things up and Uwais is still ever the bad-ass as Rama (who gets the shit beat out of him quite a bit in this one, but still manages to stay on top nontheless) even though he's not the only one doing the fighting this time around.

Some memorable bit roles in The Raid 2 are Julia Estelle as Alicia (aka Hammer Girl), Oka Antara as Eka, Cecif Arif Rahman as "The Assassin" (who's weapons of choice are dagger-like objects), and Very Tri Yulisman as "Baseball Bat Man" who uses a baseball bat as his weapon of choice. All get memorable fight scenes, and are pretty damn memorable. Back from the first film is Yayan Ruhian, although he's not Mad Dog this time around. In Raid 2 he plays a bit role, named Prakoso and he's still bad-ass and impressive here though I still say he made more of a lasting impression in the first Raid.

The action in The Raid was insane, and somehow master action director Gareth Evans manages to make the action/fight scenes in Raid 2 even more insane, brutal and bloody than before. I will say there is a good deal of shaky cam here, and sometimes that makes it a bit hard to make out what's going on, unfortunately. However, there are still a good deal of action scenes (I count 6 that really blew me away, but that's just one man's opinion. There's probably a grand total of around 12-13 action scenes in The Raid 2) that manage to recapture the brutality and fun of the action in the first film. The highlights this time around are the opening fight in a prison bathroom, an all-out prison riot, a fight in a subway car featuring Hammer Girl, a street fight featuring Baseball Bat Man, a fight on the roads (in cars), and the final 3 fights where it's essentially Rama vs. the rest of the mob. As I said before, while the action/fight scenes are more spaced out here, the action that does ensue will still make you cheer, make your head spin, and will leave you absolutely breathless in the best way possible.

By expanding the world of The Raid 2, we lose the claustrophobic and tense atmosphere of the first film (as I said before though, there are still some action scenes that feel tense), and by spacing out the action scenes and upping the run time ( a whopping 150 minutes), this sequel ends up feeling less tight and focused.  The plot is fairly strong, as is the script and acting. The Raid 2 is pretty different from The Raid, I'd say The Raid 2 works better as a film than as a pure action film. There's definitely more meat for us to chew on here. If you go in expecting the film to be the same thing as the first Raid, you'll be satisfied but a bit disappointed, so it's best to adjust your expectations accordingly. By taking this film in a different direction than the first, but staying true to what made the first film great (them action scenes) The Raid 2 manages not to be better than the first outing, but just as good as it's predecessor was although in different ways. Both films are masterpieces, and any die-hard action fan would be wise to seek BOTH of these films out. Expect to walk out of The Raid inspired to go forth and kick-ass, and expect to walk out of The Raid 2 feeling beaten and bruised, but rejuvenated and ready for more.

5 STARS

Think of The Raid 2 as almost more of an art film

Watching as a whole flock of teenaged girls leave The Raid 2 near the end because the action is too bloody and brutal for them.....PRICELESS (also, how the hell did they even get in there to begin with?)

OH SHIT SON, IT'S CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, we pick back up with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) an undetermined amount of time after the New York attack (I'd say at most a year after). He is working as a covert S.H.I.E.L.D operative while trying to adapt to the new times and the new politics of today's world. When a high ranking member of S.H.I.E.L.D is attacked, Steve is forced to go on the run from S.H.I.E.L.D and from a mysterious and lethal assassin known only as The Winter Soldier, while at the same time uncovering a conspiracy that threatens the freedom of not just the USA, but of the world.

As you can tell from my header, I absolutely LOVED this latest Marvel film. I'm actually crazy about it, but before I nerd-gush I'm going to try to organize my thoughts on the film itself.

There are many characters in this film, some minor and some not-so-minor, but all are strong and well acted. Chris Evans is back as Captain America/Steve Rogers. In this film, he's able to emerge as my new favorite Marvel hero (that's right, he beats out Iron Man). The action scenes he has are great (more on that later), and he still brings a great deal of emotion and gravitas to his role. Cap is still a completely lovable and relateable character.

Scarlett Johansson returns as Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff. She is still super sexy here, she does a great and memorable acting job, her fighting skills are still pretty awesome, and she easily emerges as one of the best things about this film. In this second outing, her and Steve get to share a complicated relationship and are kind of a duo (It's great fun to see them working together). Samuel L. Jackson dominates in his always iconic role of Nick Fury, certified bad-ass. He has a definite, strong role to play here and he does not disappoint (when does he ever?). Sebastian Stan does a great job as The Winter Soldier. Despite the title of the film, he isn't as big as you would expect him to be. Don't get me wrong, he does have a sizable role to play here, but he's not main baddie.

Anthony Mackie is pretty great as Falcon/Sam Wilson, he doesn't really come into play until the last act of the film but he still has a big role to play. Robert Redford plays Alexander Pierce, a shady higher up of S.H.I.E.L.D. He really nails his role, managing to impress. Some minor characters make a reappearance as well:  Hayley Atwell makes a small cameo as Peggy Carter (I liked getting to see where her character is today) and Colbie Smulders is back as Maria Hill, doing a good job in a supporting role.

One of the most impressive things about Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the action and fighting sequences. This film has THE BEST action and fight sequences in any of the Marvel films thus far. Captain America is a complete and total bad-ass, and the way he goes about taking down baddies is jaw-dropping and super impressive (he also isn't immune to taking a beating at times). Black Widow is also a skilled fighter (which has already been well established). Falcon's aerial battles are impressive as well. Even Nick Fury gets his own action scene in the traffic heavy streets of New York. The action here is brutal, fast, and insane. Luckily for us, it's also fairly constant in the film. Each action/fight scene has something new to it, and they never feel stale, repetitive, or dull. Every one is guaranteed to reel any hardcore action junkie right in (and yes, they are indeed VERY hardcore in this film). I also love that this isn't just Cap's story, but S.H.I.E.L.D's as well.

However, that's not all there is to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This sequel is also a political espionage thriller, with plenty of mysteries and conspiracies hidden inside. In fact, I'd say the film is equal parts political espionage thriller and action film (although the answer to the big mystery at the core of this film is suitably comic book-y). This film wants you to keep your brain on as you watch, as it also has a few sly comments about the world we live in today. It's actually a fairly smart film.

I saw the film in 3-D, and I gotta say that while it's not the best 3-D  film I've seen , the 3-D sampled here is still impressive in some scenes (mainly the action scenes). Nothing really flies out of the screen, and there is a decent amount of depth added, but the real benefit of the 3D here is it makes the world you're watching feel larger and more spacious. I'm not going to say the 3D is required or necessary to enjoy the film, but if you do fork over the extra bucks to see it in 3-D you should feel fairly satisfied with the product delivered here.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier marks the next step in the evolution of the Marvel film. It easily asserts itself as a film that needs to be seen. There are some neat little moments that make reference to the first Captain America, so another viewing of that film may prove beneficial, but overall this is one of the few Marvel films that really stands on it's own. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a film that changes the landscape of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there is an event that occurs at the end of the movie that shakes this world up a good deal and if you are even planning on seeing the next Avengers film, then Captain America: The Winter Soldier is absolutely required viewing. It also is easily the best Marvel film so far (it's also the most brutal, most hardcore, and the dirtiest). It sets a new bar, and from here on out will be the film I will use to judge all other Marvel films. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a strong, fun film that's got plenty of action and smarts to it, making it not just a great Marvel film but a great film PERIOD.

5 STARS

Be on the lookout for a nice cameo by Danny Pudi (aka Abed from Community).

Just for reference: Out of 10 stars, I'd give this a 9.8 .