A big improvement over the first movie in that it is much less bland and spends less time reintroducing characters. Another good thing is that Nick Fury and Black Widow have significant roles. On the bad side, the movie could have cut out a lot of things in the beginning, the story isn't too spectacular and the climax doesn't have a memorable or epic fight. It's surprising to see how much this movie references the first one, such that it feels like a proper sequel and that it follows on logically. Sadly, while the identity of the Winter Soldier is supposed to be a big twist, it didn't have as large an impact as it could have. Not that it wasn't handled well, it just felt like it there was more to it. Once The Winter Soldier got on its way, it was fun to watch and as the events kept unfolding, it was interesting and you would eagerly await the big revelation where the penny would drop. Captain America is more down to earth, making the fight scenes much more intense and personal, this reduction in special effects is a nice change. While not one of the greatest movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is still a solid flick worth watching.
