If you were a fan of the first Captain America movie, you’d be stupid not to see the second one. And if you weren’t impressed by the first film, watch the second film anyway.

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is a significant step up from the first movie in every way possible. The visuals are more realistic, the characters as a whole are more developed and the fight scenes take a huge, badass turn for the better. Although it chronicles the same Marvel superhero, “The Winter Soldier” seems at first like a follow-up to “The Avengers,” which was released a year after “The First Avenger.”

Whereas the first movie captured the essence of Captain America/Steve Rogers’ nature and morale through his journey to become a 1940s war hero, the second film takes a different spin on Rogers’ character through interactions with other key figures. The stress is less on Rogers’ character alone, but more on the Avengers team as a whole, including Nick Fury and Natasha Romanoff (a.k.a. Black Widow) and how they interact with each villain.

The film is extremely witty throughout, with connections in dialogue that are difficult to catch unless you’re paying close attention. In fact, if you pay close enough attention, it is fairly easy to figure out who exactly the real villains are. Despite that, the film constantly keeps the audience on its toes and wondering who can be trusted.

I would recommend watching the first Captain America film before the second one, regardless of whether you already have. Watching it shortly beforehand provides an even deeper sense of appreciation for the correlations between each film. And if you’ve never watched “The Avengers,” it’s worth watching that in advance as well.

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” is a fantastic addition to the Marvel live-action film series. It is filled with general badassery that we look for in superhero films. There is even the addition of the great Robert Redford as the secretive former leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. Alexander Pierce. The only thing missing from the film is an Iron Man cameo, but it prevails nonetheless.

★★★★☆

arildefonso@mavs.coloradomesa.edu