[Author’s note: This is my final review for the Iowa State Daily. After almost two years, I have over 100 reviews for the paper. I am stopping so I can focus on graduation and my new job. But, if you really want more reviews, you can check out my website Gorgon Reviews, which I update five times a week with new reviews!]

Ah, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” [Trailer]. I will be honest. I was not really looking forward to this movie when it was first announced.

I like the Captain, sure, but the next two big superhero movies are “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron” while this one was just giving me more of an already established character. Still, I was excited enough about it to make a fake review for April Fools Day.

Being a comic book fan is sort of a double-edged sword with these type of movies. On one side, it is great experiencing the comics come to life with large enough budgets to make every fanboy cry out in glee. But on the other side, we know the stories they are inspired by, so most likely the bigger plot twists and turns will not be surprises to us.

Unless of course they create new unexpected ones like in “Iron Man 3,” but that is a different story.

“The Winter Soldier” begins by showing us what life is like for the one and only Steve Rogers, Chris Evans, a national hero and now high up in S.H.I.E.L.D. He is doing missions around the world! But S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury, Samuel L. Jackson, have their secrets and Steve does not really like secrets.

So when things start to get a little bit feisty at the headquarters in D.C., Steve is not sure who he can trust. Can he trust the Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson, who is known for her half-truths and deception? Can he trust Alexander Pierce, Robert Redford, head of the World Security Council? How ’bout Maria Hill, Cobie Smulders?

Yeah, he is kind of in a sticky situation. The spy game sure has ramped up its deception since the 1940s, so if he is going to protect the world from a hidden threat, he will need all the help he can get. This movie introduces a few future characters as well, like the titular villain The Winter Soldier, Sebastian Stan, Sam “The Falcon” Wilson, Anthony Mackie, Brock Rumlow, Frank Grillo, and Agent 13, Emily VanCamp.

Being the fanboy that I am, I have been trying to be more critical of Marvel movies lately. Just because I squeal in delight over almost every one does not mean they are perfect. They do not all deserve perfect marks.

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” deserves perfect marks.

Everything about this movie is so spot on spectacular that I have a hard time believing it is even real. “Captain America: The First Avenger” was a good movie in its own right, but one I have never really been in the mood to watch again. I can see myself watching “The Winter Soldier” many times once it releases, maybe more than I saw the first “Iron Man.” It literally might be my new favorite Marvel movie.

It is hard to find something that is negative about the movie. The run-time is over two hours but never drags. There is maybe only one scene I thought was a bit pointless, but it does not affect the overall movie. There is a lot of action and all of it is well put together, from the choreography to sound editing. The movie itself is a lot more serious than other Marvel films but it still has the nice jokes and references throughout it to keep you happy.

Did I know the big reveal? Yeah. But knowing it did not take away from my experience at all in the movie. This excites me because it means I will likely enjoy future viewings.

My last point I guess would be about acting. Evans gave a strong performance as the lead, but the side characters as well were all quite good. Mackie didn’t have too big of a role but he kicked its butt and I actually enjoyed the Falcon. Redford was great, Jackson was great. Everyone was great.

To me, this movie is like an Avengers 1.5. I do not expect “Guardians of the Galaxy” to have too much impact on the current Marvel universe, so this is the perfect lead up to next May. This movie has made me beyond excited for the Marvel future and for the third Captain America in 2016. Although, knowing the comic plots, I kind of already know what is likely to happen.

5/5