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Avengers: Endgame was the conclusive chapter of a huge saga. Everyone could say that after that Marvel wouldn't be able to topple it, to craft something new. A lot of people lamented, and it still doing it right now, the fact that the genre is wheezing. At the Zenith starts the fall, after all. Marvel has been quiet for a while, postoponing movies and contents. Meanwhile the DC Comics tried to exploit this moment of weakness. WW84 flop seemed to imply a real threat for the cinecomics universe but the Snyder Cut went against it. The MCU picked up speed in the 2021 with Wandavision, the first Marvel's miniseries, which was praised by critics and fans. The MCU was back in the game. What came after that is this little gem. None knew what to expect from Bucky and Falcon, Cap's sidekicks with a mediocre characterization and lower appeal. Sometimes fiction transcends reality and here it's so evident. And sometimes succession it's harder than it looks.
PLOT
"Following the events of 'Avengers: Endgame,' Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities -- and their patience" or "It's hard to be Captain America".
SCRIPT
It's good until it's meh. It's clear that it's about grief and inheritance but it goes beyond that. The story approaches social problems of the past and the future. Like the fact that a black superhero wasn't liked by the government, which is almost the same motivation that sets the story in motion. Or the fact that after the Blip, this is how they call the moment everyone returned from the death caused by Thanos's Snap, a lot of people are misplaced and the governments don't know how to deal with it, prompting terrorism. I think that the best theme is Steve's incorruptibility, which makes him an impossible hero to emulate. Falcon gives up the shield at first, because he doesn't consider himself worthy of it. John Walker, the Corporate America Cap, is destroyed by what was pushed to do. This story isn't just about the main characters but revolves also around other minor characters, like Sharon Carter and Zemo. The first is profoundly changed by the Blip and you won't expect her transformation. The second seems improved. I'll talk about the central characters story arches but first, I wanna say something about the series progression. It's a build up toward a climax which is delivered poorly but the build up is pretty good. I think that the story should've wrapped up with the fifth episode, which is an emotional peak in terms of storytelling and character growth. The last one seems forced, because it degenerates in the usual Marvel action and it tries to finalise every story arch in on episode while teasing spin-offs and new characters.
Anyway, it's time to analyze the main players because the story is about them and the overall plot is just there to propell the MCU storyline.
Sam Wilson could be considered a reluctant hero but one that knows how to honor his past. We have a moderate dive into his family and there's a link between his parent's boat and the shield. He's also used to make a social commentary about the relevance of afro-american figures in american history. It's not forced , at least to me, because it's connected to the main plot and it's not affected as much by a political agenda. His resolution is well deserved and I think that the character has earned the fan's respect and consideration after this outing.
The Winter Soldier shines in all its complexity. We're able to see his issues and his attempts in trying to be a better person. The association with Falcon is what stimulates a good character growth, which culminates with his acceptance of the past and the pardon of his enemy, Zemo. His reintegration into society looks like Cap's one but it's torned by a past of wrongs. It's also interesting how his relation with Wakanda is studied in deep. The fact that he prefers to be called White Wolf underlines a slight departure from what he was. I think that he's not destined to be an eternal sidekick but sometime, in the future, he'll take the shield. It's teased here and it has been teased a lot before.
What started as a meme has become a fan favourite after the last episode. He represents the dark side of legacy and how it could corrupt you. This character reminds me of Homelander of The Boys. He, at first, defies everything which was Steve, while struggling to be a good heir. And this is enjoyable to watch because you hate him so much that you'll love him. He's a sympathetic character which falls of grace corrupted by the shields and the desire of power. I don't know what they'll do with him but I'm looking forward to it.
Flagsmasher is the main villain and he has a point. A pretty good one. It's not as sympathetic as John Walker but he raises questions which are pretty relevant today. The misplaced of the Blip could be considered a metaphor for war refugees. The social commentary about them is sharp and it goes beyond that, I think. The politicians are the real problem, as the last episode point out, because they don't care about people lives but just about politics. I think that it's a jibe toward how Trump and the other governments has managed the pandemic.
Zemo is the best character here. A humanized villain so suave, elegant and clever. I'm glad that he has been reused here because it's so entertaining to watch. The fact that he's a baron create a minor plot hole in Civil War but he works smoothly in his limited screen. This is also the first time we're able to see him in his comic accurate suit.
Script: 7/10
ACTING
Anthony Mackie injects charisma, fun and depth into Falcon, making him a well rounded character. Sebastian Stan and Erin Kellyman are good too but I wanto to praise the best actors, not the good ones. Wyatt Russel is very well casted as John Walker and it's so good at representing his declivity into madness. There's a pretty wide set of emotion in display and he conveys them at it's best. When it was cast i was skeptical because I remember him as the Everybody Wants Some's stoner. I'm glad that he was able to exceed my expectations. Who's the best actor in my opinion? Obviosuly Daniel Brühl. He's having the time of his life with his character and I think that everyone wants to see more of the eclectic villain.
Acting: 8/10
PHOTOGRAPHY
Nothing exceptional is done with colour but the usual brightness is there, a Marvel trademark. Nothing so imaginative and scenical like Endgame. I expected it because the show is similar to Captain America: The Winter Soldier in terms of style, as promised by Kevin Feige. Even though I expected more from Kari Skogland.
Photography: 6/10
EDITING
It's good but there's nothing really original about it. Slow Motion is used well to enhance the importance of some scenes and it's not used during battles, which is appreciable. Some shots are done finely but they're just a few, not enough to say that editing is the best thing about the series.
Editing: 6/10
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Marvel wanted to create a believable universe since Iron Man and has succeded in it through a combination of practical and almost imperceptible cgi. Bucky's arm, the shield, Falcon's suit and actions scene are believable cause of that. It's not on a Thanos level but its good. Considering that VFX have to be top notch with consistency in this genre, we would've been disappointed if we had had less.
Special Effects: 7/10
SOUNDTRACK
Marvel is finally understanding how to create a decent soundtrack. Henry Jackman, who composed the soundtrack of CA: The Winter Soldier returns here to give us a new take on the Captain America's theme and it works. Every character has his defined theme, which is pretty good, and for some it evolves a bit during the series. It's a mix of nostalgia, novel and respect for the characters identity. Even though it's not stunning as other productions, it fits the narrative and the tone of the final product.
Soundtrack: 7/10
COSTUMES
Finally we've got a comic accurate costume of Falcon. And it's not the only one. Zemo and John Walker receive one too. I appreciated them but I disliked the ones of Sharon Carter, Bucky and Batrock. The flashmashers were ok. Considering the grounded reality the series its set in I didn't expect something flamboyant but I would've liked something more original.
Costumes: 7/10
CONCLUSION
Script: 7/10
Acting: 8/10
Photography: 6/10
Editing: 6/10
Special Effects: 7/10
Soundtrack: 7/10
Costumes: 7/10
AVERAGE: 6,85
It's an enjoyable series which issues interesting questions about social justice, politics and what does it mean to be a hero. Nonetheless it's also a bit flawed and formulaic in its execution, with some arguable choice, especially in the last episode. Overall I reccomend it to every superhero fan and the ones who haven't a particular bond with the genre. The Marvel's miniseries are improving the experience and deepening the characters of his rooster, and we surely want more of them.
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WARNING: WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!!
I’m very excited to see where the MCU takes us with Phase 4. It’s already been off to a great start with “WandaVision,” and it’s still going strong with “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.” What this show definitely had going for it from the get-go was exploring and spotlighting these two characters in a world where Steve Rogers has hanged up the shield and things have changed following the events of the Snap/Blip. The best part about this show was spending time with these characters and their daily lives. Whether it be Sam helping his sister with her financial troubles or Bucky making amends for his deeds as the Winter Soldier, this was the kind of character work that I feel the MCU hasn’t capitalized on in recent years and should be the foundation going forward. This stuff was so good that I feel the six episode length would’ve been better spent watching Sam and Bucky go about their lives as opposed to everything involving the Flag Smashers. I feel that because the show ran for six episodes, there wasn’t much time spent to flesh everything out, and compared to everything else, their subplot was the least interesting. This issue also extends to John Walker. While Wyatt Russell delivers an intense, nuanced performance that succeeds in humanizing this character, the writing for his characterization seemed all over the place to me. I felt the showrunners couldn’t decide whether they wanted to make him a tragic anti-hero or the ultimate hate sink, and in trying to balance the best of the both worlds, the resolution to his story arc fell a little flat to me. Hopefully we get to see more of him because I’m certain he has the potential for more.
Another character that falls along similar lines is Sharon Carter, particularly now that she’s been established as the Power Broker and I’m incredibly torn on this development. On the one hand, it feels a little jarring and like the MCU’s throwing in the towel about what they want to do with her. On the other hand, it’ll be interesting to see where this direction takes her now that she’ll no doubt have a large part to play going forward. One other character I must talk about is Isaiah Bradley. Outside of Sam and Bucky, his story is the most powerful and poignant, particularly in how it connected to Sam’s arc and especially in how it concluded. Overall, there’s a lot more I could say about this show. While I feel more episodes could’ve benefited it in the long run, the characters of Sam and Bucky have come into their own and I can’t wait to see where they go from.
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Director: Kari Skogland
Screenplay: Malcolm Spellman
Cast: Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Wyatt Russell, Erin Kellyman, Danny Ramirez, Georges St-Pierre, Adepero Oduye, Don Cheadle, Daniel Brühl, Emily VanCamp, Florence Kasumba, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Soundtrack: Henry Jackman
Cinematography: P.J. Dillon
Running Time: minutes
Budget: $150 million
