Captain America: The Winter Soldier - SPOILER ALERT

One factor in drawing me into a movie is being able to make a personal connection. This was immediately accomplished in the opening scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I have been to the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. a few times and the scene at sunrise is a common one to see in photos, rightfully so. It's a beautiful one that I never get tired of. Also, later in the movie we find out that Falcon's wings are at Fort Meade. Who knew?!

But those were just minor details of the movie. Besides being able to make those connections, the story line held my attention throughout the entire film. I'm glad I watched The First Avenger so many times until I truly "got it" because I was able to fully appreciate The Winter Soldier. I felt sentimental right along with Steve Rogers when he visited Peggy in the nursing home and when he reminisced about the days before he became Captain America.

Near the end of the movie when he was face to face with his good friend from childhood, turned Winter Soldier, I noticed a similarity between Steve Rogers and Thor - their loyalty to and belief in their loved ones no matter how evil they were. Just as Thor wanted to see the good in his brother, so did Steve Rogers in his best childhood friend. It's a testament to the character of these two superheroes.

I was again pleased with the performances by Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. I also really liked Anthony Mackie as Falcon and Sebastian Stan as Bucky. If I have one criticism about any of them, it would be that maybe Bucky could have been aged a bit more. Given his experience, he wouldn't be as old as Peggy, but perhaps he could have been a bit older than he was portrayed to be. That was just something minor that didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the movie, though. I thought there was a lot of depth to it and what I didn't understand the first time around held my attention enough for me to want to watch it a second time. In fact, I've now seen it three times. And, yes, I get it now. :-)

The post-credit scene with Bucky looking at his exhibit, and the end of the movie as a whole, had me wanting more. Perhaps Steve Rogers did get through to his friend. Half the world (or probably even more than that) already knows what happens next. I am looking forward to finding out!