The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Review

Look, I love WandaVision, but it was kind of weird, right? Not so with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier which even the acronym is a mouthful - TFATWS.

From the very beginning, we get the blockbuster fight (and flight) scenes we are used to seeing in the Marvel movies. It’s back to our normal superhero fighting.

In the Falcon and the Winter Soldier, we see two guys come back together after they lost the only thing that kept them together in the first place - Steve Rogers aka Captain America. The shield was given to Sam Wilson - aka The Falcon - by Steve, and Sam has now given it to the Smithsonian to be put on display. Only the U.S. government had other plans. And let me just say, the government rarely has good plans.

There’s a new Captain America in town by the name of John Walker. Is it coincidence that his name also coincides Johnnie Walker whisky? I think not. The government was drunk to think they could concoct another Captain America.

Sam’s not happy about this. But what can he do now? Bucky - aka the Winter Soldier aka White Wolf - is really not happy. Bucky is so not happy that he tracks down Sam to tell him so after not speaking for a long time. Nice to see you too.

The two then go on to fight an uprising of Super Soldiers who are injecting themselves with a similar serum used to create the real Captain America and the Winter Soldier. The only problem is that Sam and Bucky also find them battling Johnnie Walker Red because he’s being stupid and drunk on the fact that he has been named the new Captain America.

I love the character development of Bucky. I feel like I haven’t gotten that much in the Marvel movies. And I love seeing Sam’s backstory. With 6 45-minute episodes, we can get more of this type of story. I personally love it. One season for a particular character, or in this case two characters, is all I need between movies. It’s a great way to set up the next wave of movies.

In the end, the good guys win. The uprising is vanquished, the shield is recovered by the real good guys, and we get a new Captain America that is worthy of the name. His name is Sam Wilson.

I love Sam as the new Captain America. He, like Steve Rogers, truly wants the best outcome for all, and he also sees the best in everyone. I think this is why Steve gave Sam the shield in the first place, and seeing Sam accept the title resolves the story and sets it up for the next wave of Marvel stories.

Sam really owns the role in the last scene. He addresses the white people in power with hard questions. He wears the red, white, and blue not because it has been good to him but because he wants it to be good for his nephews, his sister, for everyone. He wants it to be as good for everyone else as it has been for white people. It’s a powerful moment, and it’s a great climax to the whole series.

Will we see Sam as Captain America in future movies? I sure as heck hope so! I love his character, and I love him with Bucky by his side. Those two together make a great team.

I wonder if I can learn to stare like Bucky…