The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Non-Spoiler) Review

 

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier marked the debut of Marvel Studio's second original streaming series for the Disney+ service. As far as Marvel's upcoming project goes, this one was always very high on my anticipation list as for my money the previous Captain America films are amongst the best achievements the studio has ever made, so of course I was excited about the prospect of seeing Sam Wilson/The Falcon take over the Captain America mantle from Steve Rogers, while paired up with Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier in a buddy cop style spy thriller. And while certainly not without its faults, I'm very glad to report that (the first season I think? Marvel hasn't exactly cleared that question up yet) The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is all around a hugely entertaining, smart, and often thrilling series that much like WandaVision proves to be a positive step forward for Marvel's venture into the TV world.

I've always been a big fan of both Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan as Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes respectively, my only issue up to this point was both characters feeling slightly underwritten in previous films or the talented actors just not used to their complete capabilities. Because of this, these two characters felt best suited to get their own standalone series that will allow for them to get their backstories fleshed out and evolve the two of them a lot better. Thankfully, Marvel does not waste this opportunity and both actors get to prove they are very much up to the task of carrying their own property. Individually, the two of them excel with nuanced performances, but as a pair they are also pretty electric with one another. As spectacular as these two are, the supporting cast here is every bit as good. It was great fun seeing Daniel Bruhl return as Baron Zemo, one of the franchise's most underrated villains, I loved how this show utilized Zemo overall and definitely leaves the open for him to hopefully have an even bigger return down the line. Seeing the lovely Emily VanCamp return as Agent Sharon Carter was another highlight, as they certainly took this character in several directions I did not expect. VanCamp has I think always had huge star potential so it was great seeing her utilize a lot better than in previous Marvel projects, and I sure hope we'll see that continue for her. But, perhaps my favorite performance of the whole series I think would have to go towards Wyatt Russell as John Walker. This was a character that I anticipated to absolutely loathe from the first moment he appears, but the surprising levels of nuances that Russell brings to this character had me just consistently shifting my own feelings towards him. That's a testament to what is good writing certainly, but even more so Russell's abilities as an actor. I must also give a shoutout to Carl Lumbly whose scenes with Mackie as Isaiah Bradley really tug at the heartstrings.

In addition to the stellar performances across the board, I just really appreciated how this series really evolved both Sam and Bucky's characters. We get to know much more about both of their past, including even getting to meet Sam's family (all of those scenes I really loved), while also seeing how the events they've experienced in previous films have obviously changed the two of them. It felt like such a organic progression for Marvel to take these characters. There's lots of strong character work within this series, and as a result, I genuinely cared much more about our two main heroes than I already did before. From a thematic standpoint, this series felt very timely and even poignant. There's also lots of excellent action set pieces throughout this series too, the fight choreography work is terrific and at times even pretty brutal with the hand to hand combat work. 

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier isn't completely without some flaws. While the main storylines through its six episodes remained strong, some of the more side subplots did not click for me as well. In particular, the Flag Smashers storyline and the Karli character I thought had so much great potential on paper, but ultimately by the end of the show, this element just felt so underwritten especially in regards to their motivations. I will say Erin Kellyman at least does really great work as Karli. I could go into more nit-picks, but I'll keep this review spoiler free. And as with just about any TV show, there are certainly some episodes stronger than episodes, but overall I think this series definitely manage to retain a consistent quality. 

Overall though, while The Falcon and the Winter Soldier may have its fair share of familiarity, it provides a thrilling evolution for its two central characters while also setting up exciting groundwork for even bigger things to come in the future of Marvel properties. It's still rather unclear if the show will get a second season on Disney+, it definitely sets itself up for another season, but Marvel has also since announced a fourth Captain America film that will also continue the adventures of both Sam Wilson & Bucky Barnes. Regardless, I'm certainly very excited for whatever is in store for these two. If you're a fan of Marvel and these characters, but have yet to check out this series now available on Disney+ (with all six episodes), it is well worth the investment. Marvel's Disney+ TV era is heading in the right direction.

Final Grade: B+