While I had a few issues with this film, it was a significant improvement on the first Captain America film, and is one of the better films in the current run of Marvel superhero movies.
I was not a big fan of "Captain America: The First Avenger", because the character was uninteresting and had no narrative arc. Yes, he went from being a thin weakling (yet with a strangely masculine voice) to a buff super soldier, but there was no interior transformation. He was a nice, self-sacrificing guy at the beginning of the film, and nothing had changed by the end. "The Winter Soldier" gives the character more to do. He struggles adjusting to the new times he is living in. He finds that some people he's been working for are really agents of the enemy. The character is forced to take charge and make decisions on his own, rather than simply being the bland, loyal soldier that he was the first time around.
The film's plot is weightier than most of the recent Marvel films. "Iron Man 3" and "Thor 2" were entertaining enough, but they were also somewhat hollow. Their action scenes were fun to watch, but there was never any real tension behind them. "The Winter Soldier" had some good twists in the plot, which in turn lent more meaning to many of its action sequences. An intense action sequence involving Samuel L. Jackson's character was one of the highlights. It was not nearly the most elaborate in the film, but tons of explosions and boffo special effects are not necessary to create an effective action sequence. It is telling that in my opinion the least effective action sequence was the grand finale, which featured the most explosions and effects shots. The movie had reached the point where its ultimate destination had become obvious, and the action felt obligatory and drawn out.
My major problem with this film was with the character of the Winter Soldier himself. SPOILER ALERT. It turns out that the Winter Soldier, a mysterious assassin who has carried out several high profile jobs over the past several decades, is actually an old friend of Captain America's, seemingly killed in the first film. This is a great set-up for drama--two old friends forced to fight on opposing sides. Unfortunately, The Winter Soldier doesn't have any memory of his old life, or his friend, robbing the scenario of at least eighty percent of its dramatic potential. Captain America still feels conflicted about fighting his friend, but the opportunity for dramatic exchanges between the two is lost. The character also feels unnecessary. The film already had a good plot in place with plenty of effective twists. Perhaps it would have been better to save the Winter Soldier's introduction for a later sequel where he could have been explored more in depth.
In spite of a few shortcomings, it was a nice relief to see a Marvel superhero film that went beyond action for action's sake and actually had something to say.
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