Why don’t we have a Black Widow film yet? I am reminded again how great a character she is in these films. Her fight scene in the beginning is soooo amazing. The tracking shots of her running and flipping through the marketplace? Daaammn. Also the deadpan delivery of “what, have you heard something about me” when Falcon asks if she’s paranoid. I love her.

Oh hey. It’s the stupid general guy from the Hulk. Now he’s secretary of state and lecturing the Avengers. POT CALLING KETTLE BLACK HERE.

Slight inconsistency with previous films: why the need for the red book and the code words? They didn’t have to have them in the last film. Was there another book? Why make it so obvious that its needed? OH WELL. FINE. Need a way to set off the Winter Soldier again. Whatever.

After that first bit of action, there’s a lot that happens, which slows down the whole plot a bit: chat with the secretary of state, Peggy’s funeral, explosion at the UN. Steve getting a crush on Peggy’s niece. And then bam. The tension starts to ratchet up. T’Challa saying he’s going to kill winter soldier, Rogers making the phone call to Romanov. You know shit is going to go down.

Gosh, there is so much fun close quarters fighting in the lead up to the big chase scene. All the stairwell action with Steve and Bucky and the German Police is just awesome. Then when it goes to the road, you get a real sense again that these people are super powered – the insane things they do and flipping around is pretty spectacular. It’s just so well choreographed to set them all apart, which is enjoyable. I think it shows how they’ve all evolved through the films, becoming even more spectacular. But it’s all believable because of the previous stuff they’ve done and that they have super abilities.

OMG! Everett Ross (Martin Freeman)! I didn’t clock him long enough in this film to realise he reappears in Black Panther. I LOVE THAT.

This bit in the middle is a bit boring. You know it needs to happen for the story to go forward but it’s just a bit…meh. Then we have to get Spider Man. And you know its so they can kick off the future film quite easily. It’s a nice intro, but it again takes the intensity down a notch for it to happen. Compromises introduced when you have to have a film do so much.

Aww, but then Hawkeye comes back. I can’t not like Hawkeye. He is literally the best. Omg! Then Ant-Man! I love them both. Let’s just have a film with them.

The intro to the fight was funnier than I remembered. The one-liners during the fight scene are brilliant:. “I think you hurt Vision’s feelings.” “Hey, you’ve got a metal arm, that’s awesome!” “Multiple contusions detected” “Yeah I’ve detected that too.” “I’m good arrow guy, let’s go.” Omg I love Ant-Man.

I like how Tony finds out that Rogers is right just as its too late. You can see how Tony trying to do things right makes him compromise on trusting his friends. And that’s why everything goes south.

But omg. The scene with Bucky, Tony and Steve fighting. Just brilliant. Just so well crafted. The entire end, wrapping up the tension from the previous films. It’s also one of the most emotional scenes, I think, in the MCU. Though the bad guy is lame, making them tear each other apart is heart wrenching. And this time, without all the funny banter that makes you believe that everything will be fine in the end. But I do like all the set up with the film of Winter Soldier killing Stark’s parents – such a pay off! I guess lame bad guy was just the catalyst.

God that film had to do so much. We get the introduction of two new characters as well as the wrapping up of the previous issues surrounding the Winter Soldier. As well as a whole coherent film! It’s pretty impressive. Also shot of Wakanda at the end. So much packed in, even in just the wrapping up of the film.

The thing that the rewatch has made me realise is how well crafted it all is. I like things even more because you recognise characters from future films. There must have been so much thought put into them. And I realise it’s just entertainment, and not exactly the most cerebral of things, but it’s still brilliant that so much effort is put in to have these future glimpses and callbacks to other films.

Roll on Doctor Strange.