Captain America was a comic-book superhero inherently tied to old-school American nationalism. Born as an anti-Nazi symbol in the unified America of the 1940s he was literally clad in the Stars and Stripes. For a time it seemed he wouldn't survive the post-Watergate cynicism of the '70s, at one point even burning out, losing his trust in American institutions and donning new duds to become a character called The Nomad, before eventually returning to the fold. Being the super-symbol of the nation is a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it.
Promisingly, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," the second Captain America movie from Marvel, taps into this strain of a reluctant hero puzzled by plots and subterfuge within the state he is sworn to uphold and protect. Although he is still working for Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and paramilitary security agency SHIELD, it turns out that there is a secret program for an orbital weapons platform that can target individuals anywhere on the planet for elimination. An attempt is made on Captain America's life, and then on Fury's as well, and all leads point to rogue elements within the government. With the help of the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Falcon (Anthony Mackie), our hero must uncover who is messing with the project and why, and then bash their heads in.
Co-directors Anthony and Joe Russo (of the cringeworthy 2006 comedy "You, Me and Dupree") do a decent job with the fight sequences, including much frisbee action with Captain America's trademark shield. For non-fanboys, however, the plot's overall arc is beyond predictable; these Marvel movies are starting to feel pretty interchangeable. (Though with certain cast members signed up for nine-movie deals, we can expect the deluge to continue.)