Robert Redford plays Alexander Pierce, the fellow who lords over the directorate of this ever-burgeoning security empire.
Nick Fury barely has time to fret over the idea that "to build a really better world, sometimes that means you have to tear the old one down" when he's attacked.
The Captain, Steve Rogers (Evans), and Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) set out to unravel this mystery, who the new menace is and what the enemy's masked "Winter Soldier" super-warrior has in his bag of tricks.
'Captain America: The Winter Soldier'
This image released by Marvel shows Anthony Mackie in a scene from the film, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." The movie releases in theaters on Friday, April 4, 2014. (AP Photo/Marvel-Disney)
This image released by Marvel/Disney shows Anthony Mackie in a scene from the film, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." The movie releases in theaters on Friday, April 4, 2014. (AP Photo/Marvel-Disney)
This image released by Marvel shows Robert Redford, left, and Chris Evans in a scene from "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." (AP Photo/Marvel-Disney)
This image released by Marvel shows Scarlett Johansson in a scene from "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." (AP Photo/Marvel-Disney, Zade Rosenthal)
This image released by Marvel shows Chris Evans in a scene from "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." (AP Photo/Marvel-Disney, Zade Rosenthal)
This image released by Marvel shows George St-Pierre, left, and Chris Evans in a scene from "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." (AP Photo/Marvel-Disney, Zade Rosenthal)
This image released by Marvel shows Chris Evans, left, and Scarlett Johansson in a scene from "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." (AP Photo/Marvel-Disney)
This image released by Marvel shows Cobie Smulders in a scene from "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." (AP Photo/Marvel-Disney)
This image released by Marvel shows Emily VanCamp in a scene from "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." (AP Photo/Marvel-Disney)
This image released by Marvel shows Robert Redford in a scene from "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." (AP Photo/Marvel-Disney)
This image released by Marvel shows Samuel L. Jackson in a scene from "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." (AP Photo/Marvel-Disney)
This image released by Marvel shows Scarlett Johansson in a scene from "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." (AP Photo/Marvel-Disney)
This image released by Marvel shows Sebastian Stan in a scene from "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." (AP Photo/Marvel-Disney)
This image released by Marvel shows Robert Redford, left, and Samuel L. Jackson in a scene from "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." (AP Photo/Marvel-Disney)
This image released by Marvel shows Sebastian Stan in a scene from "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." (AP Photo/Marvel-Disney)
This image released by Marvel shows Scarlett Johansson in a scene from "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." (AP Photo/Marvel-Disney)
This image released by Marvel shows Sebastian Stan in a scene from "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." (AP Photo/Marvel-Disney)
Actors Chris Evans, left, and Frank Grillo attend a special screening of Marvel's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" hosted by The Cinema Society and Gucci Guilty at the Tribeca Grand Hotel on Monday, March 31, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Actors Sebastian Stan, left, and Chris Evans attend a special screening of Marvel's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" hosted by The Cinema Society and Gucci Guilty at the Tribeca Grand Hotel on Monday, March 31, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Actress Cobie Smulders attends a special screening of Marvel's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" hosted by The Cinema Society and Gucci Guilty at the Tribeca Grand Hotel on Monday, March 31, 2014 in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Actor Frank Grillo attends a special screening of Marvel's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" hosted by The Cinema Society and Gucci Guilty at the Tribeca Grand Hotel on Monday, March 31, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Actress Scarlett Johansson stands next to Samuel L. Jackson, left and Chris Evans at right during a publicity event ahead of the April release of the movie "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" in Beijing, China, Monday, March 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
In this Monday, March 24, 2014 photo, a fan holds up posters during a publicity event ahead of the April release of the movie "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" in Beijing. Captain America and Spiderman are seeking to dominate the Chinese box office in the coming weeks, proving that U.S. patriotic superheroes can overcome Chinas leeriness of foreign films if they promise big money. Chinese authorities, wary of outside cultural influences and competition, restrict the number of foreign movies shown in the mainlands cinemas to 34 each year. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Actress Scarlett Johansson, center, waves as she arrives at a publicity event ahead of the April release of the movie "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" next to Samuel L. Jackson, left, and Chris Evans in Beijing, China, Monday, March 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Johansson, who has no hint of a Russian accent this time (not a bad move, considering how Russians are regarded this spring), makes an apt, super-sexy sparring partner for the Captain. She's constantly suggesting he get back on the dating scene — in between epic brawls with legions of foes. Not that the Captain doesn't notice women — his nurse neighbor, for instance (Emily VanCamp).
The fights are spectacular combinations of digitally augmented stunt-work. The directors and screenwriters find all manner of new ways for the Captain's shield to pay off, and Evans and Johansson make these shooting, strangling punch-outs cool.
Anthony Mackie shows up as a potential new sidekick, which only calls attention to the question, "Hey, where are Captain America's OTHER Avenger pals in this hour of crisis?"
The best new effect is a holographic teleconference involving Redford (fairly bland in this part) and the other governing execs of S.H.I.E.L.D. Worst cameo is Garry Shandling, as a senator who apparently has been using Kim Novak's Botox team.
And that message — that we're more likely to give up our freedoms by consent than by force — is not a bad one to hammer home.
But "The Winter Soldier" has long, talky, dead stretches. It's emotionally flat, a lot closer to Evans' "Fantastic Four" films or the "Thor" sequel than it is to "Captain America: The First Avenger," or "The Avengers."
It's OK for April, in other words, but not up to the higher standards of a Marvel summer blockbuster.
