Review of the TV Series-“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”

 The highly anticipated Disney+ series has stood up for what it had promised. Hard-hitting dialogues and breathtaking violence. And, it is going decently…so far.

If you are planning to get yourself in front of a laptop over the weekend to watch some entertaining show, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” is the one you should go for. If you are already a fan of Marvel Cinematic Universe, then the TV series would be a bonus for you because you already know what to expect. 

For viewers with the vein for series like Netflix’s Daredevil and The Punisher, it is pretty much to their liking. The series is violent, created with all the necessary blocks required for an entertaining crime series deeply rooted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and embedded in the offcuts left by the Avengers: Endgame.

The TV series is banking on a plethora of action sequences filled with intriguing stunts and combat styles powered by adequate special effects that provide all the reminiscences of the 2014 film Captain America: The Winter Soldier. For men who have gotten used to films like John Wick, TV series like “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” should be no big deal; however, the first four episodes certainly are a bit different from what we normally see in a toned-down MCU movie. All the characters engage in physical fights, and the ensuing bloodshed can even put some of the Netflix series to shame.

All the viewers will see a lot of combat and destructive weapons, which surges the stakes a little; there is Daniel Bruhl’s Baron Zemo to rake up old wounds and inflict the new ones. We see the use of a lot of guns, knives, and missiles, and of course Captain America’s shield, but despite the use of violence, the creators were careful not to show any repelling gore, excessive bloodshed, and graphic imagery. Like The Punisher, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier also bring PTSD to the front, and apart from that, there is a little grieving and reminiscences about deceased family members, and of course, a little shout-out to the events relayed by the last two Avengers films.

There are parents who have complained that there is sporadic use of cuss words, but I see no infringement of trust since the TV series did not have to care about the limitations of theater censorship, and we are talking about soldiers, not the angels. “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” indeed, cannot be recommended to small children by a sane mind; however, if you are above thirteen years old, you are good to watch it. The first four episodes deserve a PG-13 rating, at the very least.

Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan play their respective roles of Sam Wilson (Falcon) and  Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier) and understandably take center stage. The two characters were sort of in the shadows of Captain America in the entirety of MCU Phase 3, but now they have taken the forefront, and we know about those two in a bit more detail. The series is built on the past events of MCU, and expands the story arcs relayed in the previous films, and also expertly builds its own narrative coherent with the chronology of the whole franchise. Daniel Bruhl’s Baron Zemo is the main villain as he lurks in the shadows hoping to carry out his new agenda after failing on his previous mission in the 2016 film Captain America: Civil War. For some moments, the series does feel like we are watching an expanded version of a Captain America film, but the episodic model of storytelling did give writers a lot of time and freedom to explore each character and their personal lives in a bit more detail.

Marvel fans have starved for an MCU film since Spiderman: Far from Home, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, much like WandaVision, are like a delicious pie that just takes forever in the oven. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, as the name suggests, is all about Marvel and where it is headed after Avengers: Endgame. Apart from intriguing violence, the TV series offers plenty of fun-filled humor and dialogue that can make any Marvel fan smile. The heart, humor, and violence form the basis of the two protagonists and the entire premise of the whole saga. While no one can tell you what to watch, the essence of everything can only be comprehended once you give it a watch. And as far as every Marvel fan is concerned, they are way past asking for validation.

The Russo Brothers did their job with Avengers, and now while focusing on other things, they must let off the string and let the new generation walk into oblivion with a heartful hope that one day they will create something even better.

Source : Review of the TV Series-“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”