Kernel Rating (out of 5): 
MPAA Rating: PG-13 Length: 136 minutes
Age Appropriate For: 13+. If you’ve seen any of the Marvel superhero movies so far, or the previous “Captain America” film, this is along those same lines. Lots of violence, explosions, gunfire, fistfights, and people dying, but not in particularly gory or grotesque ways; it’s all bloodless enough to remain PG-13. Also some discussion of dating, a kiss, an elderly character with Alzheimer’s disease, and some cursing.
‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ isn’t as flawless as its predecessor, taking a few frustrating storytelling shortcuts that sap the film of necessary tension. But it’s still a solid step toward the sequel to ‘The Avengers,’ effectively grounding these superhero characters in very real social and political concerns.
By Roxana Hadadi
Of all the Marvel Phase 1 films, I will staunchly defend “Captain America: The First Avenger” as the best. A thorough, relatable, and easily rewatchable origin story for Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), that film established Cap as a man who would do anything for freedom and for his country. And the best parts of its sequel, “The Winter Soldier,” are those that throw everything Rogers thought he knew into question—because every conflicted superhero story is a good superhero story.
