CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER remains my favorite MCU film, as it brought this universe to our reality, inspired by spy films such as THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR. Watching this new sequel of the hero, I feel like they tried to reproduce the same effect of the second film with a conspiratorial plot, once again involving mind control.

Although the script is not that bad (I just can't forgive certain things like that mega cliché ending with Sam's emotional speech to calm the red Hulk), its lack of creative inspiration fails to excite the audience. And although Julius Onah made the excellent LUCE, I couldn't understand why he was hired, as the film is much more controlled by producer Kevin Feige than him.

Regarding the cast, Anthony Mackie is more comfortable in the role of Sam Wilson, although his dilemma of living in the shadow of Steve Rogers has barely evolved. I like the choices of Shira Haas, Danny Ramirez and Giancarlo Esposito, but unfortunately their characters are quite limited. Tim Blake Nelson could've been better used, but he was treated as a second-tier villain. Carl Lumbly and Harrison Ford have a lot of screen presence and charisma, but in Ford's case, I still miss the late William Hurt, and I found myself thinking that he would deliver a more complex performance than his replacement.

Obviously, to return to the good quality level of the MCU, there's still a lot missing, but at least it seems that they're avoiding pure slapstick and excessive jokes. What bothers me most about this sequel is the lack of personality, a slightly more authorial vision from the director, otherwise the film ends up looking like a long two-hour episode of a TV series. "Kevin Feige, hire an auteur director, but give him a minimum of autonomy, otherwise the next MCU films will all be pasteurized."