2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the second movie in the Captain America trilogy and is one of the most important solo movies in the Infinity Saga since it featured the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., the apparent death of Nick Fury, and re-introduced the character of James "Bucky" Barnes as the Winter Soldier. Not to mention it was also the first of four Marvel Cinematic Universe films directed by the Russo Brothers.
The film is often regarded as one of the franchise's best, primarily due to the epic action sequences which were greatly improved upon from the first one. And while it is a spy thriller, it still manages to showcase the MCU's signature comedy with the inclusion of characters like Black Widow and Sam Wilson adding to the humor of the film.
Funniest Gag: On Your Left
The opening scene of the film shows Sam Wilson going on a morning jog in Washington D.C. and he keeps getting lapped by Steve Rogers, each time shouting "On your left" as he does.
This leads to a hilarious conversation between the two of them afterward where Steve says he got a late start and the two men to talk and exchange information before he's picked up by Natasha. It's a funny moment and a good start for their friendship.
Best Action: Boat Fight
This fight sequence shows Captain America's attempt to rescue hostages from the hijacked S.H.I.E.L.D. ship, the Lemurian Star, with several members of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s STRIKE team, including Brock Rumlow and Natasha Romanoff.
After initially jumping out of the plane without a parachute, Cap makes his way onto the boat and starts taking out the hijackers before finding himself in a one-on-one fight between him and the lead pirate, Georges Batroc, who he defeats without the use of his shield.
Funniest Gag: Finding Steve a Date
While the two were preparing to retake the Lemurian Star, Natasha makes several attempts at finding Steve a date. She asks him what he did the past weekend to which he responds "all the guys in my barbershop quartet are dead," before she suggests that he ask out a certain S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
The conversation is later brought up when she suggests another agent for him to date after kicking Agent Sitwell off of a building during his interrogation.
Best Action: SUV Attack
While stopped at a red light on his way to meet with Agent Hill, Nick Fury notices two police officers eyeing him. As he starts to drive off, another police car comes out of nowhere and slams into him and two more show up and trap his vehicle between them. The officers in them then proceed to pull out a battering ram to break through the enforced windows.
Between the turret that he utilizes and the arrival of the Winter Soldier, it's packed with action. Luckily, Fury manages to get away using a high-powered laser device to cut through the car and escape underground.
Funniest Gag: Air Conditioner
After Fury is first attacked by the HYDRA agents posing as police, his car starts giving him updates about the status of the vehicle. He asks the car to activate different features so that he can get away but the car keeps telling him that those systems are damaged.
When he questions what isn't damaged, the car chimes in to let him know that the air conditioning is fully operational, though nothing else is.
Best Action: Elevator Fight
After a meeting with Alexander Pierce at the Triskelion, Steve goes into an elevator, which eventually starts to fill up with around a dozen other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. The small army of several secretly-HYDRA S.H.I.E.L.D. agents attempt to subdue him using a variety of tech including tasers and magnetic cuffs but ultimately fails as he takes them all out.
Steve then cuts the wires on the elevator to avoid having to fight the other agents in the building and then jumps out of the side of the glass elevator, plummeting below and breaking his fall with his shield. He then proceeds to get on a bike and escape the facilities, singlehandedly taking down a quinjet in the process.
Funniest Gag: Bad Guys
Despite being a former soldier, Sam was pretty new to his role as an Avenger. Before the two start to fight against the HYDRA agents, Sam asks Steve how they tell the bad guys from the good guys to which Steve responds that "If they're shooting at you they're bad."
The joke comes back later when Sam tells Steve that he found some of "those bad guys" that he was talking about while narrowly escaping gunfire.
Best Action: Highway Fight
While Steve, Sam, and Natasha are taking Jasper Sitwell so that he could help them stop project insight, their car is attacked by the Winter Soldier and Stiwell is killed. It then becomes a battle on the freeway as the trio fights against the Winter Soldier and the STRIKE team from S.H.I.E.L.D.
During his one-on-one fight with the Winter Soldier, Steve manages to rip the mask off of the assassin, revealing that the Winter Soldier was actually his old friend Bucky Barnes. The trio is then captured by HYDRA and taken away to be disposed of.
Funniest Gag: 41st Floor
After his jetpack is destroyed by Bucky, Sam is instructed to go after Rumlow by Hill. There is a small but hilarious exchange when Sam tells Rumlow to "shut the hell up" after asking him if he's ready for pain. The two start to fight but it's cut short when one of the helicarriers starts crashing into the building forcing them both to run.
While Rumlow gets caught in the explosion, Sam starts making his way towards the window while radioing Natasha and Fury who are on their way in a helicopter, and they tell him to leap out. Sam jumps out of the window and just barely lands in the helicopter. When they catch him, he clarifies that he said he was on the 41st floor to which Fury responds that they don't put the numbers on the outside of the building.
Best Action: Final Fight
The final fight has Captain America and Falcon going around to the helicarriers and replacing the targeting blades on them after Rumlow initiates Project Insight. They manage to get two of them done but in the third one, Steve is met by Bucky.
The two fight and Steve manage to get past and replace the blade. However, after he does, he is then shot by Barnes but refuses to fight back against his former friend and lets Barnes punch him as the aircraft goes down.