WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 1, "New World Order," now streaming on Disney+.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we've had some pretty thrilling chase sequences. Black Panther hunting down Bucky Barnes in Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man going after Vulture's goons in Homecoming, Doctor Strange chasing enemies across dimensions as they hop to and from New York, as well as Captain Marvel going after Skrulls in Los Angeles, are some of the prominent ones.
However, as epic as they were, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier just gave Marvel Studios its best high-speed chase yet with an exhilarating, intense sky-high pursuit by Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie).
Sam's back working for the government, but the mission that opens the series premiere has to stay off the radar. He needs to recover U.S. Air Force Captain Vasant before Batroc's (Georges St-Pierre) crew of LAF terrorists get from Tunisian to Libyan airspace, where they'd then have no jurisdiction. And make no mistake, he and Redwing are up to the task, as he jumps out his plane the same way Cap did in The Winter Soldier, with an air of bravado and confidence for someone who's now more experienced.
What results is a high-octane sequence as Sam's Falcon jetpack has him bursting through the air at supersonic speeds, out-maneuvering Batroc's goons who decide to skydive with their victim to escape. The CGI is so polished, most of it looks real, and the camera angles, speed of the shot and overall visual aesthetic make you feel like you're right there, without getting dizzy or motion sickness. At a time where fans are bashing the unpolished CGI in Zack Snyder's Justice League, this really does stand out and shows the MCU truly is ahead of the curve.
Seeing Sam also jumping in and out planes at breakneck speeds, using his wings to avoid getting shot, fighting goons and then leaping back out to chase them really proves why he can be the next Cap, an aerial version at least. He's as fearless as ever, and as he zips around the sky, flying in between crevices and rock formations a la Star Wars, twisting and turning to avoid missiles, it really is an action spectacle that modern cinema fans would have loved to see on the big screen.
The way he also uses Redwing as a sidekick gunner is awesome too, creating an explosion fest that Michael Bay fans would enjoy. The icing on the cake comes when he goes from diving low and going high to actually having to face off against some choppers. As the helicopters fire missiles at him, he takes a page from Iron Man when the fighter jets went after Tony Stark, and also the Guardians of the Galaxy who had to escape the Sovereign, kicking into next gear to have the heat-seekers chase him all over.
And what he does is reroute them to blow up the LAF's own aerial vessels while darting through Batroc's chopper and plucking Vasant from it as everything explodes. It's the kind of fireworks War Machine would be proud of, and what's most impressive is Falcon does it with consummate ease to show how he's evolved as a hero.
Directed by Kari Skogland, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier stars Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Emily VanCamp, Wyatt Russell, Noah Mills, Carl Lumbly and Daniel Brühl. The series is currently streaming on Disney+.