Genre theory as described by Richard Azia is, “… the study of films in order to facilitate the categorization of films. ” It is what helps a movie be marketable. Once a genre is applied to a movie they have a target audience, and the movie becomes profitable. You wouldn’t normally see a child asking to see a movie that is described as a romantic comedy as opposed to an animated fantasy. Whether genre exists or not people look for certain things when they see a trailer for a movie; key words, action sequences, long heated stares from across a room.
There is something specific associated with a movie that helps viewers classify it. Science fiction has an abundance of characteristics that people look for in order to be categorized; alternate realities, aliens, end of the universe, time travel, the future, history, space or the universe, space travel, artificial intelligence, cyborgs and androids, the possibilities are endless. While the list I’ve given is incomplete l bet anyone could tack a movie to each one without much thought. Science fiction is at its base a collection of stories about what could be. The answers to the question, what if?
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is an ideal example of science fiction. Here is a previous summary | wrote to the movie noting the basic storyline, plot, and characters goals: The movie starts with the team getting a mission to save hostages aboard a S. H. I. E. L. D. ship that has been overrun. Romanoff is tasked with another mission, getting information from the ship’s computer. Steve confronts Fury after the fact and gets brought in on Project Insight; the program is designed to eliminate threats early on. When Fury can’t access the information he asks Pierce to postpone the launch of the project.
Fury is attacked by the Winter Soldier while on his way to meet Agent Hill. He makes his escape to Steve’s apartment. He gives Steve the information acquired from the ship and tells him to trust no one. Immediately after he is gunned down by the Winter Soldier. Steve gives chase but is eluded. The next day Pierce asks Rogers why Fury was in his apartment and when he doesn’t talk he is branded a fugitive. He escapes with Agent Romanoff and returns to the base where he did basic training with information from the flash drive. While on the base the find an Al copy reminiscent of Armin Zola in a super computer.
He tells them that Hydra has been a part of S. H. I. E. L. D. since the beginning. Revealing Hydras plan for world domination he orders a missile strike to kill Romanoff and Rogers, but they escape. At this point they realize that Piece is Hydras leader. They continue to run and recruit Sam Wilson who was formerly a pararescueman in the USAF. They retrieve his “Falcon” wingpack and Wilson officially becomes part of the team. Soon after they force Agent Sitwell to tell them the real mission of Project Insight: to destroy anyone who may become a threat to Hydra.
The team is then attacked by the Winter Soldier who kill Sitwell. Rogers recognizes the Winter Soldier as his childhood friend Bucky Barnes who he though died during WWII. They are picked up by Agent Hill who takes them to Fury, who had faked his death. They concoct a plan to take out the helicarriers. Rogers broadcast Hydra’s plot throughout the Triskelion. Romanoff infiltrates Pierce’s office and disarms him. Fury shows up and makes him unlock S. H. I. E. L. D. ‘s database and Romanoff leaks all of their classified info, exposing Hydra to the world. Fury kills Pierce soon after.
Captain America and Wilson continue the mission to sabotage the helicarriers but the Winter Soldier destroys Sam’s suit and fight Rogers. Regardless Sam and the Captain are successful in their mission. The Winter Soldier continues to fight Rogers who refuses to fight back. He falls into the river and is rescued by the Winter Soldier who walks off in to the woods. Romanoff takes on the government accusations while Fury goes after remaining Hydra personnel. Rogers and Wilson go to recover the Winter Soldier. Rumlow is hospitalized. During the credits at a Hydra lab two prisoners are shown with superhuman powers.
After the credits the Winter Soldier is shown visiting the Memorial of his former persona, Bucky, at the Smithsonian. Two specific conventions that stand out in this movie are alterations to the human body and global catastrophic risk. You have two individuals who have clearly had their bodies altered in Captain America. Captain America himself was given a super soldier serum in the previous installment and has increased stamina, accelerated healing, decelerated aging, super strength, etc. The Winter Soldier was given a variation of this drug with the same side effects at a more subdued level.
Along with that after he fell from the train in the last movie he apparently lost an arm and had it replaced by hydra scientists with its bionic twin. The goal of the main characters in CAWS is to sabotage Hydras destruction and eventual ruling of the world. Project Insight is a program that is supposed to be used to take out threats to national security before they can progress. Hydra has corrupted the system and plans to use it to destroy any and everyone who opposes them in an apparent bid to rule the world with fear. That seems to fit the global risk mold to me.