Captain America: The First Avenger review; it's a great superhero film

Captain America is one of the most beloved Marvel Superheros ever. It's kind of sad that it took this long to get his own movie considering what he represents.  The character of Steve Rogers, played by Chris Evans, is an interesting one.  He is small, puny and wants nothing more than to be a soldier in the U.S. Military.  When a doctor creates a serum to help him become physically superior soldier, that's when all the fun happens.  Let's go!

What I liked about the movie:
The Cast

The cast, both starring and supporting, were very impressive in this movie.  I didn't know how to feel about Chris Evans as Captain America.  I always thought he was a good actor for genre films, but didn't know if he could command attention as a superhero.  Rest assured, he's great!  In the first act, pre-serum injections, his acting ability really comes through.  The audience will feel sympathy for the kid from Brooklyn who wants nothing more than to serve his country.  Evans shows us that Steve Rogers was a good MAN, way before he was a good superhero.  Nicely Done!

The supporting cast was very awesome!  Hugo Weaving as the main villain, Red Skull, was great.  Even the cheesy accent was ok with me.  Weaving has the voice, arrogance and presence needed to play the villain.  I enjoyed his work very much.  Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter was a delight on screen, not the usual damsel in distress.  Tommy Lee Jones plays a perfect Colonel in the Military, he is compassionate enough for us to care about him, but stern enough to lead in a war.  Stanley Tucci... is there anything Tucci can't do?!  He's awesome as the Doctor who invents the serum for Steve Rogers.  Sebastian Stan plays Bucky, Steve Rogers best friend, nicely done by the young actor. 

The Setting

The movie mostly takes place during World War II.  The production design team does such an amazing job with the set pieces, the costumes, etc.  What's also impressive is the lighting, and camera work.  Shelly Johnson used just the right lighting that gave the movie an older feel without overdoing it.  It was nice to see a superhero film that wasn't in modern day times.

The Story / Writing

Simple, easy to follow and exciting.  Hugo Weaving's character believes in "magic" which was stolen from Odin's vault.  It is the Cosmic Cube which has been referenced in the Marvel Universe of films.  It has a great deal of power and, if harnessed correctly, could destroy every major city in the world.  Captain America and company must stop Red Skull from doing so.  The writing is clever and I never rolled my eyes at any horrible dialogue.  The writers were clever and even made fun of the Captain America suit before we could as an audience.  I love when writers acknowledge things like that without making it obvious! 


What I liked and didn't like about the film:
The Director

Joe Johnston has done a lot of work in Hollywood.  He made a great name for himself with popular films like Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, The Rocketeer, Jumanji, October Sky and Jurassic Park III.  I think he's a good storyteller, but there are aspects of his films that just don't click.  His movies always look great, he can always get a terrific cast to work with him, and the stories are usually pretty enticing.  I will tell you this, this movie is MUCH better than the atrocious The Wolfman from a few years ago.  Most of the things I enjoyed in the film are because of him.  As are the things I didn't enjoy.


What I didn't like about the film:
The Action

It's too bad, this is an action film and the action is silly.  There are multiple action scenes with hundreds of henchmen at war with our Military.  Henchmen and soldiers alike are being killed so often, we don't feel any real loss.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, action should only compliment the story, not take it over.  The final action sequence was impressive though with many intricate camera shots.  Didn't totally leave a sour taste in my mouth.

The Score

I feel I pay very close attention to film scores.  I can tell you which ones work and which ones don't in my opinion.  The average movie going public probably doesn't even care, but I do!  It didn't evoke emotion, it didn't make me care and I never felt like I was pulled into 100%.  The score should have been big, uplifting even.  This is Captain America damn it!  He's viewed as the leader of The Avengers and the score should have matched.


The Verdict:
Liked it very much

I enjoyed the movie very much.  I know I listed a few things I didn't like, but they weren't deal breakers.  It was great to see a modern day superhero in the past.  We grow with the character, figuratively and literally.  Steve Rogers is a good man who just lacked the physical stature to do great things.  He stood up for those who are bullied and did what was right.  I can't wait for The Avengers next year, it will be another chance to see Captain America in action!

Latest Captain America; The First Avenger poster and final trailer

As you can see above, the new poster feature star, Chris Evans.  It shows his all American side!  I like it, it focuses on the hero at hand.  Check out the final trailer below and read my thoughts after.

A lot of first act action, but still great footage. I like the look and tone of the film!  A very 'Indiana Jones' look to it, which works perfectly in my opinion because of the time in which the film takes place.  We get a tiny peek at Howard Stark, played by Dominic Cooper as well as another peak at Red Skull, played by Hugo Weaving.  This trailer also shows us a lot of the character, Steve Rodgers, pre-Super Soldier Serum.  '... just a kid from Brooklyn'.  I love it! 

First, full-length Captain America trailer

This is the trailer a lot of people have been waiting for. The first full length trailer for Captain America: The First Avenger. Check it out and look for my comments after the jump!

So? What did you think?  For me, I love the tone and the pacing.  Every scene builds upon the previous.  The visual effects look top notch and Chris Evans will make a damn fine Captain America. The only thing I didn't like about the trailer, actually 2 things... one being there was no Red Skull in it except for a half a second.  The other is that the trailer focuses too much on Steve Rodger's transformation.  The movie will of course feature more than that, so they should have thrown in more.  But I have to tell you, seeing Chris Evans before the super soldier serum is astonishing.  He special effects have made him look like a short, scrawny man.

I am very excited about the film, more than Thor I think.  How about you? 

Our favorite Super Bowl movie trailers

The Super Bowl came and went, and my boy Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers did NOT disappoint!  The Super Bowl isn't just for the game anymore, it's the movie trailers as well!  And below, you'll see our favorites and why, check it out!

Captain America

This list isn't necessarily in any order, but the Captain America: The First Avenger, was by FAR my favorite of the day!  We got to see Chris Evans as a scrawny, short soldier who could never be the 'Cap.  We see him enter the serum process and come out as ripped as I've ever seen Evans.  Equally as awesome, albeit a half second, was Hugo Weaving as Red Skull, awesome!  Never was a fan of the 'Cap when it came to the comics, but I'm really getting pumped for this movie.  Click the jump to see the trailer for the film as well as the other trailers we fell in love with during the Super Bowl.

Thor

I gotta say, I was a little disappointed... just a little.  There was indeed new footage in this trailer, especially of Thor on Earth, and that is a good thing.  I am not as anxious to see this one as I am 'Captain', but I will give director Kenneth Branagh credit for creating a world for Thor to exist.  Great special effects and the stunningly beautiful Natalie Portman... I'm sold!

Transformers

It is absolutely no secret to anyone who reads this blog how much Matt and I hated Revenge of the Suck.  The fact that a franchise could be tainted by the crap they called a film, is unforgivable.  I'm serious by the way... unforgivable.  I will not go see this in the theater as a personal boycott against making sequels just for the sake of making sequels.  Michael Bay has so much to learn, he should take a lesson from Christopher Nolan; if you don't have any idea how to improve on the predecessor, don't make it!  I will tell you the trailer is kick ass, and that is all.

Fast Five

I put up the poster a few days ago and spoke about how much I enjoyed the previous 'Fast and the Furious' film.  With the original cast returning, this trailer looks awesome!  I will tell you this; the filmmakers don't seem to be focusing so much on the car upgrades as much as they did in the previous films.  Which is ok by me.  I love the action in this trailer, check out the jump featuring Paul Walker and Vin Diesel, awesome!  I also think Dwayne Johnson will be playing his old self, as a bad ass FBI agent.  Enjoy this one.

Cowboys & Aliens

I'm gonna come off as a jerk... not impressed.  Matt loved it so I told him I'd post it.  To me, it's ho-hum.  Nothing really stood out as 'different' from anything I'd ever seen before.  It visually looks like I've seen it before and there is not a sign of real acting going on.  After the world premier trailer, I was really disappointed.  So I was looking forward to this trailer, but no... nothing.  I may not even see this in theaters.  Just sayin'. 

Kung Fu Panda 2

I absolutely loved the first Kung Fu Panda!  I didn't see it in theaters, and I didn't see it when it first came out on DVD.  But boy oh boy when it hit the premium cable channels.  I couldn't get enough of it.  I would finish it whenever I caught it while flipping through the channels.  Check out the sequel, same tone, same characters, same laughs.  Dreamworks has stepped up its game the last few years, it really has.  Remember the days of Shrek 3, as well as A Shark's Tale?  They've come a long way since those disasters.  How to Train Your Dragon is nominated for an Oscar, as was the first Kung Fu Panda.  As much as people hate Jack Black's acting, they can't deny his voice over skills.  Enjoy!

And that's all for now kids.  Another year, another awesome Super Bowl filled with a movie lovers dream.  There were of course more trailers, but to me, these stood out.  Check out the Super 8 trailer too, it was interesting to say the least. 

First offical 'Captain America' poster, incredible

This is the first official Captain America: The First Avenger movie poster.  I have to tell you, Chris Evans looks awesome in the suit!  The poster shows our hero in the middle of obvious chaos, holding his shield in a commanding pose.  I love it, it's ALMOST perfect.... if not for that stupid "Avenge" across the front!  What the hell Marvel?!  We get it!  The Avengers movie is a big deal, we freakin' get it, drop it when it comes to the individual movies.  Man, could you imagine this poster without the "Avenge"... no title, no text but the release date.  That would have been incredible!  Oh well, it's still eye candy for now.  Enjoy

Captain America on the Empire Magazine cover

Chris Evans as Captain America

This looks awesome, that is all!

Another Captain America photo

Click to Enlarge

The LA Times gets all the good stuff!  Here's another pic of Chris Evans in full uniform in Captain America: The First Avenger.  The movie is set to be released in the Summer, but the pictures keep on a-comin'.  I'm sure we'll see a trailer within the next few weeks, most likely during the February 6th Superbowl.  But we'll have to wait and see.  Enjoy.

First Look at Both Spider-Man and Captain America!

Click to see a much larger version of the pictures

Pretty awesome huh? Our first look at Marc Webb's Spider-Man! The picture above is that of Andrew Garfield in the first official photo of the web-slinger. I have to tell you, I like the direction it's headed. I read a lot of sites online today and they all seem to think the suite looks "more homemade". I disagree. Not too many high schoolers Peter Parker's age know how to make something look that good.

Second thing I noticed took me by surprise! Look at the back of Garfield's wrists.... there are nozzles there for his web to come out. See, in the original comics, his web was artificial, not organic like it was portrayed in the Sam Raimi trilogy. This is a pretty cool throwback for the fans, and helps to differentiate the film from its predecessor.

Then there's this gem! The first official photo of Chris Evans as Captain America! I have to tell you, I didn't like it the first second I looked at it. I thought it was too bright and too vintage (if there is such a thing). But after looking at it a bit more, I think it's great. I think it only appeared to be too bright because of the soldiers behind him dressed in black, as well as the black truck.

The shield is a bit deceiving. We know Tony Stark builds Captain America's shield, they gave it away in Iron Man 2; so is this it? Its important to note that Captain America: The First Avenger will take place years ago, before our hero gets frozen. BUT, we know S.H.I.E.L.D. unfreezes him and brings him into The Avengers. So this may be a shield prior to the freeze, or Stark's shield, made of adamantium. Love it, sign me up!

Red Skull Concept Art

The superhero movies keep on coming. Here is a treat from the upcoming Captain America: The First Avenger. Some cool concept art of Red Skull I saw on LatinoReview via TheDailyBlam. I am getting more and more pumped about this movie as we approach its release. I love the wardrobe, its scary in and of itself. The captain's arch nemesis is Red Skull who will be played by the PERFECTLY cast, Hugo Weaving. What do you think of the villain?

Joe Johnson Apologizes for "Wolfman," Explains His Prep on "Captain America"

Who saw the Wolfman by Joe Johnson? It was a disaster to say the least. I was sort of surprised he got Captain America after the disaster that was Wolfman. There was rumor after rumor about the quality of the film, onset fights, etc. Well, I saw the film and am a bit sad. Sad because I know it could have been so much more. The actors were in place (Benicio Del Toro, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Emily Blunt). The style Johnson was shooting for was unique and modern, but the story fell so flat no one cared what the movie looked like.

So Johnson is now apologizing for the movie, and basically taking the blame. This is from Joblo via ComicBookMovie. Read the excerpts and my thoughts after the jump.
Here is Johnson's explanation as to why he took the movie and what little time he had to prep:

I had three weeks of prep on WOLFMAN, a ridiculously inadequate amount of time to try to bring together the fractured and scattered pieces of the production. I had taken the job mostly because I had a cash flow problem, the only time in my career I’ve ever let finances enter into the decision process.

Money is always the wrong reason for doing something that requires passionate devotion. The production was a leaky, rudderless ship in a perfect storm suffering from bad decisions, infighting, reluctance of the powers-that-be to take responsibility, and too many under-qualified cooks in the kitchen. The good news and bad news about directing is that when the picture works you’re showered with all the credit and when it doesn’t work you’re dumped on with all the blame. Both scenarios are undeserved. I take full responsibility for THE WOLFMAN not working because it goes with the territory.

He's correct in one thing... money should never ever be a motivator for an artist! I say it SHOULD never, but we all know too well it often times is the ONLY motivator for an artist. If he really only had three weeks to prep, I can see why the movie turned out the way that it did. There was no time to brush up the script or anything like that. So he's taken the blame for Wolfman, what about Captain America: The First Avenger? Rest assured, here's what Johnson had to say about good 'ol Cap:

I had thirty weeks of prep on CAPTAIN AMERICA. I have a small team of qualified, supportive, creative producers who are actually helping me achieve my vision of the film. I had a dream cast headed by Chris Evans. I had the best designers, artists, sculptors, craftspeople…a creative team that could design, build and photograph anything and have it look amazing and beautiful. We had unbelievable luck with the weather wherever we shot in England. The weather was so good we were compelled to make it rain for a couple of sequences just for some variety. At times I felt as if the gods were saying, “Ahem, sorry about that wolfman thing…let us make it up to you.” CAPTAIN AMERICA was probably the most universally positive experience I’ve had in this mad business.

This is somewhat good news. He had a lot of time to prep, etc. etc. But that doesn't mean anything. People have a year to prep and the movie could still turn out poorly. I'm not jumping on Johnson's case to be mean, I'm just saying ample time preparing for a movie doesn't necessarily guarantee a great film. What are your thoughts?

Thor, Captain America Concept Art

Enjoy

"Thor" Official Photo of Anthony Hopkins as Odin!

Is it me, or is it getting more and more exciting with every released photo of this film!? Anthony Hopkins as Odin in the Marvel Comics Thor! Sick!! Courtesy of the LA Times.

Got so excited about the photo I forgot to mention that both Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger will be in 3D. Marvel is cashing in! I don't really care about announcements like this, I expect it for every future tent-pole movie. I actually could see 3D working for these superhero films more so than other movies that have been presented in 3D.

We know Thor wasn't shot in 3D, so it's up to the Captain film and then The Avengers to be shot in 3D. When will this stupid gimmick go away!?

Quickie: Captain America concept art

Aint It Cool News has the other Marvel hero concept art... Captain America. Chris Evans directed by Joe Johnston. Looking good Marvel!  Click the link to AICN to see the rest!

Quickie: Avengers movie to start filming next February!

iesb.net broke the news via an interview with Samuel L. Jackson. He gave details into the Avengers movie: it's start date, the new director (Joss Whedon), cameos, etc. Just in time for the 2012 release date.

Jackson mentioned he will NOT be in Thor, but WILL be in The First Avenger: Captain America. Jackson also comments on how the Avengers will be the launch pad for his character of "Nick Fury".

Thus far it's been recorded cameo here and there (Iron Man 1 and 2). Jackson signed a 9 picture deal, so I can see how he's going to be in a bunch of the Marvel Universe. Speaking of the Marvel Universe; do you think they've done a good job keeping all the characters in the same "world"? Let us know what you think.

Quickie: Captain America fan art

I was over at Screenrant checking out their daily blog and came across this cool fan art of Captain America. It's obviously Chris Evens in there which is great considering the news of his casting is only a week or so old. What do you think about the casting choice now that we have an idea as to what he'll look like? Holler!

Chris Evans is our generation's Captain America

It's official.
Chris Evan of The Fantastic Four has been cast as The First Avenger: Captain America. The news came out today and I'm conflicted about it.

I like Chris Evans, I do, I think he's a good genre actor. But I kind of was hoping for Channing Tatum, who we talked about getting the part. I just saw Tatum as more of a commanding figure than Evans. I hope I'm wrong, but we'll have to wait and see.

Evans signed a 9 picture deal, which sets up the Marvel Universe to have a lot of the Captain in it.

Congrats to Chris Evans, I hope this is a move we will be thankful for come 2011.

Channing Tatum as Captain America?

I know it's late, but I just read this news on Latino Review and was blown away... how could I not have missed this? Channing Tatum as The First Avenger: Captain America? The news is not 100% confirmed but I LIKE IT! The list of actors vying for the part has been all over the internet. This is the first time I read a name and said to myself "yeah, I can see it". There were a lot of other names out there, but none of them had the LOOK of the Captain.

Channing Tatum is not the best actor in the world by any means, but he is good. He is a great action star as we've seen in the past, and damn it, he straight up looks like Steve Rogers aka Captain America. He's got the physical presence of the character as well as the look of a good 'ol American to play the part.

I'm sure the list will shrink and grow as the days go on, but I'm rooting for this one; as my thought of Matthew McConaughey was panned by all my friends... Hey, I still think McConaughey looks the part! Tatum would be better I guess.

Hugo Weaving cast as Red Skull in The First Avenger: Captain America!

My god I love news like this! I love where the genre is going, it's starting to be taken more seriously!

Last month we told you about Mark Strong being cast as Sinestro in the Green Lantern film, how cool!? Now this? Hugo Weaving, who starred in the 'Matrix' trilogy is coming on board to star as the villain in Marvel Comic's The First Avenger: Captain America film.

There aren't too many details online right now about this, but I'm so excited. Stay tuned, if I hear anything I'll let you all know.