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? 

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!

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?

"Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" Review

In the post previous to this, I apologize to the film Salt for not covering it enough. Then I don't know what to say about Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and our zero coverage of the film. I guess I'm going to try to redeem myself with this review. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (SP) is based on the wildly popular comic book of the same name. Since it was announced, fanboys across the country have been geeking-out about it. I never read the comics, but was rewarded early premier tickets by my favorite comic book store of all time, Brave New World. Brave New World is owned and operated by Atom! and Portlyn in Santa Clarita, CA. Check out their Facebook page here. Thank you guys for the tickets. Let's begin.


What I liked about the movie:
The Story
This aspect of the movie could have fallen flat on its face, but it doesn't. A lovable loser meets the girl of his dreams, but to be with her, he has to fight off her 7 evil ex-boyfriends? Huh? See what I mean? It could have been a disaster, but it wasn't! Writers Michael Bacall and Edgar Wright (who also directed the film) found a way to keep in the realm of possibility (minus all the fighting and flashy special effects). Which leads into my next "like".

Originality/Effects

When I left the theater I text FattMatt that SP was one of the most original movies I've ever seen. FattMatt was surprised by such a bold statement, but I encourage everyone to see the movie and let me know what they think. Visually the film is unlike ANYTHING you've ever seen before. Director Edgar Wright found the perfect way to literally bring a comic book to life. We've seen other directors try to translate the feel of reading a comic book (i.e. Ang Lee's 2003 Hulk), but Edgar succeeds. There are moments in the movie that feel like they've popped right off the pages of a comic-book.

The same goes for the special effects in the movie. Visually stunning to look at, and make sense as a translation from a comic book. Fiery swords, exaggerated fights, bonus points reminiscent of a video game are all brought to life with beautiful sound and color. A few times in the movie I thought to myself, "I have literally never seen this style of film making in my entire life." Which, yes, is a bold statement. But it's true.

The Cast

I'm a fan of Michael Cera, who was perfectly cast in this film. If I were to only comment on one positive of Cera's performance, it would be his delivery. His delivery is very unique. He comes off awkward, but his timing is just right. He's a loser, but you love him. He's uncoordinated, but can fight like a pro. He was perfectly cast.

The supporting cast was great in the film. Chris Evans, Jason Schwartzman and Brandon Routh are hilarious as 3 of the 7 evil ex's. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is the love interest causing all this headache as "Ramona." She's great and the chemistry with Cera is believable. Oscar-nominated Anna Kendrick does well with what little material she has to work with as Scott Pilgrim's sister. Scene stealer award goes to... Kieran Culkin! That's the Home Alone star's little brother, if you were wondering. Culkin plays Scott Pilgrim's best friend and roommate and is hilarious in the film! His character is gay and the comedy that comes about from this is classic. Awesome to see him do so well.


What I didn't like about the movie:
Repetitiveness
This was bound to happen, considering our lead character has to fight 7 people. By the time SP reaches the 7th evil ex, (who he fights twice!), it becomes too redundant. Each of the 7 ex characters were funny and engaging, but when translating to film, it's just too much. Another dislike, which coincides with the repetitiveness, is the length of the film. At just under 2 hours, I'd say it was about 20 minutes too long for what it was.


This Summer started out with a lot of movies that were just bad, or disappointing at best. The second half is going a lot better... A LOT better. Inception, Salt and now Scott Pilgrim vs. The World are all skewing the results back towards the positive. I have to admit, if I wasn't given the tickets, I probably wouldn't have seen SP, and what a shame it would have been. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World was a ton of fun and I would recommend it to anyone, young or old.

"Avengers" Assemble... at Comic-Con

Left to Right: Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Liam Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Evans as Captain America, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Jeremy Renner as Hawk Eye, Mark Ruffalo as Hulk, Director Joss Whedon, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige

Movie stars filled the panels, rumors were laid to rest, and every nerd on the planet was waiting for this moment. The Avengers cast, in one place, at one time. That's the power of Comic-Con. I've talked about it a lot on the blog: everything from Chris Evans casting as the Captain, to Edward Norton's ugly exit, all things Avengers. At Comic-Con in San Diego this year, the entire cast went up on stage, settling three, very talked-about rumors.

First, Joss Whedon WILL direct the film. That's an obvious one, but Marvel never announced it officially before Comic-Con.

Second, Jeremy Renner WILL play Hawk Eye! I love this move by the way.

Third, and I guess most talked about... Mark Ruffalo WILL replace Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/Hulk. This movie can't get any more epic, can it? We'll have to wait and see. There's still those rumors of Nathan Fillion and Eva Longoria joining the cast as Ant-Man and Wasp. We'll let you know what happens. You satisfied with the cast?

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!

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.

Tony: Push DVD Review, it's so bad, it's a top ten worst movie pick

Push came out on DVD and Blu-Ray yesterday. I saw the previews, knew a little bit about what the story was, but didn't read any reviews of it. I didn't get a chance to go to the movies to see it, so I waited for it come out on DVD. I watched it last night... aaaaaaaaand HATED IT! You've read my rant about Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen? This movie is worse! The movie stars Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning and Djimon Hounsou. The movie has a pretty cool premise actually, it's basically about military test humans, who become X-Men. Yeah, I said X-Men, as in comic book superheros. There are sniffers, screamers, watchers, yada, yaddddas, and yada yadas.

These experiments include creating people with special powers. But the script is so bad, so filled with plot holes, bounces around between the future, the past and the present, you don't know what is going on. So? If you're going to have a movie that is not about story or script, there's a ton of action to substitute correct? Wrong. There is only one "action" sequence at the end of the movie which does NOT make up for the first two hours. The special powers are so silly, you're not impressed by them. By the end of the movie, you should WANT the special powers the characters have, not hate them.

The acting is sub par considering the stars of the movie. Dakota Fanning does well in a full cast of adults, she really holds her own. Chris Evans just has a lost look on his face the whole movie. And as far as Djimon Hounsou, I've already seen him in this movie... oh wait, it was called The Island! In that movie he was an agent trying to recover the people who got away. Come on man... seriously?

The director did nothing, NOTHING to help this horrible script. His choice of wardrobe, set design, score, nothing helps. The telekinetic powers look great, and that's it. I want someone, anyone to go rent this movie, DON'T BUY IT, please don't waste that much money. Rent it, and write a short review, I'll post it, I want confirmation about how bad this movie is.