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! 

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?

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.

Quickie: Wolfman trailer... whoa

We haven't talked to you much about this one, but here goes. The movie stars Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving and the always beautiful Emily Blunt. It has a very interesting look and style I think you will all like, enjoy!

Robert Downey Jr. cast in Anne Rice's "The Vampire Chronicles"

bloodydisgusting is reporting that Robert Downey Jr. has signed on to a vampire film. He will play the role of Lestat, from Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles book series. You may remember the character Lestat from Interview with the Vampire, played by Tom Cruise, and from Queen of the Damned, played by Stuart Townsend. Those two movies were the first and third books in the series.

Now comes the tricky part. Does Warner Brothers studios reboot, or sequel? The first two films are still pretty fresh in the minds of the public and I think a reboot is unnecessary. A sequel would be fine I suppose. I'm getting a little sick of all these vampire movies coming out, but leave it to the tweens of this country to determine what makes a good film.

Now we know Iron Man is a huge franchise for Downey Jr., what if Sherlock Holmes ANNNND "The Vampire Chronicles" become franchises as well? The man may have cemented three viable franchises within the span of two years. Holy Shmoley! The only other person I can think of off the top my head to do that is Hugo Weaving; he had The Matrix ANNNND The Lord of the Rings trilogies at the same time.

Hate it or love it, the onslaught of vampire movies and TV shows is upon us. So at least we get a great actor to do it, rather than Robert Pattinson, the one look, one emotion actor of the Twilight franchise. I said it! Yeah I said it! Tell us what you think.

Quickie: Guillermo Del Toro confirms that Hugo Weaving has been cast in The Hobbit

Guillermo Del Toro is a true visionary. His films of fantasy, imagination and magic are truly something to behold. Del Toro's Hellboy movies and Pan's Labyrinth have been critical and commercial successes. Today it was reported that Hugo Weaving has been cast in The Hobbit, a prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I don't know about you all, but Matt and I are huge fans of this man's work and for good reason. I loved his performances in The Matrix trilogy and V for Vendetta. As news is released, we'll keep you posted. And remember, come to ATD for all your movie needs.