Captain America : The First Avenger

Today is a good day. Today Captain America fought back and I enjoyed it. You will get to read not 1, but 2 different reviews on this film. Would have been 3, but Dean-O is a Weeneus Maximus. Superman and The Jester will bring two accounts of what we witnessed and how it made us feel on the inside of our brains. I have not read his, because I do not want to be influenced, or copy him in any way. Total Deniability on my part if a copyright lawsuit arises from "Mr. Kent's" attorneys. Ever since The Captain talks arose, I was on board. Then the casting rumors began, and I will admit, I quickly jumped ship on the idea of the leader of the US Army being 29-ish. Chris Evans also played The Human Torch, and to cross him over just seemed wrong. It just seemed wrong to give that kind of power to a kid. I felt it should have gone to Mad Men's John Hamm, or Lost's Matthew Fox. Even Mark Valley from TV's Human Target would have sufficed me. It took a while... actually it only took one promo to get me juiced about it again. I accept things very easily, and after seeing Chris Evans dawn the suit, I was okay. We have seen approximately 100 million dollars worth of advertising, so I feel I do not need to go into the back story very much. Steve Rogers (Evans) is a scrawny little guy who wants to serve his country. After he is denied 4 times by the Army, his character is tested by a German scientist working with our military. He is given his chance to prove his worth. Not physical, but mental. When he earns his super soldier serum, his life changes for the...different. Due to the overly large amounts of tax dollars in this program, the government does not want him to get injured, but eventually he stops taking orders and shows once and for all, he is the perfect soldier. The action was awesome, and I did not expect Howard Stark to be an intricate part of this film. When Captain really begins to contribute, he begins taking down HYDRA's operational bases one by one. HYDRA is run by the demented Red Skull. A brilliant performance by Hugo Weaving. Red Skull plans to take over the world, but not as a NAZI operative, but as his own world power aptly named HYDRA. They have weapons the world has never seen, and he plans to use them. It was great that Cap and Skull have more than one scene together. They know what each other is, and that adds tension. I loved how the film began, but even better, how it ended. It could not have been done any better in my opinion. The way Marvel was able to showcase the human emotion in this film is something they not been able to do in any of their previous tries. It does a perfect job of showing us what Steve is about. It is the origin story, so character development is a must, and at times it seemed dragged out, but I do get it. They did what they had to do for uninformed movie goers. It only took 3 scenes for us to see how Steve handled life, but they added some more throughout that did a good job showcasing his desire to be the best soldier, but more than that, the best human. I knew Tommy Lee Jones was in the movie, but I did not know he would have screen time throughout, and every scene he was in, he absolutely stole. YES, you should stay till after the credits for the most exciting after credits extravaganza Marvel has ever delivered. If you don't realize that I enjoyed this film by now, then you have not been reading.


NBM rates Captain America : The First Avenger - Phenomenal

"Superman's" Review

O Captain My Captain

The Marvel Universe’s stars have aligned in the wee hours of this quiet Friday morning, 12:01a.m. to be precise. For I, Clark Kent, witnessed this spectacular phenomenon unfold in what I believe to be the final Marvel individual superhero movie installment, Captain America.  I can make 2 statements that I think helps put perspective into my superhero watching movie thoughts and reviews.  1^st I have never ever read any superhero comic books growing up.  None whatsoever! So I don’t know the stories, background of the characters, history or evolution of each of the superhero’s or how they have came to be or their demise. 2^nd I just love super hero movies and the entertainment factor.  I am not concerned if they, Got it right, or stayed true to the story.  I just want to be entertained and be able to step away from my mere existence of a mortal (contrary to belief I was not born on Krypton nor was I the son of Jor El, I was born in Uniontown and am the son of Roy). So take those 2 points when I talk about my amazement with all the Marvel movies leading to this final installment.

Going into the theater I was looking for 2 things. An exciting superhero movie in the tradition of all other Marvel debut’s and to get “my butt rocked off” as a film critics stated following the end credits.  Both things happened.  Ironman holds a special place in my heart as my favorite Marvel movie I think mainly due to the cool factor of the Ironman suit and the engineering prowess of Tony Stark but as of 12 hrs ago I feel that Steve Rogers is there side by side with him.  I think that all of the Marvel movies are filmed in different styles and themes, IronmanCGI action sequences. It seemed  to me they nailed it with just the right balance to create a story designed around a centralized character that everyone would want to aspire to be, a true hero to the country. The movie unfolds in present day and builds up to the opening sequence grandly.  Just those first few minutes really sets the tone for the story of Captain America. Captain America’s story opens of a young man just wanting to do his part and not run away from a fight. He tried to enlist but is like 90lbs soaking wet and sickly to say the least.  But this man had the qualities of a true hero; Determination, Character, and Heart.  He is indeed a good man and has the opportunity presented before him to be great!  Tommy Lee Jones does a great job as playing Col. Chester Phillips as well as Stanley Tucci as Dr. Abram Erskine. Both developing Steve Rogers character leading up to the moment when Captain America is created.   Captain A is both an iconic and immortal figure of good and has all the qualities of being a super hero. The final few minutes of the movie really sealed the deal for me on the proper way to open up this movie and bring it to an end. They did it masterfully!

Marvel again does what they have been doing since they started this mission.  There are plenty of easter eggs, hidden throughout the film that just sort of pulls everything together.  Howard Stark and Stark Industries make their appearance and introduce the Expo that we see in the Ironman 2 movie.  Stan Lee makes his regular cameo with his short witty line.  There are ties to Thor of course and other happening that the viewer can begin to piece together this complex Marvel world of The Avenger’s that is planned for theaters next year.   We can intuitively develop the beginning to the end of the individual movies and take the next step in our supehero evolution to the team of superhero’s that will all come out of the past few years of movies.

I have to indeed award the Phenomenal rating because I feel Captain America completed  the final chapter both with style and great anticipation for things to come next year.

Parting words:  We have all been to enough of these Marvel movies to KNOW that they will have something after the end credits.  As the movie ended I watched at least a dozen or so people leave.  1^st off where do you have to go in such a hurry at 2:32 in the morning.  2^nd off they just know better, unless they were evil Hydra forces and were tired of watchin themselves get their butt kicked for the last 2 hours. Either way, I felt sorry for them as did my daughter.  We waited and we waited and we waited. Then it came in all it’s glory and magnificence it unfolded before my eyes for what seemed like eternity as the visions that danced across the screen before me burned it’s picture in my head for the next 12 months.  It was everything I hoped for and my “butt was rocked off indeed”.  I pity those that walked out and missed it and wept for them on the way to my car.

Superman rates Captain America - Phenomenal