CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER.

I've read reviews all over the map for this film. Some people thought it was the best Pre-Avengers film. Some thought the worst. Most are, like the inside of a tauntaun, relatively Luke-warm (thanks, Kai!). But where do I fall in? We meet Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a scrawny lad from Brooklyn who simply wants to join the Army and do his duty for his country, like his best friend Bucky (Sebastian Shaw). But when Dr. Erskine (Stanley Tucci) chooses him for a top secret project, he meets Colonel Philips (Tommy Lee Jones), Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), and Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper). He becomes a super soldier, but also learns he's not the only one. There was a Nazi named Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving), whose procedure didn't go as planned, and now he's looking to walk the Earth as a god, forming his own faction, and working with another scientist named Dr. Zola (Toby Jones) to build the weapons necessary for his takeover. He runs Hydra now under the moniker Red Skull.

This has been compared to Thor quite a bit seeing they are the last two Pre-Avengers films and they came out pretty close to each other. This is what I'll say about the two: There's a pretty strong connection between them, as the McGuffin of this film is taken straight from the mythology of Thor. However, if I were to compare the entertainment value of both... I'd say Thor wins.

Captain America's worst problem can be summed up in one word: boring. The character himself isn't all that interesting. He's kinda like if Superman were human... except Superman seems more human. Steve Rogers is almost too perfect, and despite Red Skull's claims that he does have weaknesses, you don't see them. He's super fast, super strong, has a great body and personality, can heal at super speeds. He can't even worry about drinking and driving as he can't get drunk (though some may see this as a fault--that's really the only one played up in the film). He even takes (SPOILERS) waking up 70 years in the future relatively well.

And then there's the film itself. If you're to formulate the superhero origin story films, I'd say they're typically 20 minutes 'beginnings', 20 minutes 'origin', and about an hour in full costume and what have you. This movie is about an hour and 45 minutes, and it's not until about the last 30 that he even gets his official costume and shield. And they spend way too long in the "joke" costume, which was funny at first but did get old after a while. They even go into the first major action set piece in this costume. Imagine if Spider-Man had first faced off against the Green Goblin in his wrestling uniform. So yeah, there's definitely a pacing and/or story issue. I think I looked at my watch at least 3-4 times throughout the film.

Otherwise... it's actually not as bad as I've made it sound. The acting is good. Chris Evans does quite well with what he's given. If I were to say any actor stole the show, it would be Hugo Weaving, but honestly not until you see him entirely as Red Skull, which isn't until the second half of the movie. The makeup and whatnot looks good, and he actually seems more menacing like this than with his actual face.

The action was probably the best thing about the movie. While none of it was particularly OMG WOW, it kept my attention. The train sequence was, I think, the best full action scene in the film, though the short zero-gravity fight near the end was really cool (despite its Inception-esque feel). They also did a good job making the shield come back to him more naturally as if it bounced rather than acted like a full-on boomerang (returning weapons--another Thor connection!). Though I'm not hugely knowledgable on Captain America lore... isn't his shield supposed to be made of adamantium, not "vibranium" or whatever. Or did I get that wrong?

Anyway, I just wish the movie didn't take itself so seriously. There are maybe less than 5 jokes in the whole movie (or at least good jokes), but the rest is so serious in an uber-patriotic way that part of you is waiting for Spider-Man to land in front of Captain America posing in the wind. And the actual cheesy section (with the joke costume) goes on too long for it to stay humorous. I don't think it's the worst of the Pre-Avengers films, but it's not the best, either. I'd say it's somewhere in the middle. I guess you could fit me in with the other tauntaun's.


Stop Saying OK! OK.

(P.S. I also wanted to add that this film looks very nice, as well. The cinematography is pretty dang good, so that's another plus.)

(P.P.S. I almost forgot! I think they destroyed a bit of continuity with the other Pre-Avengers flicks. Isn't there a hidden shot of Captain America's shield under the ice in one of the movies (I think Incredible Hulk)? That takes away from what actually happens according to this film.)

EASY A.

It's been a while since we had a good teen comedy. Luckily, if I had to score this one, it gets an easy A (buh dum, psh). The story focuses on Olive (Emma Stone), a high school girl that just floats by unrecognized by the mass population. But when she tells her best friend, Rhiannon (Alyson Michalka), that she spent the weekend with a guy that doesn't exist, Rhiannon obviously jumps to the conclusion that Olive slept with him. Unfortunately, the school's super-Christian, Marianne (Amanda Bynes), overhears the conversation and begins the rumor mill, of course changing and growing the rumor with every new person that hears it. So it starts spreading around school that Olive is quite a slut. To perpetuate things, a gay friend named Brandon (Dan Byrd) pleads for help in that Olive pretends to sleep with him to show he's straight so he won't get beat up anymore. This, of course, begins a downhill spiral that just brings more and more guys to Olive for fake relations, and Olive's reputation simultaneously grows and sinks. Her parents (Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci) are very liberal, laid-back parents who just kinda go with the flow, and she doesn't really go to them for help in the matter. Nor does she accept help from her favorite teacher, Mr. Griffith (Thomas Haden Church), or his wife--the school counsilor (Lisa Kudrow). The films also stars Malcolm McDowell as the school principal, Fred Armisen as a pastor, and Cam Gigandet as Amanda Bynes' boyfriend.

This movie is like mixing 80s teen comedies with 10 Things I Hate About You: a comedy with smart writing and a supporting cast that owns the movie. It also helps that there are plenty of 80s teen comedy references and a story based on an older work of fiction. The movie really is very smartly written. Even when it brings in the cliches and conveniences to the plot, it knows what it's doing and it embraces it, pointing them out and laughing with you at them. And the dialogue is pitch perfect, only made better by the amazing ensemble cast.

Let's start with the supporting cast. Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson not only own this movie, but they steal it and run away with it. They steal every scene they're in, and they are probably one of the funniest parts of the movie. Thomas Haden Church brings a very dry sense of humor to his character. He's kind of the opposite of Tucci and Clarkson only in the sense that, while they're very flamboyant and obvious with their humor, he pulls back and lets the writing behind the character shine. And maybe it's just because he was playing an English teacher, but I probably connected with his character the most. If the supporting characters falter anywhere, I'd say it's with Lisa Kudrow. She did fine with what she had, but the character isn't introduced until about halfway into the movie, and it almost expects you to immediately have a connection with her like she'd been there the whole time. Kudrow should have at least been introduced much earlier on.

Then we have our main roles, played by Emma Stone and Amanda Bynes. Emma is gorgeous and does wonderfully with her part. She's dorky, but sexy, which is kind of her shtick, I suppose. Though I have a hard time believing, much like any other teen comedy, that she's invisible to the mass population and hasn't really ever been asked out on a date. Amanda Bynes, too, plays the Christian Evangelist well. Though I'm afraid (and this has nothing to do with Bynes) that some people are gonna miss the point and be offended by her role in the film.

I also would like to bring up the soundtrack. It's a very pumpin' soundtrack--very fun. And the nods to the 80s, especially in the third act, was great. I'm probably not gonna go out and buy the soundtrack or anything, but I just felt like it was worth noting.

Overall, it's a great comedy where all the parts meet together magnificently to make the whole. Is the ending predictable? Yeah. But that's to be expected, really, from this genre. It's a smartly written film that knows its boundaries. It's a movie about sex without being too raunchy. The "teens" curse without it being excessive, but still believable. The jokes never overstay their welcome. Nothing is too offensive or over-the-top ridiculous (except maybe believing that these were all high school kids... though I loved the line about how the skirt hem was never shorter than fingertip length. They even researched basic dress code!). It's just a great, fun teen comedy that I think belongs in the ranks with other recent greats (such as 10 Things...). Is it perfect? No. But I loved it.


Royale With Cheese