For the last number of years Hollywood has been attempting to bring comic books to the big screen. For the most part, they have failed miserably. Tim Burton's Batman in 1989 was quite good, Iron Man in 2008 was not bad, tho it didn't quite hit the mark as far as I am concerned (but after having my doubts, Robert Downey Jr did pull off Tony Stark quite nicely). All the Spidermans were too damned angsty. I will hold out opinion on Green Lantern and Thor until I can see them on DVD, they did not look good enough to spend money going to the theatre to see, even at matinee prices.
Captain America on the other hand.....
First off, what magic did they use to make 6' 1/2" Chris Evans into a 5' what ever nothing, 98 lb weakling?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Chris may be familiar to people as Johnny Storm from the Fantastic 4 movies (and I won't even go there in what I thought about those. Suffice to say I am glad I didn't pay money to see them). Here he is able to shine as Steve Rogers, scrappy kid from Brooklyn who only wants to join the army to fight along side his best friend. But alas, he keeps getting 4F'd no matter how many times he tries (and try he does).
He is spotted by Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci, an actor I love to see in just about anything) who is looking for the perfect subject for an experiement for the US MIlitary. In young Steve he spots the qualities he is looking for and manages to get him enlisted and assigned to the top secret project.
Tommy Lee Jones as Colonel Chester Phillips has his doubts, but when the experiment works is impressed, but things go awry and our newly hunky (and tall) young hero is stuck serving his country doing war bonds tours. In the meantime, the evil Nazi bad guy, Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving) is well on his way of achieving his goal of world domination....
THIS is the way a comic book movie should be done. The script was fun, the dialog great and of the time. The casting was perfect and the chemistry between Steve and Peg was just right. Any angst is dealt with quickly. The whole movie FEELS like the 1940s, I so want to go to that World's Fair early in the movie. The cars, the clothes, the music, it all rang true. The evil bad guys had the COOLEST toys and secret lairs all over the place.
With a couple of exceptions the CGI was good (the exceptions were a couple action sequences where it wasn't quite right, but the movie is so fun I will forgive them for not being perfect). The special effects didn't overwhelm the movie, it helped move the plot along, like good special effects should.
We enjoyed the movie so much we were tempted to go back in to see it again. For sure we can't wait to get it on DVD so we can pause to get a better look at details such as posters.
The movie does set up for a sequel, which is in the works. I have my fingers crossed they can pull it off as well as Captain America, esp since it is being directed by Joss Whedon (Firefly and Serenity), who also is doing the screenplay.
All in all, a fun romp.
Captain America on the other hand.....
First off, what magic did they use to make 6' 1/2" Chris Evans into a 5' what ever nothing, 98 lb weakling?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Chris may be familiar to people as Johnny Storm from the Fantastic 4 movies (and I won't even go there in what I thought about those. Suffice to say I am glad I didn't pay money to see them). Here he is able to shine as Steve Rogers, scrappy kid from Brooklyn who only wants to join the army to fight along side his best friend. But alas, he keeps getting 4F'd no matter how many times he tries (and try he does).
He is spotted by Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci, an actor I love to see in just about anything) who is looking for the perfect subject for an experiement for the US MIlitary. In young Steve he spots the qualities he is looking for and manages to get him enlisted and assigned to the top secret project.
Tommy Lee Jones as Colonel Chester Phillips has his doubts, but when the experiment works is impressed, but things go awry and our newly hunky (and tall) young hero is stuck serving his country doing war bonds tours. In the meantime, the evil Nazi bad guy, Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving) is well on his way of achieving his goal of world domination....
THIS is the way a comic book movie should be done. The script was fun, the dialog great and of the time. The casting was perfect and the chemistry between Steve and Peg was just right. Any angst is dealt with quickly. The whole movie FEELS like the 1940s, I so want to go to that World's Fair early in the movie. The cars, the clothes, the music, it all rang true. The evil bad guys had the COOLEST toys and secret lairs all over the place.
With a couple of exceptions the CGI was good (the exceptions were a couple action sequences where it wasn't quite right, but the movie is so fun I will forgive them for not being perfect). The special effects didn't overwhelm the movie, it helped move the plot along, like good special effects should.
We enjoyed the movie so much we were tempted to go back in to see it again. For sure we can't wait to get it on DVD so we can pause to get a better look at details such as posters.
The movie does set up for a sequel, which is in the works. I have my fingers crossed they can pull it off as well as Captain America, esp since it is being directed by Joss Whedon (Firefly and Serenity), who also is doing the screenplay.
All in all, a fun romp.
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