NeXus' movie review: Captain America (spoilers)

[Power NeXus]

Let me just start off by saying this movie was fantastic. Really. It might rival Iron Man as my favorite superhero movie of all time. It was everything I wanted it to be and more. It's actually going to be tough to write out a fair and balanced review for it, since I can't really think of anything to put in the 'bad' section.

Acting
As I have stated before, I'm not enough of a theater buff to know much about good and bad acting. All I know is that I didn't notice any bad acting at all for the duration of this movie, and that Chris Evans makes for a pretty much perfect Steve Rogers. Just like in the comics, he seemed to have a skill for saying corny cheeseball lines, but making them sound good.

Visuals
Spectacular. I paid the extra couple dollars to see this one in 3D, and I feel it was a good choice. But, to be fair, there were a couple times when Steve was showing off his athleticism that just looked a little bit fake. Still extremely cool to watch, just not completely believable.

Plot
Excellent. It was somewhat predictable to me, but I think that was largely because I already know Steve's origin story. Thankfully, the movie twisted things around just a little bit so that even I was surprised when certain things happened. For example, I knew Bucky was going to die (or at least appear to die) in this movie, but I wasn't expecting it to happen as early as it did.

Directing
After having seen Green Lantern recently, this movie's directing was a breath of fresh air. I saw no flaws in it whatsoever.

Action scenes
Pretty dang sweet. Marvellous blend of WWII-style war and CaptainAmericaf**kyeah fighting.

Other thoughts
The end of the movie felt a little lame. "It's just... I had a date....".
I really liked how they made the Red Skull a recipient of an not-yet-perfected version of the super-soldier serum.
I have heard that Joe Johnston really wants to make a Winter Soldier spin-off to this movie. Heck yes.
The ushers in the theater should have handed us each a package of Depends along with our tickets, as I am pretty sure every single one of us peed our pants when we saw the Avengers trailer at the very end.


Overall
The Good
Pretty much everything.

The Bad
Slightly predictable (but that was to be expected), some of Cap's action scenes looked a little bit fake.


8.5-9/10
Not perfect, but pretty dang close

[Admin]

Last time I skimmed through your review, I saw a spoiler (X-Men First Class, regarding Darwin). So, I'll play it safe and hold off reading this until I see the movie tonight.

[Erik-El]

Oh crap I cannot read this until I get back from the movies this evening as well.

[Erik-El]

If you do not like this movie, you are a terrorist.

[Gender]

Waiting on my friend to see if I can go see it tonight, maybe tomorrow.
I have to give him props, not many people would want to go see a movie a day after having a doctor smash up their nose, resulting in lots of bleeding, swelling and pain, only to want to go see Captain America the day after assuming he isn't bleeding like crazy.

[Erik-El]

Jul 22, 2011 13:07:58 GMT -5 Gender said:

Waiting on my friend to see if I can go see it tonight, maybe tomorrow.
I have to give him props, not many people would want to go see a movie a day after having a doctor smash up their nose, resulting in lots of bleeding, swelling and pain, only to want to go see Captain America the day after assuming he isn't bleeding like crazy.

Now that is one red-blooded American. Bu-dum-pish!

[Gender]

Jul 22, 2011 13:09:36 GMT -5 Erik-El said:

Now that is one red-blooded American. Bu-dum-pish!

I think it's more so has to do with his dreams of the Military one day pumping him full of super soldier juice to make him taller and full of muscles with a six pack. I'm not too sure it's in the Army's budget to turn him into a super soldier but whatever, one day perhaps.

[Power NeXus]

I love this channel

[Gender]

Jul 22, 2011 21:28:42 GMT -5 Power NeXus said:

I love this channel

That was nice, Deadpool especially and all the love everyone had, awesome. =)

[Admin]

I just got back. Least favorite Marvel Studios film yet.

[Admin]

I'll just copy/paste when I said briefly in another thread:

I was totally let down. It's not a good thing when the highlights of the movie are the German scientist only in the first 30 min or so, and Tommy Lee Jone's minor role. Everything was just so medicore. Every single Marvel Studios film has raised my hairs at one point or made me go "That's...so...awesome." This didn't deliver that at all and at times I even just wanted it to end so I could see the Avengers trailer. I know it was going for a classic vibe since it was that era, but at times it was TOO campy/predictable and none of the action wow'd me at all (especially the lame montages. BOOM EXPLOSION, BOOM MOTORCYCLE, BOOM SHIELD!). I'd really give it a 6.5-7/10. A major letdown considering what I've come to expect from Marvel Studios.

Then again, I was skeptical of the selection of Joe Johnson from the get go...lol

Oh, and the "emotional" sequence in the end didn't move me at all, and I'm not a cold guy by any means. If you pay attention the first 5 minutes you know exactly how Cap concludes during the WW2 era. And since we're nerds, the final sequence was just obvious and at that point I was just thinking "GIVE MEH WHEDONZ AVENGERS NAO!"

[Power NeXus]

Agree to disagree, then?

[Admin]

Of course. I have no expectation of making you dislike the movie, just like I wouldn't expect you to think you could convince me otherwise. Just sharing my input here since this is likely where everyone will discuss the film with spoilers.

[Gender]

The Good:
- Steve Rogers.
He starts off as a really good guy. He isn't out to get revenge against crime for killing his parents, he isn't an alcoholic rich boy with daddy issues or a man with a monster living inside him, he's a scrawny kid with a horde of physical problems from Brooklyn that wants to save people's lives, even if it costs him his own. There isn't any journey to transform himself into that hero, he starts off as it and he holds that advice to heart to not let the procedure change who he was.

That and him actually being a super soldier. The entire movie after becoming the Super Soldier, he is showing tremendous strength, speed fighting ability. He literally strolls into Hydra HQ owning just about anything that gets in his way till he has like 40 or 50 people with ray guns surround him. That was pretty cool.

- Peggie and Steve romance.
Probably one of the better if not best one depicted in the Marvel filmverse thus far. It just doesn't spawn from sitting at a camp fire saying sweet words to the girl or being childhood friends, he meets the girl and builds what felt like a genuine relationship, even small little clips of him having that locket with her picture and her seeing it herself were nice. If there is anything I enjoy it's love in my movies when I feel it was done right.

- The Cosmic Cube is actually incredibly powerful. Especially that final scene with it and Red Skull when it shows to be something more than just power, which I honestly saw it as somewhat warping reality itself. Especially watching Evan's look at it giving the impression that the cube was beyond him.

- Red Skull and Captain America actually duke it out.
That is always a treat.

-The fact that this movie has connections with Iron Man and Thor. If it be the fact the cosmic cube is one of Odin's greatest treasures or Hydra going to Norway to get it or Red Skull's constant obsession with the Aesir or having Howard run around, building levitating cars, running Stark Expo, etc. Can't help but enjoy that those roots are there.

-Chris Evans in the parody outfit. I get it was supposed to be a joke to the costume, but it fit him extremely well.

-Bucky holding the shield.

-Man out of time Scene.

Bad:
The grenade scene. I like the fact it makes Steve look like a selfless hero, but I feel it is INCREDIBLY dumb to pick the guy to become that extremely expensive super soldier that happily tosses himself on grenades. Seems like a terrible investment.

-Lack of Nazis.
I wanted to see Evans kill Nazi rear, I didn't get to see that. If anything the fact Hydra gets to do it and Captain America doesn't is a bummer.

-Some leave your brain at the door moments.
Such as shield playing a game one the radio that Rogers not only went to, but years before he became the Super Soldier. Sure it shows that Cap is smart, but it makes it look like the guys at shield are morons. They shouldn't have even had the radio on.

-Hydra's flame throwing lazer beam firing big daddy types. Given what Evans was doing in the film, he should have walked through them like nothing.

I'd bet money that Red Skull is fine and might even make an appearance in Avengers.

Is it bad that I got extreme nerdgasms from simply watching the Avenger trailer at the end. "Zomg Stark and Thor!!!" "ZOMG Nick Fury possibly in the hellicarrier" "ZOMG AVENGERS!"?

[Erik-El]

I liked the movie a lot actually. The only thing I did not care for was the abrupt ending. Yeah his theater stint was campy (the only part I found campy) but it was meant to be and I felt that campy-ness conveyed his displeasure with that portion of his military contribution perfectly.

I agree that his super speed action scenes looked a little fake too. But eh, it was not a huge deal because they were not outlandishly fake.

[Gender]

Jul 24, 2011 1:00:11 GMT -5 Erik-El said:

I liked the movie a lot actually. The only thing I did not care for was the abrupt ending. Yeah his theater stint was campy (the only part I found campy) but it was meant to be and I felt that campy-ness conveyed his displeasure with that portion of his military contribution perfectly.

I agree that his super speed action scenes looked a little fake too. But eh, it was not a huge deal because they were not outlandishly fake.

I don't know I felt like the movie ended with Captain America saving the day, the following scene after seems like pure set up / another story altogether, for the Avengers if you catch my way of thinking.

[Power NeXus]

Jul 24, 2011 12:11:03 GMT -5 Gender said:

Jul 24, 2011 1:00:11 GMT -5 Erik-El said:

I liked the movie a lot actually. The only thing I did not care for was the abrupt ending. Yeah his theater stint was campy (the only part I found campy) but it was meant to be and I felt that campy-ness conveyed his displeasure with that portion of his military contribution perfectly.

I agree that his super speed action scenes looked a little fake too. But eh, it was not a huge deal because they were not outlandishly fake.

I don't know I felt like the movie ended with Captain America saving the day, the following scene after seems like pure set up / another story altogether, for the Avengers if you catch my way of thinking.

I felt the same way. I had fully expected the movie to be over when Cap 'died', and that his 'waking up' would be in the clip they show after the movie.

[jakefury]

I really enjoyed this movie. Thor is still pretty fresh in my mind and I'd weigh it up there with it.
Just some random thoughts:

1. I thought the overall acting was better than Thor.
2. The Cap/Peggy dynamic was excellent and right up there with Tony Stark/Pepper Potts in the Iron Man films.
3. I wanted to see Cap himself FROZEN in ice and not just his shield.
4. The final fight with Cap & the Skull was very good.
5. Hayley Atwell's performance was much better than Natalie Portman's.
6. Tommy Lee Jones had some great one liners.
7. The sequence at the end was a little unexpected. I really wanted to see the Avengers find Cap in the opening of that movie.
8. The lady in the sequence at the end=Sharon Carter?
9. Overall, it was extremely well done and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[jakefury]

Also, very good review Nexus. Kudos sir.

[Power NeXus]

Jul 24, 2011 17:09:37 GMT -5 @jakefury said:

I really enjoyed this movie. Thor is still pretty fresh in my mind and I'd weigh it up there with it.
Just some random thoughts:

1. I thought the overall acting was better than Thor.
2. The Cap/Peggy dynamic was excellent and right up there with Tony Stark/Pepper Potts in the Iron Man films.
3. I wanted to see Cap himself FROZEN in ice and not just his shield.
4. The final fight with Cap & the Skull was very good.
5. Hayley Atwell's performance was much better than Natalie Portman's.
6. Tommy Lee Jones had some great one liners.
7. The sequence at the end was a little unexpected. I really wanted to see the Avengers find Cap in the opening of that movie.
8. The lady in the sequence at the end=Sharon Carter?
9. Overall, it was extremely well done and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The lady at the end certainly looked like Sharon, but she was a different actress. I'm assuming she was her daughter or granddaughter or something, and Sharon herself is now either 90-something years old or dead.