Saturday, 21 May 2016

Movie Review Double Repost - Captain America

Hey guys. Since last week I reviewed the newest Captain America film, Civil War, I thought it fitting if I reposted my original reviews oft he the first two movies: First Avenger (2011) and Winter Soldier (2014). Since writing these reviews my opinions on these films are pretty much unchanged. I mean, I now realize that First Avenger had a more comic-book/cartoon tone to it, but that doesn't detract at all from my enjoyment of it. I still consider this the finest Marvel-related trilogy yet produced. Enjoy.

First Avenger
   Just so you know, you don't have to be American to like this movie. Believe me, this movie is cool! To quote Conan O'Brien, “it looks gooooooood!”
   Everything about this movie is just so cool! It's well-acted, the characters are enjoyable, the environments are fascinating, and you will be invested by the intriguing plot. They did a good job of putting that silly looking costume on screen and making it look badass - it looks way better than the 1990 film's costume! The special effects are superb, especially on making Cap's actor Chris Evans look like a scrawny little guy. Red Skull looks pretty cool too.
   But don't expect to see a lot of Nazis in this movie; regardless of what you may have heard, this isn't truly a WW2 movie. There's also a lot of loose threads at the end which I guess they're saving for the inevitable sequel.
   One thing this movie could've done better is the transitions. The second half of the story seems rushed. Characters will refer to a job that needs doing and next thing you know we go straight to the middle of an action scene with no transition at all. I'm guessing this is to make up for all the time they spent building up the introductions and origins of the characters. There's also a few downright silly moments. Like how is Captain America able to sneak around without being noticed wearing that brightly coloured costume and that shield that looks like a bulls eye?!
   Oh well. Despite this, Captain America is still a very fun summer action flick. One of the best so far, I'd say it's almost as good as Thor. So what if it's not as funny as the 1990 film?


Four stars out of five.

Winter Soldier
   If you're one of those people who's been wanting for Marvel to make a “serious” movie, your prayers have been answered. Captain America: Winter Soldier is the most badass superhero movie since the Dark Knight, and it might just be the best Marvel film yet made.
   CA:WS has the Captain, Steve Rogers, living in Washington DC, working for SHIELD with Nick Fury and Black Widow. They try to initiate Operation Insight, a government surveillance program, until it becomes complicated by the activities of a certain organization and its top assassin: the Winter Soldier. I actually have read the Winter Soldier comics and they nailed it here, both in story and character: an angry, scary badass. The plot of this film goes a bit deeper than most other comic book movies, as we get a proper narration of Rogers coming to terms with missing out on 70 years of his life. We also learn more about Black Widow's and Nick Fury's personalities, something past movies have been lacking. Plus we get to see a few socially-relevant topics being played out (for example, the whole security vs. freedom thing).
   As mentioned above, CA:WS is more serious in style and tries to keep comic book absurdities to a minimum (though they're still there, don't worry). I guess it's comparable to the Dark Knight movies if the characters there didn't endlessly over-analyze everything. Think Tom Clancy meets Captain America. To up the intensity Cap's cheesy Avengers costume has been discarded in favour of a new, more believable one. The fight scenes are choreographed just as spectacularly as ever. Keep in mind, this does make CA:WS a bit more violent than previous Marvel movies. But it's a shame that that pesky shaky cam has to make it hard to observe. Hint: don't blink.
   Captain America: Winter Soldier is mandatory for action movie fans. If you felt like you weren't being treated like an adult with the other Marvel movies, then you'll be pleasantly surprised with this one. So all in all...GO WATCH THIS MOVIE!

Rating: five stars out of five.

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