The Marvel cinematic universe just gets bigger and bigger. And in my opinion, better and better. From the TV show "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." to the newest edition of Captain America they are doing a wonderful job bringing very entertaining stories from the pages of the comics to the screen. All while weaving a much larger story with every installment.
I have to admit Captain America has a soft spot with me, but after the first movie I didn't have the highest of hopes for it's sequel. Don't get me wrong, I of course enjoyed "The First Avenger", but It was in my opinion the best character in the weakest film. See that review here >"Captain America: The First Avenger". Or don't because I just read it and it's a terrible review. He also didn't seem like he could compete physically with the other Avengers.
I feel Marvel's success has not just been from the stories it tells, but by the characters that help tell those stories. The actors really bring these heroes alive. I had my doubts back in the day when I heard Chris Evans was going to be Steve Rogers. To me he was the Human Torch, and I wasn't sure if he could be who Captain America should be. However, he is. He is the American icon. A hero in every sense of the word, inwardly and outwardly. He is the icon that other heroes in the comics look up to, That YOU want to look up to. So he is basically the opposite of Zack Snyder's Superman. They also give him a much more super feeling in this film by giving a good showcase of his abilities. They take an interesting avenue in trying to humanize The Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). She is of course the secret agent ass kicker we know and love, but she has a very friendly relationship with Cap that chips away that hard outer shell and makes thier interactions fun. Samuel L. Jackson is just a bad mother f&@ker as Nick Fury. Everytime he shows up he's as cool as they come. It's probably because I don't follow his career... well, at all really. But it's good to see Robert Redford back in the game. He gives a really strong showing as the partial antagonist of the film. Anthony Mackie is the Falcon, He is a fine sidekick, and constant comic relief. He also gives a strong contrast against super soldier Steve Rogers and the normal soldier. Emily VanCamp is makes a brief appearance. I wish to have seen more of her lovely face, but I suppose we will all have to wait until the next installment. And so their are no spoilers Sebastian Stan is also in this film. His role is a spoiler to most so click his name at your own risk.
From a technical aspect this movie also looks significantly better than it's predecessor. I saw this one in IMAX 3D and it looked crisp and clean. IMAX is always just the best viewing experience. There weren't any of the weird ugly green screen moments that were in the first one. Just super huge action and awesome explosions! The SUPER shaky action cam during the fight scenes was a bit much at times, but the fist fights and car chases were intense and cool looking. There is also plenty of neat flashy tech to look at. The only one that was really dumb to me was a kind of hologram communication, and they kept an actual chair for the holograms to sit in and I just caught my self wondering why they needed it.
The story is of course the big draw for those of us who enjoy the comics. This one doesn't disappoint. Like all adaptations there are variations on this and that, but they always weave in references to the rest of the Marvel universe. I always give a mental "ooh!" when I hear them say Stark, Banner, or... Strange. Captain finds himself on the opposite side of the law from the organization that helped him so much. He has to fight the underlying menace that threatens to take what he feels is every person's right. FREEDOM! It also at times feels like a high action spy movie. Very much in the line of the most recent "Mission Impossible." Explosion heavy spy work. The Winter Soldier is the cause of may of these explosions. He is a worthy adversary for Cap, probably because he was built to be just that. As with every super hero movie the script can have those awesome one liners and moments of goofy "we must do this ridiculous thing to stop that ridiculous thing" dialogue, but that's part of it. That is one of the things that make these comic stories fun.
The comic lover and little kid inside my rejoice! Captain America: The Winter Soldier is one of the best Marvel movies to date. It really does have implications that will affect the rest of the Marvel universe. Well, at least on Earth (Cannot wait for Guardians of the Galaxy!). Captain America is a hero among heroes and they do a wonderful job making him look that way. Also Please stay seated all the way through the credits for 2 after credits scenes.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Noah (2014)
That's right folks it's back. For a movie so polarizing you'd think it was about the Jesus Christ. "Noah." I haven't written in this blog for more than a year but this movie deserves a review on it's controversy alone..
"Short" version: Noah is an interesting telling of a story every little church going southern boy grew up with, but it takes some serious liberties. I think it did, however, do a good job of exploring some of Noah's humanity and how he could mentally/spiritually struggle with extraordinary task he was given. This is not a straight King James Bible telling, it does take alternate theories of how the events could have occurred and weave them into the story.
Now the "Long" version. Noah is cool. Both as a story and a character. A man is tasked by God to save what is worth saving of creation in a world that has become too wicked to exist any longer. Russell Crowe does a great job with this icon from the Bible. I think he really brings a feeling of humanity to the character who has doubts and fears just like any other person, but still knows that he has a job given by the creator and must complete it at ANY cost. Possibly my favorite scene is immediately after the flood starts. Noah sits alone and he can hear screams of help coming from the out side the ark, and he knows there is nothing he can do. It's a cold lonely moment for the character. Jennifer Connelly is Naameh, Noah's Wife. She is loving, supportive, and feels real. She brings another source of real conflict into the character. She witness the miracles and trials of this monumental task that pushes Noah to his breaking point and she must be with him through it all. Ray Winstone is Tubal-cain. A great bad guy. he is dirty, mean, and strong. He is a corrupting force that just screams defiance. He has several moments speaking out against God, and even has a moment where he asks God why he never answers. Anthony Hopkins was Methuselah, and was AMAZING IN ALL THINGS, Moving on. Noah's kids were served their purpose well. Douglas Booth as Shem and Logan Lerman as Ham. Emma Watson is Ila. Her character has several burdens to carry in this movie and Emma executes them well. I haven't really seen that much of her outside of Harry Potter, but this is nice and I want to see more.
The movie looks really good for the most part. It's a totally different world than you are used to. but feels right for the story. It's simple but also dangerous. Everything has good color and texture specific to its region. I liked the near total black they had everyone except Noah's family wearing. It was reminiscent of a red shirt in the original Star Trek. Wearing black pretty much means you are wicked and die in the flood. From the deserts to the forests and beaches everything was lovely. The big gripe I had was the animals. It's really hard to have that many live animals around and 1-control them, 2-have them not eat each other. So, they CG'd all the animals. The birds looked fine, but the land animals got a little video gamey.
Now for the part that everyone it in a hooplah about. They story. Again this is not your straight KJV telling. It takes from several alternate theories on the ark's construction among several other things. SINGLE SPOILER ALERT. Tiny spoiler ahead. Stop now or skip ahead. There are giant rock monsters. Well, they aren't monsters. They are fallen angels. These angels helped man achieve their dominance and then men kicked them to the curb. They are still on Earth because they defied the creator by coming to help the humans. So there, don't be surprised when you see them. I was, but I got over it. This telling does get a bit heavy on the nature conservation at times and feels overstated. So again, this is a NOT a word for word Biblical film. It takes some liberties. Most of which I don't feel take away too much from the story. I suggest thinking of it that way. rather than trying to force it into a box that it cannot fit in. But Noah still has to trust in God for his provisions and safety to complete his task which is a great thinking to take away from a secular film.
This is a different telling than most of my friends will be used to. It's a well made film that entertains, and go see that reason. I very much enjoyed it even though it is not exactly what I thought it would, or even should be, as a Bible believing Christian. Again, is not a straight up Bible story. It is a good movie based on a Bible story. Enjoy.
"Short" version: Noah is an interesting telling of a story every little church going southern boy grew up with, but it takes some serious liberties. I think it did, however, do a good job of exploring some of Noah's humanity and how he could mentally/spiritually struggle with extraordinary task he was given. This is not a straight King James Bible telling, it does take alternate theories of how the events could have occurred and weave them into the story.
Now the "Long" version. Noah is cool. Both as a story and a character. A man is tasked by God to save what is worth saving of creation in a world that has become too wicked to exist any longer. Russell Crowe does a great job with this icon from the Bible. I think he really brings a feeling of humanity to the character who has doubts and fears just like any other person, but still knows that he has a job given by the creator and must complete it at ANY cost. Possibly my favorite scene is immediately after the flood starts. Noah sits alone and he can hear screams of help coming from the out side the ark, and he knows there is nothing he can do. It's a cold lonely moment for the character. Jennifer Connelly is Naameh, Noah's Wife. She is loving, supportive, and feels real. She brings another source of real conflict into the character. She witness the miracles and trials of this monumental task that pushes Noah to his breaking point and she must be with him through it all. Ray Winstone is Tubal-cain. A great bad guy. he is dirty, mean, and strong. He is a corrupting force that just screams defiance. He has several moments speaking out against God, and even has a moment where he asks God why he never answers. Anthony Hopkins was Methuselah, and was AMAZING IN ALL THINGS, Moving on. Noah's kids were served their purpose well. Douglas Booth as Shem and Logan Lerman as Ham. Emma Watson is Ila. Her character has several burdens to carry in this movie and Emma executes them well. I haven't really seen that much of her outside of Harry Potter, but this is nice and I want to see more.
The movie looks really good for the most part. It's a totally different world than you are used to. but feels right for the story. It's simple but also dangerous. Everything has good color and texture specific to its region. I liked the near total black they had everyone except Noah's family wearing. It was reminiscent of a red shirt in the original Star Trek. Wearing black pretty much means you are wicked and die in the flood. From the deserts to the forests and beaches everything was lovely. The big gripe I had was the animals. It's really hard to have that many live animals around and 1-control them, 2-have them not eat each other. So, they CG'd all the animals. The birds looked fine, but the land animals got a little video gamey.
Now for the part that everyone it in a hooplah about. They story. Again this is not your straight KJV telling. It takes from several alternate theories on the ark's construction among several other things. SINGLE SPOILER ALERT. Tiny spoiler ahead. Stop now or skip ahead. There are giant rock monsters. Well, they aren't monsters. They are fallen angels. These angels helped man achieve their dominance and then men kicked them to the curb. They are still on Earth because they defied the creator by coming to help the humans. So there, don't be surprised when you see them. I was, but I got over it. This telling does get a bit heavy on the nature conservation at times and feels overstated. So again, this is a NOT a word for word Biblical film. It takes some liberties. Most of which I don't feel take away too much from the story. I suggest thinking of it that way. rather than trying to force it into a box that it cannot fit in. But Noah still has to trust in God for his provisions and safety to complete his task which is a great thinking to take away from a secular film.
This is a different telling than most of my friends will be used to. It's a well made film that entertains, and go see that reason. I very much enjoyed it even though it is not exactly what I thought it would, or even should be, as a Bible believing Christian. Again, is not a straight up Bible story. It is a good movie based on a Bible story. Enjoy.
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