Captain America (Avengers Countdown)

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) – Review reposted.

“Why did I choose someone weak? Because a weak man knows the value of strength.”

Synopsis: After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America’s ideals.

Marvel Studios has spent the last three years bringing superheroes to the silver screen with unparalleled charm, wit, and integrity. Packed with a star studded cast, plenty of action, and a dash of comic book camp, Captain America is no exception. Director Joe Johnston expertly balances the feel of 1940’s America (as he did in his 1991 classic, The Rocketeer) with the campy science fiction of a comic book. The period sets have a nostalgic charm and the characters are larger than life in their heroics. Cap’s wit is simple, straightforward, and thoroughly American. And when it comes to big budget action movies, there’s no better villains than the Nazis.
(I hate those guys.)

Chris Evans shines as Steve Rogers, whose initial wimpy appearance is a startling achievement in special effects. He looks nothing like a soldier, let alone the iconic Captain America. But, as the story reveals, its Rogers integrity that sets him apart from the rest. Despite his small size, Rogers is desperate to help defend his country. He admits “I don’t want to kill anyone. I just don’t like bullies.” Its this courage that causes Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) to choose Steve Rogers for the Super Soldier Serum, a chemical mixture which gives an ordinary man superhuman strength.

Themes: Integrity, Responsibility, Heroism

Steve Rogers is chosen because he is an underdog with integrity. Dr. Erskine tells Steve “why did I choose someone weak? Because a weak man knows the value of strength, the value of power. And he also knows compassion.” Erskine also explains that the Super Soldier Serum enhances everything that is within a man. Because of his integrity and heroism, Steve Rogers becomes the iconic Captain America. But this same serum also transformed power-hungry Nazi Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving) into the villainous Red Skull. It is this reason that Dr. Erskine makes Steve promise that no matter what, “you will stay who you are. Not a perfect soldier, but a good man.”

Marvel characters often learn that it takes more than superpowers to make a superhero. This has been a consistent theme for Peter Parker, Tony Stark, the X-Men, and even Thor. But no character seems to embody honesty, courage, and heroism like the iconic Captain America. When he dons his stars and stripes shield, you know what he stands for.

Conclusion: My favorite of the Marvel movies

Your enjoyment of Captain America will greatly depend on your expectations and your willing suspension of disbelief (for more on this and Superhero movies, check out my review of Thor.) If you go in expecting the best movie of the summer, you’ll be disappointed. But if you enter with an open mind and try what Marvel’s cooked up, you’ll have a blast. Some aspects of the film (like the Cosmic Cube and Red Skull) are hard to swallow if you’re assuming a typical WWII film. Captain America goes far beyond the fantasy adventure in movies like Indiana Jones (there’s a line about “Hitler digging around in the desert”) and several plot choices may have newbies saying “… what?” But in the end, the Cap succeeds because America loves our underdogs. Especially ones who punch Nazis in the face. With a shield. A stars and stripes shield.

A word on The Avengers:

Ever since Marvel Studios began with Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk in 2008, we’ve been building up to The Avengers film which is finally glimpsed at after the credits of Captain America. I’ve been very impressed at how well each film has built off its predecessors; integrating S.H.I.E.L.D., giving cameos to Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), introducing the Cosmic Cube, and finally bringing Captain America into the mix. While Cap can’t fly like Iron Man or wield the power of Thor, he’s the natural choice to lead the team. I’m very excited to see what Marvel Studios and director Joss Whedon whip up for The Avengers (2012).

Rating:

4.5 out of 5 Zipped Lips

Captain America is a throwback to a simpler time when the good guys were good and the bad guys were bad. There’s something here for everyone: wit, charm, explosions, romance… but what lingers is a heroic little guy whose virtue made all the difference.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

“Why did I choose someone weak? Because a weak man knows the value of strength.”

Synopsis: After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America’s ideals.

Marvel Studios has spent the last three years bringing superheroes to the silver screen with unparalleled charm, wit, and integrity. Packed with a star studded cast, plenty of action, and a dash of comic book camp, Captain America is no exception. Director Joe Johnston expertly balances the feel of 1940’s America (as he did in his 1991 classic, The Rocketeer) with the campy science fiction of a comic book. The period sets have a nostalgic charm and the characters are larger than life in their heroics. Cap’s wit is simple, straightforward, and thoroughly American. And when it comes to big budget action movies, there’s no better villains than the Nazis.
(I hate those guys.)

Chris Evans shines as Steve Rogers, whose initial wimpy appearance is a startling achievement in special effects. He looks nothing like a soldier, let alone the iconic Captain America. But, as the story reveals, its Rogers integrity that sets him apart from the rest. Despite his small size, Rogers is desperate to help defend his country. He admits “I don’t want to kill anyone. I just don’t like bullies.” Its this courage that causes Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) to choose Steve Rogers for the Super Soldier Serum, a chemical mixture which gives an ordinary man superhuman strength.

Themes: Integrity, Responsibility, Heroism

Steve Rogers is chosen because he is an underdog with integrity. Dr. Erskine tells Steve “why did I choose someone weak? Because a weak man knows the value of strength, the value of power. And he also knows compassion.” Erskine also explains that the Super Soldier Serum enhances everything that is within a man. Because of his integrity and heroism, Steve Rogers becomes the iconic Captain America. But this same serum also transformed power-hungry Nazi Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving) into the villainous Red Skull. It is this reason that Dr. Erskine makes Steve promise that no matter what, “you will stay who you are. Not a perfect soldier, but a good man.”

Marvel characters often learn that it takes more than superpowers to make a superhero. This has been a consistent theme for Peter Parker, Tony Stark, the X-Men, and even Thor. But no character seems to embody honesty, courage, and heroism like the iconic Captain America. When he dons his stars and stripes shield, you know what he stands for. (Just wait til’ you see how they explain the origin of his costume, its a riot.)

Conclusion:

Your enjoyment of Captain America will greatly depend on your expectations and your willing suspension of disbelief (for more on this and Superhero movies, check out my review of Thor.) If you go in expecting the best movie of the summer, you’ll be disappointed. But if you enter with an open mind and try what Marvel’s cooked up, you’ll have a blast. Some aspects of the film (like the Cosmic Cube and Red Skull) are hard to swallow if you’re assuming a typical WWII film. Captain America goes far beyond the fantasy adventure in movies like Indiana Jones (there’s a line about “Hitler digging around in the desert”) and several plot choices may have newbies saying “… what?” But in the end, the Cap succeeds because America loves our underdogs. Especially ones who punch Nazis in the face. With a shield. A stars and stripes shield.

A word on The Avengers:

Ever since Marvel Studios began with Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk in 2008, we’ve been building up to The Avengers film which is finally glimpsed at after the credits of Captain America. I’ve been very impressed at how well each film has built off its predecessors; integrating S.H.I.E.L.D., giving cameos to Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), introducing the Cosmic Cube, and finally bringing Captain America into the mix. While Cap can’t fly like Iron Man or wield the power of Thor, he’s the natural choice to lead the team. I’m very excited to see what Marvel Studios and director Joss Whedon whip up for The Avengers (2012).

Rating:

4 out of 5 Zipped Lips

Captain America is a throwback to a simpler time when the good guys were good and the bad guys were bad. There’s something here for everyone: wit, charm, explosions, romance… but what lingers is a heroic little guy whose virtue made all the difference.

Defiance (2008)

Defiance (2008) -Review by Isaac

Defiance Trailer 1 at Apple.com

“We may be hunted like animals, but we must not become animals. We cannot afford revenge, our revenge is to live.”

Based on historical events, Defiance is many things: It’s the story of three rough-edged, ordinary men who take responsibility for more than a thousand lives. It’s a tale of bravery, dogged perseverance and an unwavering desire to save others that parallels the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. Finally, it’s a Holocaust story that was virtually unknown until Tuvia Bielski revealed its details shortly before his death in 1973.

Holy-Situational-Ethics, Batman! – This story is incredible. Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, and Jamie Bell all give terrific performances as the Bielski’s, three Jewish brothers who escape into the wilderness and build a sanctuary for Jewish refugees. Daniel Craig portrays the burden of ‘tough-decision-maker’ in Tuvia Bielski, and the audience genuinely sees and feels the story through his eyes. But the plot isn’t limited to Tuvia (Craig) as all three brothers face their share of moral conundrums. A society of Jews escaping Nazi extermination by hiding in the forest raises more than a few ethical questions. The Jew’s situation here is almost post-apocalyptic in nature, as they struggle to survive and develop community despite being outcast and treated as animals.
The more familiar you are with the Nazi’s antisemitism, the more you will appreciate the themes presented in Defiance. The dialog is salted with lines like “We will not live like animals,” “to live is our act of defiance,” “if we die, we will die like human beings.”

I consider Defiance an excellent film because of the story it has to tell. This isn’t the emotionally haunting Schindler’s List, nor is it a war epic like Saving Private Ryan. In terms of pacing, gravity, and directorial vision, Defiance isn’t playing in the same league. But to compare Defiance to these WWII film giants is, in my opinion, doing Defiance a great disservice. This tale of the Bielski brothers is a unique story, a true story, and one well worth engaging in.

As an American, its easy to hold WWII and the Holocaust at a distance. American’s think of WWII as that time when evil emperor Adolph Hitler made Europe look like a bunch of pansies and the USA had to go in to kick some Nazi butt. (remember the trailer for Inglourious Basterds?) My point is, Americans get to feel like the heroes without identifying with, or even understanding the suffering most of Europe had to endure. Can you imagine Pearl Harbor on a nationwide scale? – I can’t. I have no mental wheels for processing WWII, let alone the Holocaust. It is completely foreign to me.

And that is why Defiance is important. Because the level of depravity carried out by Nazi Germany and the Holocaust should seem foreign to us. Normal people don’t round up their neighbors and send them to gas chambers. This is a bizarre, terrible, and unfathomable chunk of history. But these things really happened. The Nazi’s are more than just the go-to historical Super-villains for Indiana Jones and Hellboy, they are a historical reality. WWII revealed the utter depravity of man, and this is a lesson we desperately need to be reminded of.
Historical tales like the Bielski partisans open our eyes to something beyond our Band of Brothers perspective. My wife kept remarking: “they’re just people! Why do you have to kill them?” – which is, a good question. Despite their raids and occasional sabotage missions, the Bielski partisans were mostly families who were simply trying to survive. Tuvia Bielski never turned anyone away. At its peak, the Bielski camp had 1,236 people, and 70% of its membership consisted of women, children, and the elderly. This is a heroic story worth passing on.

“I almost lost my faith, but you… You were sent by God to save us.”

4.5/5 Zipped Lips

Daniel Craig + rebel Jews + fighting Nazi’s… could you ask for more?
Perhaps changing the title to Braveheart 2: Defiance ?