Captain America: The Winter Soldier

 What's up everyone, I'm the only and possibly only film critic you know as TheCinemaChick and I've got some good news and bad news. The good news is that I have seen the newest Captain America film, so that's what I'll be talking about in this review with minimal spoilers. The bad news is that I will not be reviewing “Noah”.


Let me explain. First and foremost, I am not comfortable discussing religious matters because everyone's opinion is different. I might inadvertantly offend a reader, which I assure you, is not my intention in any way shape or form. Second, because there are many interpretations of how this story happened, there's a chance I will offend again. And finally, after speaking with several people, I have come to the conclusion that this movie is so wrong that it's out of my league. I know the story of Noah but this...pretty much the only accurate thing about it was Noah's name and that he had an ark.


Here is a brief list of things I find wrong about “Noah” (potential spoilers):

• the stone angels that look like a cross between the Ents from Lord of the Rings and prehistoric Transformers
  
• implied incest
  
• possible cannibalism (I'm not sure on this one. The scene was short but I'm fairly certain someone was carried off and killed for meat.)
  
• sexual innuendo (Methuselah makes several comments about “picking berries”)
  
• actual sex
  
• Russell Crowe playing a Biblical character
  

I have discussed that list with three people, two of which I have had serious religious discussions with before. They all agreed that the movie makes a great drama but if you want to see an accurate story about the Bible, this is not it. Skip this one and check out “The Ten Commandments” instead.


Now, let's move on to a far more positive subject. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” hits theaters today and I can say in all honesty, this one needs to be seen. Every Marvel fan should see it. Because of the new found popularity in 8 PM showings the day before release (what's up with that?), I saw it in a double feature last night, along with the first in the series. Let me go on record saying that the first one is not my favorite movie. It's pure exposition with very little action so for me, I find it almost painfully slow. It's just a huge setup for “The Avengers”, where he gets a chance to shine. Even then, he wasn't my favorite character because he was so “apple pie, all American good boy” and he never really strayed from that.


Fortunately, that changes in “The Winter Soldier”. Steve Rogers (still played by Chris Evans) is still that good old boy you love but when the action starts, he becomes hardened, a little darker. Needless to say, I finally see the why women think Captain America is so attractive. I like that his character has a little more depth to him. He's more relateable and less...perfect. Even better, he's got a sense of humor. Steve is no longer this lost little puppy trying to get by. It's good to see that he's better adjusted to the times and he's learned the wonders of the internet. I like seeing his progress, but that he's also still catching up. It's sort of cute.


If you've seen the previews, you know something big is going to happen in this film. You know that Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) returns and that we have the introduction of a new villain, The Winter Soldier. I won't spoil who it is for you but come on...it's really obvious. IMDB tells you who it is and the name itself should be a clue. Winter Solider...hmm...what could that mean...I won't tell you who it is. I'll leave that to you to discover. While I'm on the topic, the reveal is both awesome and heartbreaking. When Steve realizes who his enemy is...you just want to hug him and give him a cookie.


**Semi-spoiler: If you haven't seen the first “Captain America” OR “The Avengers” (and if you haven't, why haven't you?) DO NOT see “The Winter Soldier”! There are connections you will not be able to make if you haven't seen the previous two films. Trust me on this one guys. You MUST see those before seeing this one.**


Also, if you've seen the previews, you know that someone dies. I won't say who but keep one thing in mind...not everything is as it seems. That becomes a highly important thing to consider about halfway through the film.


Let's go into what I didn't like because surprisingly, there aren't that many things I hated. Like with many Marvel films, it takes a little while for the action to get started and the first act does drag by a little. There are some really lame jokes, a lot of comments about Steve's love life and other little things that don't seem to fit in. It's ok, it adds some light touches to a film that gets increasingly darker but it just gets old fast. Some of the effects didn't wow me like I had hoped and here's a huge question I have. Where the hell are the Avengers? I mean, I'm sure Tony Stark or Bruce Banner can spare some time to help Steve.


They're all a part of SHIELD, right? Even though things get really tangled (again, spoilers if I say how), surely Tony or Bruce could spare a few days to lend a hand. Hell, Thor could help out since he's on Earth now. And no, that's not a spoiler since “Thor: The Dark World” has been out since November is currently on DVD and Blu-Ray. I have a digital copy. But even then, why couldn't the other Avengers step in and help a little? I get that this is Steve's movie, but Natasha is present throughout. Why shouldn't his friends get a little action in this one? There's only one brief mention of the Avengers that you can't miss.


Also, don't forget to be on the look out for Stan Lee's cameo.


The film is roughly two hours and fifteen minutes long, which, in some cases, feels like an eternity. In this case, it feels like it's maybe half that. Even with the first act being a bit sluggish, the second and third act increase in intensity to the point where you are so absorbed in the story that you don't notice the time. The film creates an atmosphere of mistrust, danger, mystery and fear. They emphasize the idea of disbelief. Who can you trust? Who is your friend? Are you really safe when you're in your own home?


I honestly really enjoyed this film. Fry and I were guessing the entire time, trying to figure out, who was behind the whole thing, who did what and just what would happen. For the most part, we were wrong. We enjoyed the little twists and turns the film presented us with. The final confrontation had both of us on the edges of our seats, even if we basically knew what would happen. The characters are enjoyable, especially the addition of The Falcon or Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). He adds some humor and he seems to get along really well with Steve Rodgers. In fact, Mackie and Evans had great chemistry, like they're best friends off screen and this was just an extension of that.


Hey Marvel...please bring Sam Wilson back. Don't let his story be over yet.


And, as with every Marvel film, there is a post credit scene. Actually, there are two, post credit and mid credit. The post credit scene is really vague and possibly sets up for a spin off movie. I'm not sure if it was a happy, sad or angry scene but...if it does become a separate movie, I'd like to see it. The mid credit scene...oh my goodness, I was so excited to see it. This sets up the story for the next Avengers film. It features two very important (and somewhat controversial because of the casting choice...I'll get to that in a moment) characters that will play a huge part in upcoming movies. No matter what, stay for the credits!


About the casting controversy...in X-Men: Days of Future Past, Evan Peters plays him and people are not happy about that. They also hate his character design, which I don't see a problem with. HOWEVER, in Avengers: Age of Ultron, he's played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. I'm kind of wondering how this is going two work out. Now I'm really curious...


I'm not going to lie, I loved “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and recommend it to anyone who's interested. Remember, you need to see the previous two films in order to understand some things in this one. The story gets really intense at some points and it really gets you hooked. It's already taken in over seventy five million in box office revenue overseas and I'm confident in saying that this weekend alone, it will take in over thirty million domestic.


What's next on my list? I have no idea! Perhaps I'll tackle an issue I've just noticed about the Marvel movieverse. Maybe I'll go into a “Back to Basics” and take a look st some of my favorite films. I know Kit Kat and I are planning on writing a Trailer Trash together where we look at the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trailer. After that...I still don't know. I'd like to see Oculus, the paranormal thriller starring Karen Gillan better known as Amy Pond. By the way, she is a very tall woman. She's also really sweet and I'm glad she came out to the Dallas Sci Fi Expo.


Speaking of conventions...the Dallas Comic Con is approaching and guess who's coming? Stan Freaking Lee is coming! THE STAN LEE! And I splurged on a Premium ticket so I have all the perks and privileges that come with it, including a VIP lounge.


I would also like to announce that this will be my final con. The prices are shot up, cosplays take a lot of time and money and honestly, it's no longer worth it. When I get the chance, I will attend the San Francisco Comic Con, the penultimate con for all nerds like me. Other than that, consider this my retirement from cosplay. I had fun and I will miss it, but again...the costs aren't worth it anymore. If I'm ever invited to be a media guest because I'm a blogger and I do podcasts, I think I could qualify. Don't worry guys, I'll add a link to the podcasts so you can enjoy them too.



I'm TheCinemaChick and look for me in the upcoming Avengers. I'll save the world with my super snark powers.

All you need is 20 seconds of courage

            Happy holidays everyone, I’m you friendly local movie reviewer, TheCinemaChick.  I won’t say where I’m local, but I’m fairly popular in the UK and Russia.  I learned a very important lesson tonight.  Christmas is a popular night for movies so parking can be a nightmare.  Yeah…plus, I needed a few hours out since I’ve been homebound for a few days.  Butterfly wanted to go out, Fry was already with me so we went out and watched We Bought a Zoo.

            I’ll admit, this wasn’t one I was dying to see but it did have my curiosity peaked.  It stars Matt Damon and Scarlet Johanssen.  There are some interesting characters throughout the film which made it a little more bearable.  For instance, Patrick Fugit has a minor role.  Most people won’t know who he is, but he’s done some incredible work.  Check him out in White Oleander or Wristcutters: A Love Story.  The latter film sounds morbid, but it’s fairly interesting.  I would recommend that very much.

            We Bought a Zoo wasn’t the most entertaining or exciting film.  It was cute, but far from making my top eleven favorites list.  The main plot is about Benjamin Mee, who buys a house that has a zoo on the property.  He spends the movie renovating the zoo so it can be opened in time for summer.  Then we have the subplot.  He’s also a single father who’s raising a fourteen year old son and a seven year old daughter after their mother dies six months before the movie begins.  It’s never really explained how she died, but they keep mentioning her.  But wait, there’s still two more plots to go.  There’s two love stories, one with the son and one with Benjamin

            I mean, the movie wasn’t bad by any means, it just isn’t my cup of coffee.  One thing that irked me to no end was this is being promoted as a family film.

            DO NOT take small children to see this.  Teenagers and above, sure, go ahead and see it but there is some foul language that I was shocked to hear.  To make things worse, some if it is said by the fourteen year old and seven year old.  I’m sorry, but when I was that age, if I used words like that, my parents either grounded me or used soap in my mouth.  Maybe times have seriously changed since then, but I don’t think children should even hear their parents use them.  I’ll admit to slipping up and uttering a swear word, but never around children or family.

            Also, the movie is fairly long, about two and a half hours.  The sad thing is, it feels that long.  I was never truly sucked in but that might have been because of the noisy family behind me.  Small rant: don’t let your children roam the theater unaccompanied, then have them return and ask in a very loud voice “What happened?”  I’m sorry, but if you were sitting quietly and watching the film like the rest of us, you’d know what’s going on.

            So despite all that, I did like it.  I shows the struggles of a family coping with the loss of a parent while trying to maintain a sense of normality.  No family is perfect and they do have issues to work out.  Once Benjamin realizes his own mistakes, he is able to reach out to his son.  When forced to make a choice about the life of an elderly tiger, he is forced to confront his own problems with mortality.

            There is also one message that I loved.  The son asks the father for advice about girls to which he says (basically, not word for word): “All you need is twenty seconds of courage to embarrass and humiliate yourself.”  If you think about it, he’s right.  Sometimes, speaking the truth is embarrassing and humiliating, but it’s better to get it out there than to keep it inside or lie.  If I had twenty seconds to be courageous…wow, there’s so much I’d want to say.  I’d tell this one guy how I felt about him (and that’s not implying I have feelings for him.  I would tell him off.)  I would stand outside and confess that I don’t agree with how being beautiful shouldn’t not depend on weight or physical appearance.

            I do recommend We Bought a Zoo.  While it’s not the best thing I’ve ever seen, it’s still really good.  It sends a good message which so few movies do lately.  Like I said, this one isn’t for the kiddies due to the coarse language.  It’s cute, it has some awesome animals in it and it deals with things that happen to regular people.  And what’s strange is that there is no objectionable content other than the swearing.  It’s really a shame.  This film could have been a great holiday family film.  Instead, check out The Adventures of TinTin or The Muppets if it’s still playing near you.

            Matt Damon does his best but man, he looks so old.  Something about the movie made him look aged.  True, I am overlooking the aspect of makeup and special effects but he looks almost fifty in this film.  I’ll also admit that this is based off a book, which I haven’t read.  I didn’t know this was a book until I saw the movie.  I’m not in a huge rush to read this, so if someone else has, let me know if I should pick it up.

            If I had to give We Bought a Zoo a grade, it would be a B-.  Not bad, not good, just meh.  It’s good but mostly forgettable.

            I’m TheCinemaChick and every time you recommend me to a friend, a penguin gets his fish.