Captain America: The First Avenger

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a skinny kid from Brooklyn with a big heart is finally accepted into the U.S. Army during WW II after agreeing to volunteer for a top secret project that turns him into super-strong super hero Captain America.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Dominic Cooper, Hayley Atwell, Stanley Tucci, Sebastian Stan, Toby Jones, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke, Samuel L. Jackson, Richard Armitage

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Hollywood is churning out superhero films by the boatload these days with varying degrees of success. But it's obvious Marvel Studios is taking the greatest of care with their well-known characters and this one is no exception. Staying true to an origin story that took place 70 years ago makes for a nice change of pace while watching a super-strong man try to save the world.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There is a sly sense of humor woven throughout the film that will keep a smile on your face. Especially when Cap mistakes the meaning of the word "fondue."

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, and we can thank the filmmakers for not trying to go somewhere that this film didn't need to go.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: A pitch should be made for costume design. It's a deft blend between a clever winking nod to the absurdity of superhero costumes and some beautiful designs that take into account historical accuracy along with top-notch creative talent and inspiration. (I guess this has been a week for good costumes, here at the blog.)

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Chris Evans was an inspired choice for this role; his performance is an effortless blend between humor/earnestness and sensitivity/machismo. This is one of those moments in time when the exact right actor is paired with the exact right part. Hugo Weaving thankfully keeps things in check as the main villain and Hayley Atwell is a nice new face as Cap's love interest who proves to be as tough as him.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The period film looks beautiful and the pace is perfect both in set-up and pay-offs. One might wish some of the action scenes were less montage-y, but for those wanting to see Captain America wield his ultra strong shield as a lethal weapon, you definitely won't be disappointed.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I'd like to thank Marvel Studios for hiring good screenwriters who ultimately deliver a straightforward, entertaining script. No one is trying to reinvent the wheel with this one, and that alone should be commended. It could be said that Captain America is more Americana-Apple-Pie than even Superman himself, and this film feeds into that ideal beautifully. You might not recognize the America on display in this movie, but the reminder of what it once was will give you goosebumps (and then probably make you depressed).

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Yes, two things: 1. Stick around until the end credits are done to see a continuation of the last scene which turns into a teaser-trailer for next summer's The Avengers movie (which Captain America will be a big part of). 2. Everyone is talking about the visual effect of "skinny" cap at the start of the film (before he transforms). Many assume it's Chis Evans' head on another actor's body (like they did with Brad Pitt in Benjamin Button). It's not though; it's all Chris Evans and they digitally made him thinner and shorter. An amazing effect in a film full of them.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Captain America: The First Avenger Trailer

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The Way Back

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The possibly true story, as told in the memoir, "The Long Walk," about a group of World War II prisoners who escaped a Siberian prison (that's in the USSR) and walked all the way to freedom in India. Of course, not everybody makes it.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan, Dragos Bucur, Alexandru Potocean, Gustaf Skarsgard, Sebastian Urzendowsky, Mark Strong

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. I think the movie is well over two hours in an effort to make you feel just how difficult and how long this trek was.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: One of the characters is considered the "Jokester" so... no.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Even as people die you kind of feel relieved for them.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I hope it's not too late for the Make-Up to get a nomination. Never have I seen skin so beautifully damaged disgustingly by the sun.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: This is the first movie that I have ever liked Colin Farrell in. He plays a Russian, and for some reason the accent goes perfectly with his over-acting. (Yes, I did see In Bruges. Check the blog archives for how annoyed I was with all his mugging.)

Q: How is the Directing?

A: A lot of nice landscapes, but not much is done with them. That said, I would not have wanted to be the poor schmuck who had to direct this movie. Between the snow, the desert, and the vast mountain ranges, the conditions looked like they had all the right ingredients to make for a very cranky crew.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The most interesting thing about this screenplay is that it's a true story. That would be really amazing, except that there's some speculation about just how true it is. A doctor once told me that humans can out-walk any other animal, so that was one reason I was intrigued by this premise. Then again, when I'm lost on a hike or in a foreign country I try not to remember that the guy was a head-doctor, not a body-doctor.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Way Back Trailer

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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When an SS Commander gets a promotion to go run a concentration camp, his 8-year-old son is so starved for companionship, that he secretly forms a friendship with an imprisoned Jewish boy, through an electric fence.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Asa Butterfield, Jack Scanlon, Amber Beattie, Rupert Friend, Cara Horgan, Richard Johnson, David Hayman, Sheila Hancock

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This is certainly a powerful movie-- how could it not be? It's about the Holocaust-- but it's not for those who need their conclusions tied up in a pretty pink ribbon.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: This movie is for very serious audiences, so don't laugh too loud, lest you offend someone.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It doesn't deliberately pull on your heart-strings and bang you over the head with emotions and music like a Hollywood movie would, but if you fill in the unspoken thoughts and feelings in your head, you might still cry, because it is pretty sad.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: You have to admit the title is great! What a cute little way of describing a small child who is put in a prison camp to starve, perform hard labor, and die for no good reason.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Vera Farmiga is in her usual top form, and looking more stunning than usual, I might add. And the little boys, Asa Butterfield and Jack Scanlon, take their time with the moments and dialogue, to really think about what they're saying, as if they weren't acting at all.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The film is beautifully shot, as the tones of the lighting shift from warm to cold, following their move from their happy life in Berlin, to the countryside, where their neighbors are concentration camp prisoners, and their lives becomes increasingly more and more grim.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The story is appropriately understated as it depicts how even the people closest to the top SS Commanders had virtually no idea how badly the Jews were being treated in the camps, and how they, too, could be adversely affected by the atrocities surrounding them.

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