My23Cents

Captain America - Movie Review

In March of 1941, months before the United States plunged head first into WWII Timely Comics, which would eventually evolve into Marvel, released Captain America. He was the perfect foil to the ultimate villain Adolph Hitler. In fact the first issue has the Captain punching Hitler. Over the decades since we have seen the Captain in movie serials, low budget films and as a member of The Avengers, a Marvel based superhero team which I am pretty sure is led by the fictional hero Stan Lee. This weekend we got a refresher course with "Captain America: The First Avenger".

As a fan of superhero movies I have to admit I went into it with a bit of a bias, but this movie stood on it's own as a regular movie beyond the superhero business. The story of Steve Rogers is one that anyone can relate to who has been told they are too weak, too small, and too insignificant. Rogers never backs down and when he is turned down for military service he keeps trying to get in again and again.

Finally he runs into the scientist who will make the magic happen and he green lights Roger's enlistment. From there we leave the world of underdog working to make a difference and enter the superhero realm as he is transformed into Captain America and paraded around the country to sell war bonds after the evil Hydra destroys the super soldier program. When he learns his friend Bucky is missing in action he charges behind enemy lines and becomes the hero we all know him to be.

The story is very similar to the one I grew up with and Captain American still feels like an old friend. The filming techniques are reminiscent of the classic reels of the '50s and the action, while wild, has it's feet firmly in the Marvel Universe without being overwhelmed in cgi. Honestly, I found this to be one of the best superhero movies since the original Ironman. It was a pleasure to watch and a joy after the disappointment of other superhero films like the disaster known as Jonah Hex. The only real problem I have is that it leaves me wanting more. I don't know if I can wait until 2012 to see the Avengers movie.

-UW

Billy Zane, thank you for the miserably bland performance in The Phantom

The Wife isn't happy, but when it came on cable today I had to watch it again. This monster of a superhero movie is so bad it is good. Billy Zane is The Phantom, a jungle hero who battles in New York with guns and a mundane voice. I am amazed his villains don't just collapse into comas from his droning. It's like his secret weapon is targeted narcolepsy. Somehow he keeps a straight face playing this guy and that just makes this mess better. Throw in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (The original Kristy Swanson not the new one, Sarah Michelle Gellar) as the female interest and Catherine Zeta-Jones as a kinda villain, in their most unremarkable performances... ever and it is even better. They bounce off Zane's bland Phantom like silly putty on a newspaper.  They reflect the blandness back.  It is so bad it is great. Each line is mock-able, even the movie tag line, "SLAM EVIL!" just screams bad.  I have to recommend this traffic collision of a movie if you want cheese with a side of potato salad and have an evening to put on your own home version of MST3K.  Some movies are so bad they are good and this is one of them. 

-Uncle Walter