idahovandalfan

I've heard a lot of reviews about this being cheesy. I'm not going to disagree with them, however, there's a reason for the cheese. It's a period piece. That period happens to be the WWII Era in the United States. This is a period of time when Americans probably felt the most patriotic. We were sending our young men into war to save the world. Men signed up willingly and those who couldn't fight, found ways to contribute. I think that if any of us suddenly woke up in 1940s America, we'd find it a very different world.

With that said, Joe Johnston, Chris Evans and Tommy Lee Jones capture this era perfectly. Captain America is Steve Rogers, a spirited young man who despite not being blessed with even an average man's physique, still wants to contribute to the war effort. He loves his country and is fearless. It are these qualities that encompass Captain America.

The pacing of the movie is perfect. The movie runs just over 2 hours long and it doesn't feel like it. The scenery and environment (some obviously green screened) are perfectly done. And speaking of green screening, there is a lot of CGI in the movie, but it's not overdone and it doesn't draw your attention often.

I knew going in that it was an introduction to Captain America so I expected a lot of exposition and character development rather than a lot of fight scenes and action. The movie is similar to Thor for me. We get some background and some cool fight scenes, but we can't wait to see more.

The actors are perfect. Chris Evans is so far removed from his role as The Human Torch. It's weird to see him as a team player rather than a hot headed showoff. Hugo Weaving is great as usual. Though I'll always have a tough time not expecting "Mr. Anderson" to come out of his mouth at any given time. And I also really liked the young Howard Stark. You get to really see where Tony gets his charm and personality.

This movie is a must see simply for the fact that it is the last stand-alone film before they (Iron Man, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Thor and Cap) get together for The Avengers. And speaking of the Avengers, make sure to sit through the credits to get an extra scene and a teaser for the Avengers.

Here's my rank for the current Marvel movies so far:

1. Iron Man 2. Thor 3. Captain America 4. The Incredible Hulk 5. Iron Man II

I like Hollywood's current idea of rebooting rotting franchises. Christopher Nolan has done a masterful job of injecting Batman with some life. Daniel Craig has given us new reasons to root for James Bond. J.J. Abrams has now given us a fresh look at the Star Trek universe. As a fan of Alias, Lost and his work on Mission: Impossible 3 I was excited to see what Abrams would do for Star Trek. I can sum it up in one simple word, "wow!"

This fresh look at Star Trek is just what the fans needed after Nemesis left a bitter taste in our mouths. A youthful and talented cast boldly takes Star Trek to a place where no other movie dared to go. I think this movie is exactly what Roddenberry would have created in the 1960s had the technology and money been available.

The movie was brilliantly acted by a new young cast. Zachary Quinto as Spock is by far the highlight of the film. Quinto's previous work as Sylar on "Heroes" has prepared him very well for the role of an almost emotionless character of Spock. Chris Pine is fantastic as Kirk (and he even looks like a young William Shatner). Zoe Saldana is great as Uhura, John Cho is awesome as Sulu, Karl Urban was hilarious as Leonard 'Bones' McCoy and Simon Pegg was very memorable as Montgomery Scott (despite the least amount of screen time). The cast works very well together due to a brilliant script and amazing direction.

The story itself is well written. I particularly like the movie because it allows the writers and director to take the Enterprise crew on new directions in later installments of this new franchise. Star Trek has always forced us to believe in fantasy and this new Star Trek is exactly that - fantastic.

The camera work in the movie is stunning. There is a breathtaking moment the first time the camera zooms on the Enterprise NCC-1701 on the hull of the ship. The space scenes are breathtaking in both their scope and visuals. I will admit that the use of lens flares is a bit overdone, but I was able to ignore it as there is a lot of other stuff to be focusing on anyway.

The movie is just over 2 hours long and after it was over I was disappointed simply because I could have watched 2 hours more. Abrams has created a new fantastic universe to enjoy. With the infusion of new cast and direction, I personally cannot wait until the next installment comes out in a few years (I'm guessing).

As Spock states in the movie, "Thrusters full ahead."

Amazing movie.

9.5/10

Wolverine is a decent movie. It is worth the price of admission and the 2 hours of screen time. The movie works well as a prequel of the events of the X-Men movies. However, to enjoy the movie, one must suspend knowledge of the comic book material. The movie was made for the average movie-goer and a little for the ultra hardcore X-Men comic book reader. The story has everything anyone could want: family, a little romance, love, comedy, revenge and plenty of action.

I was pleased with most of the acting. I will admit that some dialogue seems forced from the minor cast, but the main characters - Wolverine, Sabretooth, etc. - all work well together. The story did seem a little rushed and choppy at times, however. The 1:45 time goes by quickly enough to feel like maybe the movie could have - and should have - been closer to 2:00.

The movie is as good as the first X-Men movie, and better than X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand. I am actually looking forward to seeing how they handle the Magneto origins movie that's being made. And I am really hoping that all of this work brings it together for a possible X-Men 4. I know you agree with me because after all, I know everyone is dying to see Apocalypse as the bad guy.

My only real complaint of the movie is that Gambit (my favorite X-Men character) did not have as much screen time as I'd hoped. He better either get his own movie, or make an appearance in a later Marvel movie.

Ignore the syndicated critics and the negativity surrounding this movie. I'm glad I did. Go see it. Don't let people scare you away from spending your money on this movie. Form your own opinions. Oh, and if you go, stay after the credits.