Movie Review - "The Cabin in the Woods" (2012) ***1/2

     I came up with a theory in the late 90's that the next big, game-changing horror film will be released in the year 2014. What is my reasoning behind that thinking? Well, in my opinion, the three horror films in history that redefined the genre at the time they were released were Psycho in 1960, Halloween in 1978, and Scream in 1996. Those three at the time of their releases changed the horror landscape and became the most copied films of the genre during their respective timeframes. If you look at the years, they all fell 18 years apart from each other, hence my theory that 2014 will be the next genre changer. Okay, I realize that theory may be a little corny, but hey, it's at least interesting to consider. I bring it up for the simple reason that I thought maybe that theory would be bested by two years. I had heard a lot of positive things about Cabin in the Woods but I was surprised to be hearing such things as "this will change the way you look at horror films" or "you have NEVER seen anything like this film before". I was hearing about these amazing plot twists and for that reason "you should not read or listen to anything about this movie before seeing it". Then when reviews started rolling in and it was hovering at around 93% on RottenTomatoes, I thought maybe this was finally going to be it. The next big thing was here, just two years early. Well, what I saw is indeed very different and the ambition that went into the project is to be respected....but ultimately I was a touch let down.

     There is one piece of information out there about this movie that is completely correct. The less you know about it prior to seeing it, the better off you will be. The whole premise of the movie from the start is basically a plot twist. For that reason, a plot summary is really not a good idea. Here is what I can give you. The movie starts with what we think is a simple premise. Five young kids, that seem to be your typical slasher-film stereotype victims, are heading for a remote cabin in the woods to have a weekend full of partying, complete with drugs, beer and sex. Naturally they run into a shady gas station attendant who warns them of the dangers of going to the cabin (Doesn't that guy show up in all horror movies!), but they go ahead anyways. There's a weird thing though at the start of this movie, we are also introduced to two gentlemen (Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford) who work in some sort of government building that appears to be underground. At first we have no idea how these two people are related to the story, but of course they are related somehow.......That's it. That's all I can give you. Basically this is about the first 10 minutes of the movie. Everything after that, you are on your own to discover.

     I love the ambition behind this movie. It is directed by Drew Goddard and written by Goddard and good buddy Joss Whedon. These two have a cult following, mostly from their tv hits such as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel". Cabin in the Woods seems to play like their love letter to the horror genre as many different tributes can be found throughout the film (you will see what I mean if you watch it). While I love the ambition and the effort put into the movie, ultimately I was a little let down by the ending. This movie is strange and will mess with your mind a little bit but when things start to go haywire (you will see what I mean) horror fans will definitely have a smirk on their face. I just wish it could have been done a little better. I don't even really know specifically what it is that bothers me about it, perhaps I just went in with expectations too high. That's possible. All that being said though, I do recommend this movie for the horror/sci-fi junkie out there. I just don't think it was the game-changer that I was expecting. Maybe in two more years.

Movie Review - "Dolphin Tale" (2011) ***

     I can remember growing up in the 80's and every Sunday night the whole family would gather around the tv to watch the Sunday Night Disney Movie. It was one of the few times that we would all watch the television together. In later years, shows like "E.R." and "Home Improvement" would also become regular family viewing, but they didn't have the memories that the Sunday night movie established. I can still see my mom and dad sitting in their respective recliners, with my sister and I on the floor in our beanbags. Everyone with a bowl of popcorn of course. The reason I bring this up is because some of those memories came back to me while watching Dolphin Tale. It's the perfect example of the type of movie that you would see on those Sunday family movie nights. Usually they are nothing extraordinary but are simply a good watch and appropriate for all ages. There's a place for these movies, especially non-animated ones, at a time when family films seem to be a bit of a dying breed.

     Dolphin Tale is inspired by a true story of a young boy named Sawyer (Nathan Gamble), who happens upon a dolphin that is injured on a Clearwater, Florida beach. The dolphins tale is caught in a crab trap and severly injured during the struggle to free itself. Sawyer cuts the trap away from the dolphin and immediately seems to form a bond with the animal. Dr. Clay Haskett (Harry Connick Jr.), a marine biologist with the Clearwater Marine Hospital arrives with his team to transport the dolphin, which they name Winter, to their facilities for treatment. Sawyer is concerned about Winter and tries to sneak into the facility the next day. He is aided by Clay's young daughter Hazel (Cozi Zuehlsdorff) who understands Sawyer's concern. Clay eventually finds out about Sawyer sneaking around but allows him to stay when Winter shows an attachment to the young kid. Sawyer starts working with the team on a daily basis but Winter starts to take a downturn due to her damaged tail which must be removed. In order to save the animals life, the group comes up with an idea that has never been attempted before; a prosthetic tail. Prosthetics expert Dr. Cameron McCarthy (Morgan Freeman) is the last hope for Winter, but when the dolphin does not respond well to initital treatments, Cameron, Clay and Sawyer wonder if Winter will be able to overcome tragedy against great odds.

     Dolphin Tale as stated earlier, is a perfect family movie for everyone to enjoy. The story is not without flaws as everything is fairly predictable but not all films need to be The Usual Suspects. What makes this stand out from other movies that tend to be "by-the-book" is the surprising cast that was used for this film. Morgan Freeman always bring legitimacy to any project and Ashley Judd has a nice little turn as Sawyer's mom. I have always been a fan of Harry Connick Jr.'s, he just has a likability about him that is refreshing to see. I feel he is underrated as an actor and I will never forget his bone-chilling turn as a serial killer in the highly underrated film Copycat, with Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter. Young Nathan Gamble also turns in a fine performance as Sawyer, a socially awkward kid who seems to find true enjoyment in life for the first time when he starts working with Winter. If you're looking for a nice movie to catch with the kiddos one night, you can do a lot worse than this. Give it a try, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Movie Review - "Martha Marcy May Marlene" (2011) ***1/2

     Well, if you are looking for a nice, pleasant, feel-good movie for a warm afternoon...this is not it. If you are looking for something deep, dark, and makes you feel like you need a shower afterwards...by all means jump in. That's not to say that Martha Marcy May Marlene is a bad film, it's not, but wow is this a dreary picture. I had not heard anything about this film until this past Oscar season when I heard mentions here and there of it being a possible dark-horse candidate for some nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress. It was highly regarded by a couple of critics that I admire so while it never came to theaters in my area, I made a mental note to add it to my Netflix queue and catch it later. I had high expectations coming in and while there are things about the movie that I really enjoy, I came away for the most part feeling a little let down.

     Elizabeth Olsen, sister of famed twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, stars as Martha, a troubled young lady who has spent the past two years living with a cult under the name of Marcy May. As the film opens, Martha has run away from the cult and turns to her estranged older sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson), and Lucy's husband Ted (Hugh Dancy), for assistance. Martha is obviously troubled and does not choose to tell Lucy and Ted about her past two years, though it is obvious she has experienced something traumatic. The movie plays as a series of flashbacks of Martha's time with the cult and the abuses she experienced there at the hands of cult leader Patrick (John Hawkes), interspersed with present time and Martha trying to adjust to a new life where actions she once experienced as acceptable are now frowned upon. For instance, Martha wants to swim in Lucy's lake and strips down all of her clothes and jumps in naked. This was normal behavior in the cult, so Martha is confused when Lucy and Ted get upset with her and tell her she can't do that in public. She has been brainwashed to the point she doesn't understand right from wrong in many instances. These episodes cause a lot of frustration for Lucy and Ted and it threatens to put a strain on their relationship. When Martha becomes convinced that cult members have found her hiding place and are coming for her, the line between reality and delusion are unclear and we worry that too much permanent damage may have already been done to save Martha.

     This is one of those films that I believe I would have liked a little better if a few things had been done differently. I had some issues with the flashbacks in this movie and more than once I was confused which timeline I was in for a minute or two. I can usually follow along pretty well when movies use this storytelling technique, but here it felt a little TOO choppy in parts. There wasn't always a clear break where we would switch over and I started getting frustrated a bit with this. Also, without giving any spoilers, I will say that this movie has an open ending. It ends abruptly during a scene we are very interested to see what happens in, and we do not get an outcome. This seems to be happening more and more in films, and I'm always torn on it. There are times when it really works, so I understand why it's done, but there are times also where I feel it's lazy and the filmmakers didn't want to commit to something. I sort of felt that way about this movie. I wanted a closure to this story and I didn't get it, I feel it was a bad use of the ambiguous ending. My final complaint is that story is a bit too slow with it's pacing. This is not an action-packed adventure by any means, it's not intended to be, but man this thing drags at times. They save it by keeping the running time at a manageable hour and forty-five minutes.

     All those things being said, I do ultimately recommend this movie. The acting is all adequate to very good with Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes really shining in their roles. Olsen may not be as well-known as her younger sisters but that will change in due time. She is very pretty and has a presence on screen that you are immediately drawn to. She reminds me of Jennifer Lawrence a bit in that sense, they exude a quiet confidence about them. She will definitely be an actress to watch in the coming years. Hawkes is also very convincing as the cult leader Patrick. It's easy to see how he gets his followers to love him and ultimately obey his every word with his words and actions. Hawkes never goes overboard into Charles Manson territory, we get the feeling he is always in control, and Hawkes nails that. Sean Durkin is at the helm of the movie and he is a first-time writer and director. He has some kinks to work out but for a first feature, it's a job well done. There are some frustrating things to deal with while watching, but Martha Marcy May Marlene comes as a recommend. It's not going to be for everyone though.

Note: Just to explaing the title/name. Martha is here given name. Marcy May is the name the cult gives her. Marlene is the name that all female cult members use when answering the phone. So there you go.

Movie Review - "Titanic 3-D" (2012) ****1/2

     In 1997, a little movie came out about a boy, a girl and a boat. It was a dream project of a filmmaker who spared no expense to bring his vision to the big screen. After receiving mostly positive reviews from critics, it went on to make over $600 million at the box office, an astounding number that overtook longtime box office champion Star Wars. It would hang on to the top spot for the next 12 years until a movie called Avatar, by the same filmmaker, would finally sink it (pun fully intended). I'm of course talking about Titanic, director James Cameron's epic tale of the fateful ship that sank on the night of April 14th, killing over 1,500 people who were not able to make it on lifeboats. Cameron was long a fan of the Titanic story and used his skills as a deep-sea explorer to visit the actual ruins of the ship. These quests inspired him to make the film and provided some legitimacy to the early shots in the film. To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the film and the 100th anniversary of the actual disaster, Cameron has re-released the movie in 3-D format, a process he perfected in Avatar.

      A plot summary for Titanic seems like a moot point. Just about everybody has seen this film and has already formed their own opinions on it. If you haven't seen the film yet, well then....REALLY? It's time to come out from under the rock. Titanic while being critically acclaimed, and rightfully so, does have a healthy and very vocal group of haters. Mostly men who cannot fathom why there is such an awful romance story mixed in with a disaster tale. Personally, I think these people just want to be part of the "cool crowd"!! Everyone is obviously entitled to their opinion on every movie, but I simply don't get the hate this one receives. I think Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet bring a legitimacy to their scenes that would have been lost with lesser actors. After hearing that Matthew McConaughey was considered for this role, I cringed a bit. Yes, the initial scenes on the ship can be a bit silly or sappy but when this movie kicks in, it's one of the best. I think it's easy to forget that this disaster really happened and when you put it in that perspective while watching the massive loss of life, it's hard not be pulled in emotionally. There are people that actually went through this, just stop and think about that for a minute.

     The 3-D post-conversion of this film is easily the best I have seen. I was not blown away with the Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in 3-D, and went in expecting more of the same. While the 3-D in Titanic didn't necessarily "add" anything to the film, there are at least lots of time when it's very noticeable and does add tremendous depth to the picture. I especially noticed it early on in the film. During the second half I didn't notice it as much, but by then I could have just been enjoying the movie and not paying attention to it specifically. Either way, I was definitely impressed with the conversion but don't know that I would necessarily recommend people go out and see it just for that. If you enjoyed the movie anyways, by all means go see it. Who knows when you will get another opportunity to see that film on the big screen again, the way it was meant to be seen.

Movie Review - "The Adventures of Tintin" (2011) **1/2

     The Adventures of Tintin is not a movie that I had originally planned on seeing. I had seen the previews and was not overwhelmed and while the reviews were generally positive the couple of people that I knew who saw it in theaters were less than impressed. So it disappeared from my radar for a time. Then during a phone conversation with a movie buddy of mine, he was raving about the film which he had just watched, even somewhat implying that this was one of the better movies he had seen in years. Comparable to Raiders of the Lost Ark I was even told. Well, it is directed by the great Steven Spielberg, so there could be some truth to that. So not only did I add Tintin to my Netflix queue but I also bumped it up to the top of my long list of movies that I'm waiting to see. I had gone from zero expectations to heightened expectation in one phone call. As with most things it seems, the truth lies somewhat in the middle.

     Tintin is a motion captured computer-animated adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson. It is based on a series of comic books from Belgian artist Herge' that was around during the 1940's. The comics have been around since 1929 actually, but the movie is based on three specific comics from the 40's. Jamie Bell stars as Tintin, a young journalist with a knack for solving crimes along with his faithful sidekick, his dog Snowy. At an outdoor European market, Tintin buys a model of the famous ship the "Unicorn" but is immediately approached by two mysterious individuals who want to buy it from him, one of them is the sinister Sakharine (Daniel Craig). Tintin refuses the offers and takes the ships home where a fight between Snowy and a cat knocks the ship off a counter, breaking one of the masts which contains a scroll. Tintin doesn't notice the scroll originally but is later led to it by Snowy. The discovery of the scroll will end up leading Tintin on an adventure that is worthy of Indiana Jones and will find him kidnapped aboard a ship, stranded in a desert and zipping through the streets of Morocco in search of lost treasure. He is joined along the way by drunken sea captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) who attempts to help Tintin solve the mystery of the "Unicorn".

     The Adventures of Tintin fits perfectly what I call a "moment" movie. There are moments in this film that are really well made and I was invested in the story. Unfortunately, the scenes that bridge the gap from moment to moment are a bit lackluster, even boring at times. The initial 20-30 minutes of the movie are the best, in my opinion, and I almost wish the movie had stayed in that locale and explored a story there. But it gets to jumping around too much and I think it tries to be too much at one time. It's hard to imagine saying this, but I would have liked to have seen it scaled back just a touch. One of the biggest issues I had is that I simply didn't care about the characters. Perhaps that had something to do with the motion capture animation and something was missing on an emotional level, but I thought they were pretty flat. Only Capt. Haddock seemed to have mutliple levels of personality in my opinion. All that being said, I can definitely see where people may like this movie more than I did. It was released in 3-D in theaters and I wonder if this is a film that may have benefited from seeing it in that format, it's possible. While I don't think Tintin is anywhere  near as good as Raiders of the Lost Ark, I definitely feel it is much better than Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, so it has that going for it. It's a fine little movie, just don't go in with too high expectations.

Movie Review - "The Interrupters" (2011) ****

"It may sound absurd, but don't be naive
 Even heroes have the right to bleed.
 I may be disturbed, but won't you concede
 Even heroes have the right to dream.
 It's not easy to be me."

     Those lyrics are from a song called "Superman" by Five For Fighting, and it's personally one of my favorite songs. That song popped in my head as I was watching The Interrupters, the most recent documentary from acclaimed documentarian Steve James, who made the brilliant 1994 film Hoop Dreams. Hoop Dreams followed two young basketball players through their high school and college careers as they both dreamed of making it to the NBA one day and showed just how fragile those dreams can be. To this day, it remains the best documentary I have ever seen, and James latest effort is not far behind.

     The Interrupters follows three individuals who work for an organization called CeaseFire, a Chicago-based anti-violence program which sends workers, Interrupters, to areas where gang violence is simmering to try and stop conflicts before they arise. Ameena Matthews, Eddie Bocanegra and Cobe Williams are all former criminals who dealt drugs, committed crimes and even were involved in deaths of other individuals. They have turned their lives around and now work as Interrupters trying to quell the very violence they once engaged in. They are ideal to work the streets because they know what it is like to live in the shoes of these offenders. They are often placed in very dangerous situations and could get caught up in altercations easily, but they do their job anyway hoping to save lives one person at a time. It takes a special kind of person to do a job like this and they have the patience of saints. It's a job I know that I could not do and I doubt many others could either. These individuals are true "heroes" and if this film serves no other purpose, it makes people aware that there are folks out there who truly care about problems on the streets. We follow them over the course of a year during one of the most violent times in Chicago's history. It's safe to say, you will respect this organization when you are finished.

     I really enjoyed this film but I do knock it a bit for being just a tad too long. It clocks in at a touch over 2 hours and I think it could have benefited with about a 15 minute cut. There's a lot of great scenes but there are a few moments where it drags, but don't let that dissuade you from giving it a shot. Also, being that this movie is a documentary, and very real, the language can be pretty harsh which will turn some people off. Unfortunately, this is a realistic slice of this life so that's to be expected. If you can look past these complaints, I think you will find a film here that will have you thinking long after the credits have rolled. I know documentaries don't tend to make for great Saturday evening entertainment but there are lots of great ones out there, and this is one of the better ones.

Movie Review - "The Hunger Games" (2012) ****

     If you're looking for the hot, new thing going these days, look no further than The Hunger Games. You probably can't turn on a tv, walk in a store, or be anywhere near a teenager without hearing or seeing something about The Hunger Games.  Usually these fads are not worth the attention they are getting but I feel this one is an exception. I have to admit...I have bought into the hysteria. I first became familiar with this franchise about a year or so ago when I heard a few people here and there talking about the books and how good they were. I didn't even know what they were about at the time, but it stuck in the back of my head and later on I started reading articles in Entertainment Weekly magazine about a movie version coming out. It was here that I learned what the story was and I became intrigued. In preparation for the movie being released, I decided to pick up the first book and give it a shot. I was hooked into the story early on by the time I reached the second half of the book, I couldn't put it down. The books are a trilogy of stories by author Suzanne Collins, and I proceeded to polish off the second book, "Catching Fire", and am currently working on the final book, "Mockingjay". After seeing the film, I believe they were pretty faithful to the book and I highly anticipate the next entries into the series.

     For those not in the know, The Hunger Games tells the story of a North America that is not as we know it today. The nation of Panem is led by a Capitol that rules 12 unique districts. As a form of punishment to the districts, resulting from a failed uprising by a 13th district that once existed, the Capitol forces each district to offer up one female and one male, between the ages of 12 and 19, who are forced into an arena where they must fight to the death until only one tribute remains. This child is declared winner of the Hunger Games and is treated to a lifetime of royalty and riches for their family. When young, 12-year old Primrose Everdeen is selected as the female contestant from District 12, her older sister Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) fears for her sister and volunteers to take her place in the arena. She is joined by Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), the male tribute who has had a past encounter with Katniss. The two are escorted to the Capitol by Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) and their mentor, Haymitch (Woody Harrelson), who is the only previous winner from the 12th district.

     Haymitch is an alcoholic who does not accept his role as mentor initially, but he sees talent in Katniss and Peeta and feels for the first time in many years that they can produce a winner of the games. Since the games are a nationally televised extravaganza, the contestants are dressed up and primped for numerous television appearances before they take part in the games. Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) is the stylist who is assigned to Katniss and the two form a friendship right away as Cinna shows that he truly cares for her. His creations for Katniss are crowd-pleasers and soon she is a fan favorite, known as The Girl on Fire. During the buildup to the games, Katniss and Peeta become attracted somewhat and they realize that a blossoming relationship could earn them favors in the games. Katniss is torn by this as back home there is a young man named Gale (Liam Hemsworth) who is her closest friend, that she obviously has feelings for. Katniss and Peeta are eventually thrown into the bloody massacre of the games and they must make decisions that will test their relationship, survival insticts and their humanity in a inhumane situation.

     I really enjoyed The Hunger Games, but as is almost the case in any situation like this, the book is obviously deeper and a bit better. Books have the time to develop characters fully and get inside their heads, and that's difficult to do in the time constraints of a film. However, if you never decide to read the books, I think you will still enjoy the movie. Jennifer Lawrence is wonderful as our heroine. In 2010, I thought she gave the best performance of the year in the little-seen Best Picture nominee, Winter's Bone. I see a lot of that same character in Katniss, making this an excellent casting choice. The supporting roles are all effective as well, especially the decision to cast Woody Harrelson as Haymitch. I wasn't picturing someone like Harrelson while reading the novel, but after seeing this, it was a perfect choice. Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland and Wes Bentley are also standouts as various members of the Captiol.

     The movie is directed by Gary Ross who only has a couple of previous directing credits prior to this but they were good ones; Seabiscuit and Pleasantville. He is also a writer on the film along with the stories author, Suzanne Collins, as well as Billy Ray. As of this writing, the film has already grossed over $240 million in under 2 weeks. It has mass appeal and could flirt with the top 10 list of all-time box office returns. Either way, it has fully grasped the pop culture landscape and has made future movie installments a certainty, something that was not for sure a few weeks ago. The Hunger Games is not for everyone, especially if you are susceptible to kids-on-kids violence, although a lot of the action is toned down in the movie to obtain a PG-13 rating. For the most part though, this will be a hit with those who gives it a chance.

Movie Review - "Real Steel" (2011) **1/2

     As I have stated plenty of times in the past, boxing movies for whatever reason tend to resonate with me. I'm not sure why as I'm not a fan of the sport much at all. But so many movies based on the sport of boxing have been absolute classics, or at least watchable enjoyments. Real Steel falls into that second category easily. This is not a classic, but you can find worse ways to spend a couple hours of your life. It gets bogged down by too many cliches at times and it's easy to predict what is going to happen, but there is enough here that makes for decent rainy weather viewing.

     Real Steel stars Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up boxer who was once promising but his sport has evolved into battles between huge robots, rather than humans. This new sport allows spectators to see true fights-to-the-death which is obviously frowned upon amongst human fighters. Charlie is cocky, and a swindler, who owes money to several shady characters. This is not a nice man by any means. His world is complicated when he is informed that the mother of his 11-year old son has passed away, and Charlie is the next of kin. Charlie wants nothing to do with the boy, Max (Dakota Goyo), at first and the feeling from Max is mutual. When Max learns Charlie is involved in robot boxing however, he insits on coming along for the ride despite Charlie's protests to the contrary. Charlie invests in a new robot but his cockiness eventually leads to its destruction. Things are looking bleak for the father-son combo until Max stumbles upon a robot that has been left behind in a junkyard as scrap. Max senses something special about the bot, named Atom, and convinces Charlie to bring him along and help Max train Atom. Despite the initial skepticism, Charlie learns that Atom has a lot more to offer than initially believed, and all 3 members of the team get a final shot at a comeback.

     Real Steel will never be mistaken as a great movie but there is enough here to make it appealing to a lot of people and I give it a very mild recommend. Directed by Shawn Levy and written by Levy, John Gatins and Richard Mathis, the story is pretty predictable and as I said earlier, it falls into the routine of some standard cliches. That's not necessarily horrible, it just doesn't make for anything that could potentially surprise you. You've seen the outline of this story before, many times. Jackman does a decent job playing a very unlikable character early in this film. This was the one aspect of the story that really took me off guard, I didn't realize how much of a jerk the character Charlie is. I wasn't expecting that. But Jackman had decent chemistry with young Dakota Goyo and by the end of the movie, I was buying their relationship. The beautiful Evangeline Lilly (LOST) has a supporting role as a friend of Charlie's and she is always a pleasure to see on screen. If there was a long list of every film I have seen, Real Steel would fall directly in the middle somewhere. It's about as average as they come. Don't go out of your way to see it, but if you catch it on cable one day, give it a shot.

Movie Review - "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011) **

     I think because of my unnatural love for the Star Wars franchise, including the fact that I still buy toys to show that love, I have a tendency to get lumped into that "loves all things nerdy" camp. The truth is, I'm really not. One perfect example is the comic book universe, it's just never been something that I was interested in. I have never been a reader of comics and for the most part, I have found their movie counterparts to be a bore. Only the Batman series seems to be immune from this somewhat as I did like the two Michael Keaton films a lot and The Dark Knight made my top 100 films of all-time list. Other than that, these films really have not worked for me. Which brings us to Captain America: The First Avenger, one of the latest entries into the Marvel franchise and one of the few superhero films that I was sort of looking forward to seeing. I'm not sure why, but the previews I saw for this just appealed to me for some reason. I missed seeing in the theater but was able to catch it on dvd this weekend. I was hoping for a surprise...instead, I got more of the same.

     Captain America takes place during World War II and we meet young Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a meek but determined young man who wants nothing more than to serve his country against the oppressive Nazi regime. Rogers is always given a failing grade due to his numerous health conditions but that doesn't stop him from constantly defending his country, even if it means getting himself beat up in alleyways. One day, Rogers catches the eye of Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) who decides to use Steve in an experimental government program called Project Rebirth. Rogers body is put into a machine and what comes out is not a weak, sick man, but a man of incredible size, strenght and speed giving him maximum human potential. After the procedure, Dr. Erskine is assassinated by a member of the secret Hydra organization, a part of the Nazi party and is led by the evil Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving), also known as Red Skull. Rogers with his new powers want to use them for good but he is initially misused as the propaganda spokesman, Captain America, whose job is to raise funds for the war effort. He is mocked by fellow soldiers until he leads a daring raid to capture a group of imprisoned American soldiers. Captain America shows his true value to the American armed forces and decides to wage war on the Hydra organization.

     Captain America: The First Avenger is not the worst superhero film I have seen. In fact, I enjoyed the first half of the movie for the most part. I found it amusing that the government would create this human with super abilities and then use him as a propaganda tool. There's something fitting to that that just made me chuckle. I even enjoyed the scenes with the raid, mentioned in the recap above. It's after this, when Captain America becomes the Captain America we imagine where the story falls apart for me and I found everything a bit dull. When the movie should take off and go to that extra level, it completely falls apart for me. And that is the problem I tend to have with so many films like this, there are things about the setup I tend to enjoy but the final product just seems lacking. That being said, I'm not a comic fan and if you are, you will probably get a lot more out of this than I will. The ratings tend to be pretty positive for Captain America, so I may not be the best source to listen to on this. It wouldn't be the first time.