So, just got back from seeing CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER...
...and holy fucking shit, that was awesome. That movie deserves all the praise that it's been getting. I mean, it's amazing.
Trailers I Got:
-Guardians of the Galaxy: Fucking. Awesome. And really funny in parts, like the superhero profiling. Because seriously.
-Maleficent: Looks fantastic! Have some hesitance about this retelling of Maleficent's backstory, but nonetheless, it looks really interesting. Seriously.
-Lucy: Pretty interesting premise. Seriously.
-Blended: Eh, interesting premise, a few funny jokes in the trailer, but I dunno about going to go see it.
-Earth to Echo: Pretty cool-looking. Seriously!
-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014): Doesn't look too bad, but Megan Fox doesn't really fit April O'Neil (I have nothing against Megan Fox at all, but I would have personally cast Karen Gillan as April, at least from what I've managed to gather of her). That and it looks a bit too much like Transformers with turtles.
The theater experience:
Really good! Other than some people in the audience who wouldn't stop laughing at certain parts (even with the really inappropriate laughter at parts I don't think were meant to be funny), it was a great experience. Seriously.
The movie itself:
I admit, I've been kind of bad at watching the movies leading up to the first Avengers film, so I didn't see Captain America. That said, this film was really good at keeping you engaged even if you didn't see the first movie. For example, adding in Black Widow (who I already loved in Iron Man 2 and The Avengers, but goddamn...she really kicked ass here. I think she's one of my favorites now. I think my dad -- who I saw it with because my mom had homework -- liked her too) and making sure that Captain America himself was a really engaging character. I mean, he was amazing in this. For example, his speech to SHIELD/Hydra at the end. (Yeah, did I mention that SHIELD got taken over by an organization called Hydra? I mean, this movie is definitely a major wham moment for the Marvel universe, but I'm getting to that soon)
That and the movie was...honestly, it was really dark. I mean, yeah, it had some funny moments in there, such as a lot of lines from Sam Wilson (he was another favorite character of mine; I mean, he was just a really nice guy -- for example, taking in Black Widow and Captain America when they were being hunted -- really brave, and of course, he had some of the best lines. That and they managed to make him funny without clashing with the tone of the movie, which is quite the accomplishment. That and writing a funny character who's actually really funny, just because of how likeable he is), and some lines from Black Widow and Captain America, and that scene where Black Widow and Captain America have to pretend to be a couple, and some snarky humor like, during the scene when Nick Fury's attacked, the only device in his car that isn't damaged is the air conditioning, but most of the time...the movie doesn't fuck around. I think I even got scared during a few scenes, like when people in SHIELD have turned on Captain America, Nick Fury getting attacked and seemingly killed (also a major wham moment, because holy fucking shit. Thankfully, he'd just faked his death), the Winter Soldier himself (stuff like Black Widow telling Captain America about him, even showing him the scar he left her, his Implacable Man nature, how he manages to take his opponents out, and then his revealed origins, which is also incredibly heartbreaking), the AI of the man who worked for Red Skull gloating to Captain America and Black Widow about Hydra's plan, and Hydra themselves -- their conniving nature, how they worked their way into SHIELD and seamlessly integrated themselves into it (also a major wham because basically, the people you thought were the good guys really aren't the good guys at all. It's also a really good twist), and Alexander Pierce. Seriously, I think Alexander Pierce may be one of the best villains of this year, he really is. His speech to Fury near the end, for example, about spreading order and basically giving Fury what he wanted, was pretty damn scary, as well as his hunt for Captain America, which is especially scary considering that at the beginning, he's presented as being this really good friend of Fury's and whatnot and seems (emphasis on seems) reasonable, and then he just turns out to be the bad guy. And when he shoots the woman in his apartment just because she stumbled across the truth when she went to get her phone. And when the Winter Soldier starts remembering his past, giving orders to basically wipe his memories (the moment he said "put him back in cryo and start again", I already had a feeling about what he was doing, and it was horrifying). That and Robert Redford's amazing performance (yeah, that's Robert Redford. Shit you not)...yeah, he was just fantastic. Despicable, but fantastic.
That and the battle scenes. In terms of how they are, they're pretty brutal, but I think it really makes the peril that Captain America and co. go through all the more powerful, and thus you care about them. And it has a lot of weight to it -- things like the brutality of Hydra's soldiers, or the Winter Soldier, for that matter, stuff like Hydra's ships breaking apart, etc. -- it really shows, I think, what a crisis like this would be like. That and the honestly horrifying moment when Captain America's trying to plug in the card that will stop Hydra's attacks, and you see the viewscreen filling up with Hydra's targets, which seem to cover almost all the world -- luckily, Captain America stops them and he and the team manage to turn the missiles back on Hydra, but still...holy fucking shit.
That and there were some genuinely emotional moments in there too. Things like Sam Wilson talking about his dead partner, the moment when it looks like Nick Fury's been killed by the Winter Soldier (I think I was really torn between "Fury, no..." and hating the Winter Soldier), Captain America visiting the Smithsonian, and later visiting Peggy (I was actually almost about to cry during that scene), and the reveal of who the Winter Soldier really was -- I was actually really confused when it turned out to be Bucky, because I was thinking that he'd died, and yet it was a really effective reveal, because it really turns things on their heads. It's not just some masked sort of boogeyman attacking Captain America and co.; it's someone who's basically been turned into that boogeyman against their will. I think it was Captain America's reaction that really broke my heart, just the way he says, "Bucky?", and how Bucky doesn't even remember him. (I mean, I haven't seen the first film, but I got an idea, from the Smithsonian scene, of how close he and Steve Rogers were. That's definitely good writing) That and the flashbacks to how he basically became the Winter Soldier while he's recovering from his injuries, and how when he starts to remember, Alexander Pierce orders him to be put in cryo and start over. I think what's really effective about that scene is how you see the beginning of it, with this sort of device fitted over his head to shock his brain, and then you hear his screams while Alexander Pierce just walks away. I remember just wanting to cry in the theater while it was happening because I was so horrified. It was just the callousness, just reprogramming his brain like that, that really got to me. That and his final battle with Captain America, where Captain America basically says that he won't hurt Bucky, because he's his friend (and you understand Cap's decision; I mean, there's the flashback before the final battle begins to Bucky and how close they were, and that conversation with Sam where Sam asks him what if he can't be saved, which was a really well-done scene), even when Bucky's beating the shit out of him -- and it pays off in the end, because Bucky saves him from drowning. I also liked the little hook with Cap going to find him.
And it it had plenty of awesome moments. For example, Black Widow. She had really great combat moments, such as holding her own against the Winter Soldier (keep in mind, the dude's an Implacable Man and a skilled assassin, and she managed to, amongst other things, get him in the face), and besides that, uploading the truth about Hydra to the web, and her cold response to Pierce asking if she was ready for the world to see her for who she really was: "Are you?" That, IMHO, is how you respond to a villain trying to fuck with your head: turn it back on him, managing to infiltrate Hydra, and her words near the end at the trial, to name a few. That and in general, she was just incredible in this movie. She's always been incredible, but I think she especially kicked ass here. Nick Fury too; I mean, he's always been awesome, but this movie gave him great moments, like successfully faking his own death, as well as his confrontation with Pierce. And Sam, too, like his Shut Up Hannibal to one of Hydra's henchmen threatening him. And Captain America, of course. And great character development scenes, such as Black Widow and Captain America's interactions, and Nick Fury talking with Captain America in the elevator near the beginning. And the friendship between Captain America, Black Widow, and Sam (and them as a team working with Fury and others to take Hydra down) as the movie went on. I mean, they make a fantastic team. I can't wait to see them in future movies.
Honestly, it was a fantastic movie. Seriously. It deserves all the praise it gets, and more.
So overall? Loved this movie. Fucking loved it. Go see it, now!
Trailers I Got:
-Guardians of the Galaxy: Fucking. Awesome. And really funny in parts, like the superhero profiling. Because seriously.
-Maleficent: Looks fantastic! Have some hesitance about this retelling of Maleficent's backstory, but nonetheless, it looks really interesting. Seriously.
-Lucy: Pretty interesting premise. Seriously.
-Blended: Eh, interesting premise, a few funny jokes in the trailer, but I dunno about going to go see it.
-Earth to Echo: Pretty cool-looking. Seriously!
-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014): Doesn't look too bad, but Megan Fox doesn't really fit April O'Neil (I have nothing against Megan Fox at all, but I would have personally cast Karen Gillan as April, at least from what I've managed to gather of her). That and it looks a bit too much like Transformers with turtles.
The theater experience:
Really good! Other than some people in the audience who wouldn't stop laughing at certain parts (even with the really inappropriate laughter at parts I don't think were meant to be funny), it was a great experience. Seriously.
The movie itself:
I admit, I've been kind of bad at watching the movies leading up to the first Avengers film, so I didn't see Captain America. That said, this film was really good at keeping you engaged even if you didn't see the first movie. For example, adding in Black Widow (who I already loved in Iron Man 2 and The Avengers, but goddamn...she really kicked ass here. I think she's one of my favorites now. I think my dad -- who I saw it with because my mom had homework -- liked her too) and making sure that Captain America himself was a really engaging character. I mean, he was amazing in this. For example, his speech to SHIELD/Hydra at the end. (Yeah, did I mention that SHIELD got taken over by an organization called Hydra? I mean, this movie is definitely a major wham moment for the Marvel universe, but I'm getting to that soon)
That and the movie was...honestly, it was really dark. I mean, yeah, it had some funny moments in there, such as a lot of lines from Sam Wilson (he was another favorite character of mine; I mean, he was just a really nice guy -- for example, taking in Black Widow and Captain America when they were being hunted -- really brave, and of course, he had some of the best lines. That and they managed to make him funny without clashing with the tone of the movie, which is quite the accomplishment. That and writing a funny character who's actually really funny, just because of how likeable he is), and some lines from Black Widow and Captain America, and that scene where Black Widow and Captain America have to pretend to be a couple, and some snarky humor like, during the scene when Nick Fury's attacked, the only device in his car that isn't damaged is the air conditioning, but most of the time...the movie doesn't fuck around. I think I even got scared during a few scenes, like when people in SHIELD have turned on Captain America, Nick Fury getting attacked and seemingly killed (also a major wham moment, because holy fucking shit. Thankfully, he'd just faked his death), the Winter Soldier himself (stuff like Black Widow telling Captain America about him, even showing him the scar he left her, his Implacable Man nature, how he manages to take his opponents out, and then his revealed origins, which is also incredibly heartbreaking), the AI of the man who worked for Red Skull gloating to Captain America and Black Widow about Hydra's plan, and Hydra themselves -- their conniving nature, how they worked their way into SHIELD and seamlessly integrated themselves into it (also a major wham because basically, the people you thought were the good guys really aren't the good guys at all. It's also a really good twist), and Alexander Pierce. Seriously, I think Alexander Pierce may be one of the best villains of this year, he really is. His speech to Fury near the end, for example, about spreading order and basically giving Fury what he wanted, was pretty damn scary, as well as his hunt for Captain America, which is especially scary considering that at the beginning, he's presented as being this really good friend of Fury's and whatnot and seems (emphasis on seems) reasonable, and then he just turns out to be the bad guy. And when he shoots the woman in his apartment just because she stumbled across the truth when she went to get her phone. And when the Winter Soldier starts remembering his past, giving orders to basically wipe his memories (the moment he said "put him back in cryo and start again", I already had a feeling about what he was doing, and it was horrifying). That and Robert Redford's amazing performance (yeah, that's Robert Redford. Shit you not)...yeah, he was just fantastic. Despicable, but fantastic.
That and the battle scenes. In terms of how they are, they're pretty brutal, but I think it really makes the peril that Captain America and co. go through all the more powerful, and thus you care about them. And it has a lot of weight to it -- things like the brutality of Hydra's soldiers, or the Winter Soldier, for that matter, stuff like Hydra's ships breaking apart, etc. -- it really shows, I think, what a crisis like this would be like. That and the honestly horrifying moment when Captain America's trying to plug in the card that will stop Hydra's attacks, and you see the viewscreen filling up with Hydra's targets, which seem to cover almost all the world -- luckily, Captain America stops them and he and the team manage to turn the missiles back on Hydra, but still...holy fucking shit.
That and there were some genuinely emotional moments in there too. Things like Sam Wilson talking about his dead partner, the moment when it looks like Nick Fury's been killed by the Winter Soldier (I think I was really torn between "Fury, no..." and hating the Winter Soldier), Captain America visiting the Smithsonian, and later visiting Peggy (I was actually almost about to cry during that scene), and the reveal of who the Winter Soldier really was -- I was actually really confused when it turned out to be Bucky, because I was thinking that he'd died, and yet it was a really effective reveal, because it really turns things on their heads. It's not just some masked sort of boogeyman attacking Captain America and co.; it's someone who's basically been turned into that boogeyman against their will. I think it was Captain America's reaction that really broke my heart, just the way he says, "Bucky?", and how Bucky doesn't even remember him. (I mean, I haven't seen the first film, but I got an idea, from the Smithsonian scene, of how close he and Steve Rogers were. That's definitely good writing) That and the flashbacks to how he basically became the Winter Soldier while he's recovering from his injuries, and how when he starts to remember, Alexander Pierce orders him to be put in cryo and start over. I think what's really effective about that scene is how you see the beginning of it, with this sort of device fitted over his head to shock his brain, and then you hear his screams while Alexander Pierce just walks away. I remember just wanting to cry in the theater while it was happening because I was so horrified. It was just the callousness, just reprogramming his brain like that, that really got to me. That and his final battle with Captain America, where Captain America basically says that he won't hurt Bucky, because he's his friend (and you understand Cap's decision; I mean, there's the flashback before the final battle begins to Bucky and how close they were, and that conversation with Sam where Sam asks him what if he can't be saved, which was a really well-done scene), even when Bucky's beating the shit out of him -- and it pays off in the end, because Bucky saves him from drowning. I also liked the little hook with Cap going to find him.
And it it had plenty of awesome moments. For example, Black Widow. She had really great combat moments, such as holding her own against the Winter Soldier (keep in mind, the dude's an Implacable Man and a skilled assassin, and she managed to, amongst other things, get him in the face), and besides that, uploading the truth about Hydra to the web, and her cold response to Pierce asking if she was ready for the world to see her for who she really was: "Are you?" That, IMHO, is how you respond to a villain trying to fuck with your head: turn it back on him, managing to infiltrate Hydra, and her words near the end at the trial, to name a few. That and in general, she was just incredible in this movie. She's always been incredible, but I think she especially kicked ass here. Nick Fury too; I mean, he's always been awesome, but this movie gave him great moments, like successfully faking his own death, as well as his confrontation with Pierce. And Sam, too, like his Shut Up Hannibal to one of Hydra's henchmen threatening him. And Captain America, of course. And great character development scenes, such as Black Widow and Captain America's interactions, and Nick Fury talking with Captain America in the elevator near the beginning. And the friendship between Captain America, Black Widow, and Sam (and them as a team working with Fury and others to take Hydra down) as the movie went on. I mean, they make a fantastic team. I can't wait to see them in future movies.
Honestly, it was a fantastic movie. Seriously. It deserves all the praise it gets, and more.
So overall? Loved this movie. Fucking loved it. Go see it, now!