A Salute to Captain America: The First Avenger

Since seeing the first trailer for this movie I've been quite ecstatic waiting for it's release, not because I'm a big Captain America fan cuz I'm really not, but because this is the final Marvel movie before The Avengers next year (more on that later).

I do wonder what reason someone who doesn't know the characters and 70 plus years of comics of Captain America would want to see this movie for. Well here's your reason; It's bloody brilliant!
Captain America manages to blend it's cross-genre storylines seamlessly. Part WW2 flick, part superhero movie, part supernatural story, just like the comics it's adventuresome tale spans the gaps and pulls together a great plot.
Like the origin stories, the film opens with an antarctic expedition discovering the frozen body of Captain America aka Steve Rogers. Flashback to 1940s WW2, and we get to see who Rogers was before the uniform; a scrawny, sickly, yet scrappy guy who refuses to give up. He gets enlisted into the government's Super Soldier program to become something more.
But it's the message inside that counts; that it's not about the physical, it's what's inside that makes you who you are. And Steve Rogers is a good guy. Period. No ironic sarcasm (why Green Lantern failed). No dark and moody shadow skulking. Rogers is a straight arrow good guy. And the producers kept this in mind. Chris Evans is a good actor, but mostly known for his smart assery. So there was some hesitation when it was announced he'd gotten the role. But Evans did his research, and he nailed it.
Again, if someone isnt familiar with the source material, it may come off as strange. A WW2 film that deals with genetic engineering, advanced technology, vibranium, the occult/supernatural, and a bad guy with a red skull for a face? It'd probably be weird. But then again it's a historical fact that most of what Hitler did was inspired by his occult fascinations with ancient civilizations and alien beings so...
And then there is the tying in of cross continuity with the Marvel Universe. Howard Stark (father of Tony Stark aka Iron Man) plays a great role as the Allies' science guy and paving the way for what's to come. And when you see this movie, STAY AFTER THE CREDITS! You'll be treated to what amounts to a full on Avengers trailer with Cap, Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk, SHIELD, and more. Avengers is gonna be big. Can't wait.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows shall put a spell on you!

With the recent opening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows part 2, the end of an era has emerged. Here's what I'm thinking...

I'll start off with making it clear I have not read any of the books (Gasp! I know! Shocking!). When they first came out I think I perceived them as too kiddie, or maybe i was just too much into other things. Who knows. When the first film released I also felt it was too childish and naive, not my cup of tea. Then the second one came out, then the third, and I noticed something. The films were getting darker, much as the books got darker, because Harry (and therefore the readers) were getting older. Upon learning this I realized J.K. Rowling was actually brilliant in her approach to the books for it was working greatly.

But what about the films? Could they actually pull off a series of 8 movies, all within the same continuity, with the same cast, most of which were kids growing before our very eyes? Turns out they did pull it off, and it's now the most successful franchise in film history. This has paved the way for so many other series. There would have been no Lord of the Rings trilogy (and later the Hobbit). Marvel would have never made their films tie together into one continuity for the Avengers. Harry Potter worked, and Hollywood took notice.

Now for the film itself. I want to go back and watch parts 1 and 2 together sometime to get the whole narrative without the middle break, but from what I experienced in the final movie, I definitely enjoyed it. Action, tragedy, destiny. Three of my favorite plot themes all rolled into one. You really got the feeling that everything in Harry's life had led up to this, and now it was the final act.

I had a couple nitpicks with it, mainly the expository explanations of a couple characters' motivations that were never shown or hinted at previously seemed out of place to me, and actually gave me the wrong impression about one character that turned out i was way off about. There was also the convenient lack of magic use at times it would have been much more effective what with all the hell breaking loose all around. But as I said, those are just nitpicks. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and the saga as a whole. J.K. Rowling has my respect as a writer, and I wonder if/when there will be another generations defining saga like this to come along.

Until then, Expecto Petronum.