for intense sequences of violence, gunplay and action throughout
Captain America: The Winter Soldier lived up to my expectations, almost completely. As I look back on the movie, there are only a couple of minor things that I would have liked to have seen done better.
In general, sequels often have a hard time living up the standards established by “part ones”, forget about being better. In my opinion, Cap 2 has done an excellent job of building on the successes of the previous film and correcting the flaws at the same time. The cool is cooler and the dull is gone.
In regards to the story and plot, we should all be in tune with the way Marvel like to turn its movies in to episodes instead of all-encompassing stories by now. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is no different, as soon as the movie is over you are ready for the next one. The story that is told sets up at least two more sequels and GREATLY impacts The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. from the small screen.
If you were to try and categorize The Winter Soldier, I think you would have to put in with spy mysteries. The story is ripe with espionage and shifting alliances with very little being as it seems. Some of the good guys do some very bad guy like things and vice versa. You are in a position of wondering who is good and who is bad for a large part of the movie. Some of the assumptions that you go in with are proved to be horribly off from the real story by the time it is over, all with an eye for the future.
As you would expect, the characters are the driving force behind this movie. As with any comic book inspired film, the story is interchangeable as long as the fans accept the character as a whole. If you screw up a character, like Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the fans will destroy the whole movie without prejudice. Making sure to not “screw anyone up” was obviously a point of emphasis for the creative team.
The characters that we have seen before that are back for another round are all more dynamic, as compared to their previous portrayals:
Captain America – Chris Evans
He is still the guy trying to adapt to waking up to a world he knows nothing about, but he doesn’t feel as lost. Humor and wit are inserted into the character so that he doesn’t seem to be quite as moody. More emphasis was put on him being a highly trained fighter and tactician this time around too.
Nick Fury – Samuel L Jackson
FINALLY! We get to see him in do more than walk around and jibber-jabber like a bureaucrat.
Black Widow – Scarlett Johansson
The writers and director made a great decision in actually letting her have some personality this time around. She is still the ass-kicking redhead from the previous movies, but now we get to see her as a human being too.
The new characters that are introduced mostly met my expectations as well:
The Winter Soldier – Sebastian Stan
If you know the history of this character from the comics, you will be happy with the big-screen adaptation. If you know nothing about him, you will be impressed with him as well. He is portrayed as Cap’s equal in almost every way. In any area where he is not Cap’s equal, he is better. He is very much like Bane, but thankfully nowhere near as chatty.
The Falcon – Anthony Mackie
This is where things could have been just a little better. Not enough time was spent on developing Falcon. I do not want to say that he was just dropped into the scene with no development, but it was still lacking. He is very much Cap’s sidekick. To the movie’s credit, any scene of him in action was given as much attention as would have been given to Iron Man.
Alexander Pierce – Robert Redford
Pierce is another character that can be a bit confusing or even misunderstood. To avoid spoiling the story, all I will say is that he is portrayed as a figurehead, or personification, for the underlying story instead of Nick Fury’s friend and ally since “the old days.” As the story unfolds Pierce becomes less and less important which mitigates my issues.
Another aspect to the Marvel movies that adds to the excitement is the use of Easter Eggs and credit scenes. This movie has a plenty of Easter Eggs and two credit scenes that are intriguing. There is a good bit of foreshadowing to other projects and characters as well: Doctor Strange for one and Moonstone as another.
A couple of words of caution:
If you are a fan of The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and are behind in watching the most recent episodes, get that done first! The story told in this movie is the resolution to part of the story on the TV show. If you watch the movie before catching up the whole “hunt for the clairvoyant” is going to be less than fulfilling to say the least. If you are like me, and make that mistake, you might jump to the same question I did, “so are they cancelling the show now?”
This weekend make the time to get out of the house and go see this movie. It is not going to let you down.
for brief strong language and sexual references
Every year the National Football League uses its annual draft to invite 224 young men to join its ranks. To be drafted into the league you have to be one of the best football players in the world. If you want to be drafted in the top 10 you have to be one of the best of the best. If you think you are good enough to be number 1, you had better be….perfect.
Draft Day is a day in the life on a fictitious Cleveland Browns General Manager named Sonny Weaver Jr; played by Kevin Costner. Weaver is tasked by the owner of the team, played by Frank Langella, to “make a splash” in the 2014 draft or face being fired. Weaver must navigate personal and professional obstacles to focus on the task of building the future of the Cleveland Browns football team while giving the owner the flashy moves and impact he so desperately desires.
Draft Day is a movie endorsed by the NFL; that is a detail that cannot be ignored. If you know anything at all about Roger Goodell, and his run as the Commissioner of the NFL, then you know he will not allow any “bad” light to be shown on the league. He is going to “protect the shield” at all costs. That should be warning enough to temper your expectations for what you can expect from this movie.
There are two audiences that this movie is trying to capture, the football fan and the casual movie viewer. The football fan is going through a bit of withdrawal right now; there is no football on TV to satisfy the hunger. The casual movie goer just got treated to a baseball movie, that is somewhat similar, that turned out to be pretty good, Moneyball. Draft Day is in prime position to come in and offer a taste of football to the hungry fan, it can also give the casual movie goer an interesting story; sadly Draft Day fails to do a good job at accomplishing either. If it was a draft pick, it would be the “bust” that the main character Sonny Weaver is trying to avoid.
How does a movie about the NFL Draft go wrong? We are a football crazed society after all.
Here’s how you do it:
Yep, sounds like a cluster to me too.
If there is a “good” part of the movie, it is in the actors themselves. They all did a good job in the roles that they were provided. Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner, Denis Leary and Frank Langella make up the bulk of the cast. That lineup should make you go, “hey, this movie can be pretty good.” Sorry, it isn’t.
In the end, this movie should be nothing more than a marketing lead in for the real 2014 NFL Draft that is coming up later in the year. The story is too watered down with Lifetime Channel BS to be taken seriously as a movie about one of the most anticipated days in the manliest of sports. I say, re-edit the movie and eliminate all the hot garbage about secret romances and daddy issues and insert more “behind the scenes” perspective on the draft process itself. You might end up with a good movie.
for crude and sexual content, language and brief nudity
Guy Trilby is an arrogant, foul mouthed, bad tempered, emotionally scarred 40 year old alcoholic with an ax to grind; he also just happens to be a total genius. Trilby’s tool of choice for achieving the revenge he is after; the national spelling bee circuit
Right from the start, Bad Words goes for the jugular in an effort to surprise the audience with the levels that a vengeful man will stoop to for that revenge. The shock and awe campaign of dialogue will both make you uncomfortable and cause you to laugh out loud. The sheer complexity of the insults that are doled out will keep your jaw hanging in disbelief.
“Why don’t you take your potty mouth, go locate your pre-teen cock sucker son and stuff him back up that old blown out sweat sock of a vagina and screw it off to whatever shit-kicking town you came from?”
(Trilby to the mother of a kid he just crushed)
Jason Bateman plays the role of Guy Trilby, a man who has been granted a near photographic memory but also cursed with an inner anger that dictates his every action and word. The portrayal of Trilby by Bateman solidifies his stature as a high caliber comedic actor. I say that hoping and praying that Bateman had to really try to be that outright mean as he delivered some of the most vitriol insults ever said on film. If that type of thing came naturally, then Kent and Victoria Bateman have to come to grips with the fact that they may be the parents of the Anti-Christ.
Trilby is a spelling genius; he could easily win any spelling bee with just his skill alone. Even though he doesn’t need them, he uses some of the cruelest, most underhanded tactics imaginable to make his path to the win over the fellow competitors as easy as possible. The 10 year olds that share the stage with him during competitions are subjected to psychological warfare that would easily take down adults.
Trilby is bad enough on his own, but he does have help in his mission in reporter Jenny Widgeon. Kathryn Hahn plays the role of Trilby’s sponsor and pseudo-willing accomplice. She aids him in his quest with the hope that he will give her the access she needs to write the story that can make her career.
Rohan Chand plays the role of 10 year old Chaitanya Chopra. Chopra is one of the many children that Guy is out to crush in his quest. Along the way, Chopra tries to befriend Guy and a relationship is formed that you know is not going to go well.
In addition to playing a starring role, Bateman also directed this film. He did an excellent job of emphasizing just how morally bankrupt the characters of this movie are. At no point in the movie are you ever allowed to settle in on a character being “good” or “bad”. All that is constant with Bad Words is that it is shocking and very funny. Leave the kiddies at home and go out and see this movie for a good night of guilty pleasure funny.
ecsguestwriter
MichaelSmithNC
Melissa Anne Cain
Eastern Carolina Style 