Movie Review (and some musings): The Avengers
As of right now, The Avengers has had the largest opening weekend of any film in history. It’s received rave reviews, and generated its share of controversy. You probably have an idea of whether or not you’re going to see it, if you haven’t seen it already. But in case you need my take on it to convince you, here it is: The Avengers is really, really good. Not perfect, not the best movie I have ever seen in my life, but a genuinely enjoyable, funny, well-written and acted summer blockbuster which is definitely worth seeing.
Rundown: The Top 5 Patriotic Superheroes (Besides Captain America)
I enjoyed Captain America: The First Avenger quite a bit. I didn’t mention this in the review, but I actually saw it twice in a row, and I’d totally be willing to see it again in theaters. Since I’m still running on a patriotic high, I decided to make a list of patriotic superheroes. Although Captain America is probably the most famous star-spangled hero, he’s not the only one, or even the first. There have been a number of cool-looking, inspiring, or at the very least interesting red, white, and blue heroes over the years. So without further ado, here’s the top five patriotic superheroes who aren’t Captain America!!
5. U.S. Agent
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Secret Identity: John Walker
Ok, so the guy isn’t super different from Captain America, but bear with me. John Walker was a U.S. soldier who briefly took up the mantle of Captain America after Steve Rogers left the government. Rogers had issues with following the directives of the U.S. government, and Walker was recruited and trained to be a Cap who more willingly followed the chain of command. Walker served as a more aggressive, lethal Captain America until suffering a breakdown and being replaced by Rogers. He eventually resurfaced as U.S. Agent, a government-sanctioned superhero who served on a number of Avengers-related teams.
Movie Review: Captain America: The First Avenger
Every summer, Hollywood redoubles its efforts to mine comic series and graphic novels for film franchises. And every year, people wring their hands and talk about how the superhero genre is played out, citing examples like The Green Hornet, The Spirit, and later entries in the X-Men and Spider-Man franchises as evidence of a decline in quality. A lot of this discussion seems to predict a superhero event horizon, when a movie will be so bad it sours Hollywood on adapting superhero titles all together. While the likelihood of that scenario is a separate discussion, Captain America: The First Avenger is most emphatically NOT that movie. In fact, it’s the best movie of the summer, and one of the best superhero movies of all time.
Captain America, Dunkin Donuts, and #THEPACT
As long as there have been movies, there have been restaurant tie-ins. Who doesn’t remember getting those sweet-ass Batmobiles and Riddler Cars in their Happy Meals? But recently, marketing companies have been thinking outside the box with their advertising. The Transformers film series has 7-11 Slurpee straw toppers. Subway offered reusable Green Lantern-themed tote bags, in an effort to “be green.” And for Captain America: The First Avenger?
Donuts.
