Reasons Why I Loved “Captain America: The First Avenger”

Tags

authors, brian jacques, c.s. lewis, captain america, captain america: the first avenger, characters, confusing nonsense, cressida cowell, editor, how to train your dragon, marvel superheroes, movie reviews, movies, nazi germany, rambling musings, redwall, science, science fiction, small rants, star wars, story dynamics, theoretic science, world war II, writer, writing

Hello, dear readers, and sorry about the absence. I really shouldn’t have an excuse and if I do have one, it’s 1) college, 2) rough transfers, and 3) poor time management. So, really my fault this time, and I hope you enjoy the post.

Now, on to the point! I’ve probably told everyone about how I saw Captain America: The First Avenger on Sunday and absolutely loved it. I’ll probably review it once I have the chance to see it twice (I make it a rule not to review anything until the second watching, for obvious reasons; not that the second watch often changes my initial opinion), but for now I’m making a list of reasons why I loved it and why you should go see it if you haven’t yet. 😉 So, without further ado (and in no particular order):

1. Because underdogs. Everyone cheers for an underdog in a story, though it’s sometimes different in real life (because people in real life want to be on the winning side. Why else would Italy change sides halfway through WWII?) But more than just having an underdog-becomes-awesome story, The First Avenger also gives us a few reasons why it’s an underdog story. Because, as the nice scientist whose name I can’t remember states, a weak man appreciates what strength can do and, if his heart is in the right place, he won’t misuse it.
2. It has a good portrayal of hero vs. villain. Rather than having all Germans be the bad guys, it is a German scientist who didn’t agree with Hitler (they don’t mention anything about him being Jewish, which in my opinion adds to the character dynamic) and fled the country who first sees something in the young Steven Rogers. Also, to be historically accurate, there were cowardly followers and Nazis who were the spawn of darkness (because. They were.) If this movie lacked anything, it was the nice Goring brother. 😛 (Yes, Herman Goring had a brother who could not agree less with his philosophy! Look it up! 😉 )
3. Patriotism. And what’s more, a balanced portrayal of patriotism vs. nationalism. The Nazis were not patriotic. They were nationalistic. And the guys who repeatedly talk about killing Nazis? They’re nationalistic, too. Also ethnocentrist, but that’s occasionally justified. Steve just wants to get out there and fight for his country. And he’s not just fighting for his country, but he’s fighting for an ideal, which is basically what patriotism is and why patriotism is a Christian virtue. There have always been Americans who were also America-haters out there, but Steve puts these guys to shame. He’s not just fighting for his country. He’s fighting so that Nazi Germany can’t enslave more places (which is also technically ethnocentric, but this is one of ethnocentrism’s proper places, since the Nazi “ideal” was wholly evil.) He’s fighting for those back home. He’s fighting for those who can’t fight, too–especially since, at first, he was one of those.
4. This brings me to reason #4. Here we have a guy in the public spotlight after becoming a folk hero, being used as an advertising gimmick. Basically, he has attention, but he doesn’t want it. We know that he really hates this and only goes along with it because it’s for the war effort. He really wants to be over there with the soldiers who are fighting and dying. He’s a symbol, and he never particularly wanted to be one. He’s also bad at keeping up the troops’ morale (when he’s not on the field). Yet, when he gets the chance to fight, he’s not disobeying the people higher up until his friend’s life is at stake.
5. This movie is pretty darn funny! It’s great to watch, has humor, and can make you cry in places. It’s pretty well-balanced, in my opinion.
6. The protagonist feels pretty helpless around girls. 😛 I think it’s charming, and pretty funny, but it does lead to some awkward moments. Basically what I’m trying to say here is he’s not a flirt, which in my opinion is the bane of the new Spiderman movies.
7. Steve is really against violence. This is made, in my opinion, pretty clear when he makes the distinction between fighting for his country and killing Nazis. Not only is he against violence, but he also understands that sometimes–sometimes–violence is the only way to protect yourself, your friends, and your country. Also, in this occasion, he’s protecting others around the world from being overrun by Nazi Germany. (I believe C.S. Lewis made the point why he wasn’t a pacifist, and that’s what I’m talking about here.)
8. Last, but certainly not least, he has a shield. No, I’m not going to rave about superhero weaponry… okay. Maybe a little bit. Because you’ve got to admit, that buckler of his is pretty darn cool. It operates on a similar principle to a bulletproof vest, for goodness’ sake! Anyway, though a shield can be used as a weapon (thank you, Roughnut and Toughnut, for that marvelous exhibition), it’s primarily a defensive one. You use it to keep arrows, pikes, lances, and swords (and in this case, bullets and knives) from hitting you. Though it can be thrown like a discus, the edges aren’t sharp like the edges of Racketty Tam MacBurl’s buckler, so it’s mainly used to stun rather than to kill. Like Obi-Wan Kenobi choosing to use Soresu rather than Ataru later in life, Captain America’s fighting style and weaponry are the ultimate statement of his life philosophy. Be ready to defend yourself when necessary; do not attack when not provoked. As Obi-Wan puts it, “There are alternatives to fighting.”

(More about the shield. Apparently, rather than hardening up to absorb impacts, thus spreading the impact around a larger area, like a bulletproof vest or liquid armor do, vibranium actually absorbs the kinetic energy of anything coming at it, keeping shock waves running through the shield virtually nil. For instance, if the shield were somehow merely hard enough to stop bullets and other objects at high velocity from penetrating it, the vibrations throughout the shield would be enough to actually break the bones in Cap’s arm and hand. However, since vibranium actually absorbs those shock waves, this is not a problem at all. This is one incidence in which I will not question Marvel pseudo-science, because though this has not theoretically been proven possible yet, it pushes the boundaries and is innovative, like good science fiction should be. I will, however, question the portrayal–if vibranium really absorbs all the kinetic energy, then why do things make noise when they hit it? And why does Steve sometimes stagger backward upon an impact? I know this is to make it look realistic in the film, but it does call the physics into question a little bit, doesn’t it?!)

The one thing that I did not particularly care for was the wording that the scientist uses to describe what happens to the personalities of those who receive the serum he created. Though I suppose we could attribute it to English being (probably) his second language. 😛 I don’t think the serum actually changes someone’s personality, per se. It merely underscores, magnifies, or works on what is already there. It gives a good man the opportunity to do great things, and gives a bad man the power to do worse evil. I don’t think it changes people’s personalities. In my experience, most of the time it’s only time and circumstances to do that, and with the serum, time is a factor that doesn’t really play in, since the transformation is relatively quick.

So there you have it, a quick critique and a short post on theoretic science all in one. ;-P

That much said, go watch the movie! 😛

So, what do you bring to the team?

Tags

comparison, dreamworks, kung fu panda, movie reviews, reviews, rise of the guardians, teamwork, the lego movie

Hey, y’all!

I just watched two amazing movies. One was The Lego Movie (and the stupid song is now stuck in me head. ARRRGH!), and the other is The Rise of the Guardians. (FYI… this is sort of a follow-up to my former post about Chosen Ones…) Now, as different as these two movies seem at the first glance, they really both operate on the same premise. Both movies are about a newcomer joining The Team of Fame and Fate to save the world. In both movies, the protagonist (Emmet and Jack Frost, respectively) must find their place on the team and in their world. Both movies suffer from a bit of a Deus Ex Machina at the end (I will explain later.) Both movies are (marginally) more satisfying, in one way, than Kung Fu Panda, and for one reason only.

Why?

Because I felt that, even before the darkest hour and the subsequent rallying cry, the two protagonists brought something new–something special–a fresh perspective–to the team.

In Rise of the Guardians, the Guardians’ duty is to protect the innocence of the world’s children, to keep them safe, maintain their wonder, hopes, dreams–basically all-around protecting the hope of the future. However, the Guardians have, just a little, lost touch with their roots. They haven’t actually spent time with children in a very long time when the movie takes place–and on the other hand, Jack, who only wants to be acknowledged–to be seen–to be believed in–has been spending all his time around kids in the hopes that someone, some time, will believe in him. This same wish of Jack’s–to be believed in–later becomes a weakness exploited by the villain, yet at the same time it is a strength; it provides a path to the movie’s resolution.

Jack helps the Guardians to re-connect with their roots and re-connect with children. This later proves to be crucial in the movie’s climax (hey, no spoilers! :-P)

In The Lego Movie, Emmet is the prophesied Special, who, if you look at him, is actually not particularly that special at all. He must join up with the (way more awesome) Master Builders in order to fight for freedom. (Freedom Friday! But still on a Tuesday! 😛 Sorry, I couldn’t resist…)

Now, the Master Builders are each brilliant, and Wyldstyle’s skills (along with Emmet being a dork) are what originally facilitate their escape from the semi-villain Bad Cop. (Did I mention that Liam Neeson pulling off a Gollum-Smeagol act was probably one of the most awesome bits of the movie?) But each Master Builder is unique, to the point of disparity. They can’t work consistently together–and Emmet notices this early on, though he doesn’t try to say much about it. He just squeaks a little… 😛 Eventually, though, when the clashing attitudes and skills of their Master Builder team almost cause their death, Emmet pulls them together, which gets them most of the way to victory. (I’m not spoiling the ending for my darling readers–noooo way!)

Oh, and I should say, Emmet’s rise to AWESOMENESS is quite unlike any other originally-wimpy guy’s. While he is a good chunk of the comic relief all in himself, he isn’t as flat as some characters of the sort tend to be; he’s a sweet guy, just a little dorky. He’s very compassionate; he doesn’t really want recognition, per se–I think he just wants to help people and be a good friend. He doesn’t fantasize about having far more epicness than he does; he’s very humble, and I found that refreshing. Like Olaf, he’s an old stereotype breaking new ground. Also, the movie is funny–relics such as the Cloak of Band-AIIIIID, the cotton-swathed Scepter of Q-Teep, and the Polish Remover of Naiiil (if you don’t get the joke, I will hunt you down and kick chairs around your house!) make for great humor, as do some Bat-puns (bad puns? Get it!?), and other puns, such as Machine Gum, make the movie a treasure-trove for those who watch for the funny little things. Seriously, if you have not yet seen The Lego Movie, go check it out at your library and watch it tonight! Well, what are you waiting for?!

On the other hand, Kung Fu Panda, while a marvelous movie, doesn’t seem to have Po being proactive up until the Five are defeated and he is given the impetus to find his inner warrior. I must admit, Po being more than a funny, loveable punching bag at that point in the movie would have been slightly out of character, but still, it’s slightly disappointing next to Rise and Lego Movie.

So, what do we want? More Chosen Ones who bring more than just behind-kicking and world-saving! Specials who contribute to the team before they begin to be really cool! Protagonists who bring something a little more solid to the team than just vagaries of chosen-ness!!!

Oh, you wanted to hear about the double Deus Ex Machina in minor, didn’t you? Right. Well, this will involve SPOILERS, so read at your own risk!!!

SPOILER ALERT!At the end of Rise, we had no idea how our heroes were going to win against Pitch, despite having the children on their side. Though the few remaining believing children were keeping the Guardians from breaking down entirely, we didn’t know that the courage of the children could actually transform Pitch’s black Nightmare sand back into golden Dreamsand. And we certainly didn’t know that their actions could restore Sandy to life!
After the Kragle is disarmed in Lego Movie, how were the people who’d been Kragled released from their epoxy prison? Suddenly, Lord Business has the antidote (Glu-removing Mineral Spirits!), which I had no idea even existed at all before watching the movie. So, everything’s okay… but there’s a relic that’s not accounted for there! Though, I suppose it’s easy to explain away, given the dual-world (the world of Legos, and the world in which Legos are toys) of Lego Movie.
END SPOILER

Thanks for reading, and God Bless!

Oh, no! Not another costume malfunction!

Tags

beauty and the beast, church history, disney, historical accuracy, movie reviews

Okay, I know I’m supposed to be working on Nanowrimo, but I can’t get over the fact of how amazing my new blog icon looks, up in the corner of its little tab like that… Besides, I need to post something every once in a while, even during Nano. ;-P

I was watching Beauty and the Beast again with the little one, to notice something I’ve never seen before.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love this movie (especially the soundtrack, but I’m weird) to death, but it plays free with a LOT of stuff. Artistic license only goes so far. It’s not apparent (it doesn’t bother you) while you’re in the midst of watching the movie, but after you’ve finished, it becomes glaringly obvious.

Tell me, has anyone else noticed how Belle’s sleeves in the blue jumper/white shirt combo seem to switch from short, to three-quarter, to full-length? It’s only a little thing, but it bothers me.

Added to that, I don’t like that they portray her dad as some genius with no practical sense, and, historically, there could be no valid wedding without the banns announced three times, months in advance. (For those who are wondering, the banns are an announcement to anyone who knows of any impediment to the wedding of which the wedding party themselves are not aware, or to forever hold their silence. It’s meant to take the load off the people who have to research the reasons for an annulment by taking away the necessity for an annulment. And an annulment is not divorce. An annulment is basically a declaration that the marriage was never valid in the first place.)

I know some people don’t really find it amusing that I watch movies so critically, but these things bother me. Am I a perfectionist? Probably.

It’s a pity Disney doesn’t have more perfectionists.