Captain America: The First Avenger

Went to see the Captain America movie with the family and thoroughly enjoyed it. This action movie was set in the 1940s ( WW II ) but it didn't come off as dated as I feared it would. Once again, like Thor, this movie was successful because it took the comic book hero seriously, but still had fun with the concept.

The special effects were top-notch, state of the art, and the acting, costumes, writing, etc. were all well done. I was especially impressed by Chris Evans as Captain America and Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull. If you enjoy fun movies with a lot of action and things blowing up every which way, this is the movie for you.

In the end, they have a very clever, heart-wrenching way of taking Captain America into the present day. And if you will sit patiently through the entire list of credits, you will be rewarded with a sneak peek at The Avengers, featuring not only Captain America, but also Thor, Iron Man, and other Marvel super-heroes. That movie will be coming out next summer; it looks like fun.

As for the other super-hero movies due to come out next year, Spiderman is being revamped and recast, Batman will ride again, and Superman will star in Man of Steel. Great for all us fans of comicbook heroes. But whatever happened to Wonder Woman? She was one of my childhood heroes.

I also can't wait for Part 1 of Breaking Dawn ( the Twilight Saga ). I know these two movies are based on a book, which I've read, not a comic. But they seem very similar to me. All are fantasies with clearcut heroes and villains, who are put into life-or-death situations. This one will definitely be one of my guilty pleasures!

All for now,

MRTighe

A Comic Book Summer

I spent many a summer reading comic books. Looks like some great SF movies coming out this summer based upon comic book heroes, among them: X-Men First Class, Green Lantern, Captain America. Unfortunately, I never got into these three, but my husband did. He's a serious collector of comics and graphic novels, and I dare say an expert on the subject. Super-heroes like Superman, Batman,Spiderman, and Iron Man, as well as the more recent Thor, have proven successful at the box office. Therefore, I'm willing to bet we'll see more films based upon comic and graphic novel heroes.

It may sound like an oxymoron, but those that take comic books seriously tend to be more successful. Try to cheat the fans or take the attitude that they are simpletons and the box office will take the hit. Personally, I think movie-makers are missing a sure bet by pretty much ignoring fantasy ( with the notable exceptions of The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia! ) Yes, I know The Hobbit, Parts 1 and 2 are coming---ostensibly to be titled Unexpected Journey and There And Back Again. But there are many more classic fantasies that haven't yet been tapped. If you haven't seen pics from The Hobbit, there are links on my Judgment on Tartarus fb wall.

I live in hope that SF and F will someday be taken more seriously by the general public and become more popular.

MRTighe