Captain America: The First Avenger (7/10)

Outside of X-Men: First Class, Joe Johnston’s Captain America had the most promise out of the myriad of comic book adaptations being released this year, and I am pleased to say that it did not disappoint. With the Iron Man movies, Thor, and finally Captain America, Marvel has done a fantastic job setting the stage for their epic superhero ensemble movie, The Avengers, which is currently shooting and due out in Summer 2012. Better than Thor though not quite as on point as Iron Man, Captain America does a sufficient job of introducing the character played pitch perfectly by Chris Evans (Fantastic Four, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World). On top of the stellar cast which included Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving, Stanley Tucci, Tommy Lee Jones, and Dominic Cooper, Johnston and his team excelled in mixing comedy with emotion, kept the action coming early and often, and really made me feel as if I was looking in on the 1940’s.

Save for Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Chris Evans as Captain America might be my new favorite Marvel superhero. Not only does he nail the titular role, but he also shines as the punitive Steve Rogers who struggles to follow his dream of fighting for his country. Stanley Tucci is endearing as a German scientist working for the US to develop a “super soldier” who takes Rogers under his wing. The always compelling Tommy Lee Jones plays the stonehearted Colonel Philips and Hugo Weaving harkens back to his villainous ways as Agent Smith in The Matrix and superbly captures the evil inherent in Red Skull. My favorite performance however was that of Dominic Cooper (An Education, The Devil’s Double) as the playboy genius father of Iron Man, Howard Stark. I can only hope that he will be able to reprise this role in another Marvel movie sometime soon.

I do not typically see movies in 3D that were converted in post as opposed to being shot in 3D to begin with, but the conversion on Captain America is pretty spot on. It doesn’t feel kitschy and is not distracting at all. In fact, despite not seeing it in 2D, it seemed as though it enhanced a good deal of the action and I would definitely recommend seeing it in three dimensions. There were very few things to complain about and although it is not perfect there are no glaring problems. They even do an awesome job of joining this WWII set world with the modern world that The Avengers is set in. Get out of the summer heat and enjoy Captain America: The First Avenger. Be sure to stay through the credits for an awesome treat from the people at Marvel!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II (7.5/10)

It has been over ten years since I first picked up a Harry Potter book and became captivated by the world of witches and wizards that J.K. Rowling brought so convincingly to life. The book series has ended and now we’ve come to the final chapter of the accompanying film septuple with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, but I almost have to apologize to the filmmakers as the mountain of anticipation that I’ve built up for this moment was insurmountable. Nonetheless, director David Yates and his crew put together an epic piece of cinema that encapsulates everything I have come to love about the Harry Potter series and it serves as a fitting end to one of the greatest stories of our generation.

The last installment of the series picks up where Part I left off with Voldemort looting the grave of Dumbledore for the Elder Wand and then proceeds to deliver on the promise of more action that was sufficiently lacking from the first half. After a few short setup scenes, Harry, Ron, and Hermione continue their Horcrux hunting by breaking into Gringotts and making a triumphant return to the Snape-ruled Hogwarts. From this point on, the action is furious and unrelenting as the armies of Voldemort charge against the remaining Order members and their supporters in the Battle for Hogwarts.

While Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson have fully matured into their roles, the typical acting standouts persist on stealing the show. Ralph Fiennes continues to portray one of the best on-screen villains since Darth Vader, the exquisite Helena Bonham Carter wraps up her menacing role as Bellatrix Lestrange, and Alan Rickman excels as the mysterious and heart-broken Severus Snape. Other supporting actors that stood out in the final chapter include the lovely Maggie Smith as Professor Minerva McGonagall (“I always wanted to use that spell”), Julie Walters getting some much deserved revenge as Molly Weasley (“Not my daughter you bitch!”), and the young Matthew Lewis captivating as the comeback character of the series, Neville Longbottom.

The films have only gotten progressively better from a technical point of view and Part II is no exception. Whether it’s the protective charm cast over Hogwarts, the burning of the quidditch pitch, or the epic last battle between Harry and Voldemort, the visual effects really do shine through as one of the film’s most redeeming qualities. Writer Steve Cloves did an excellent job of following Ms. Rowling’s source material but tweaked it just enough in the right places (e.g. changing locations, adding dialogue) to make an already powerful story really pop on screen.

Though there aren’t many glaring problems, my biggest complaint was that the whole thing seemed rushed and much too short for the “big finale”. At just over two hours, it did it’s best to get to as many important incidents as possible but unfortunately it grazed over too many events (i.e. deaths) that should have been featured and ultimately left me wanting more. I’m not sure how fair that assessment is considering I would have watched a five hour word-for-word adaptation if they chose to make it, but I thought the point of splitting the final book into two movies was to allow more room to address those essential plot points. Nitpicking aside, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, the penultimate episode in the Harry Potter franchise, is a bittersweet yet wholly rewarding and enjoyable experience that is a must see for fans of the books and movies alike. If you’ve invested any amount of time into this story and its characters then you owe it to yourself to see it’s conclusion through to the end. Go see it and you won’t be disappointed!

Midnight in Paris (8/10)

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to meet your idols? What would they think of you? What would you ask them? As an artist, would you be willing to share and have your work critiqued by them? This was one of the big “what ifs” explored in Woody Allen’s newest effort, Midnight in Paris. I don’t know if Allen is one of my idols, but he would certainly be an interesting person to talk with and share a glass of fine red wine with back in the 70’s. Would he approve of me critiquing his work? Should art be critiqued in the first place? I’m not sure if there is a correct answer to that, but I support art as an expression of self and nobody should be able to take that away from you. Based on the notions discussed in this movie, I’m sure he would agree with me on that.

Following two relative disappointments in Whatever Works (which I actually enjoyed) and You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Allen put his strongest foot forward and produced one of my favorite movies of 2011 so far. Midnight in Paris reminded me what I liked so much about his early relationship films like Manhattan and Annie Hall, but it also added this element of fantasy that was never very prevalent in his work. Owen Wilson plays Gil, a charming, younger version of the director himself (read this awesome article on Woody Allen characters on First Showing!) and rekindles the chemistry he had with Rachel McAdams in Wedding Crashers. The two are vacationing with her parents in Paris where Gil, a Hollywood writer struggling to write his first novel, becomes infatuated with the city. Each night he wanders the streets and ends up traveling back in time where he meets some of the legendary writers and artists of the 20^th Century.

There are some great bits of acting in this film besides Wilson’s strong performance including the red-hot Tom Hiddleston (Thor, War Horse) and Alison Pill (Scott Pilgrim, Milk) as the Fitzgerald’s, a hilarious imagining of Ernest Hemingway played by Corey Stoll (Lucky Number Slevin, Salt) and the always captivating Marion Cotillard as Wilson’s time-traveling love interest. The film moves fairly quickly and despite its dialogue driven nature it never seems to stand still. Similar to his love letter to the city that never sleeps, Manhattan, Midnight in Paris depicts the French city in a beautiful light and references it’s captivating attributes almost as if it were a character in the story itself.

One of my only complaints lies in its tendency to get lost in the fantastical element and forget the present. I love the idea of traveling back to another time, but it seems to have come at the expense of the story and relationships that are, or at least should be, the backbone of the story. The film features some grim commentary on the unsatisfying side of life but also discusses the role of the artist in a very eloquent way. Kathy Bates utters the line of the movie as Gertrude Stein when she says, “The artist’s job is not to succumb to despair, but to find an antidote to the emptiness of existence.” Allen is so spot-on with this notion, but despite it’s somewhat pessimistic view the film has a very positive and hopeful resolution that left me very satisfied. Midnight in Paris is certainly one of Allen’s best from recent years and if you are a fan of his I highly recommend checking it out.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (5.5/10)

Michael Bay has crafted a reputation for creating visually stimulating and engaging action films with flimsy storylines and even flimsier characters. Despite his apparent lack of storytelling ability and his almost blatant disregard for the craft of filmmaking, he has made quite a career out of crane shots, lens flares, and blowing things up on screen. His newest effort, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, doesn’t attempt to deviate from his tried and true formula and to be honest I am not all that upset about it. We’ve been trained to expect a certain type of film from Mr. Bay and his cinematic endeavors, and if you’re still trying to fool yourself into thinking that he’s going to offer anything other than an entertaining summer blockbuster then don’t complain when he does just that.

The opening sequence follows in the revisionist history footsteps of X-Men: First Class and features an interesting use of found footage that revolves around the Space Race and the Moon Landing. The first act is the slowest part of the movie and could have easily been cut half. Why do I care about Sam’s inability to find a job? Just because I can’t find one doesn’t mean I want the main characters in the movies I watch to endure the same plight. The only redeeming quality from this first act is the jaw dropping Chernobyl set piece, which is the setting for the film’s first bit of action. It was so eerie and really helped build the tension in the scene. The set designer deserves some recognition for this scene alone.

Megan Fox’s replacement, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, doesn’t bring anything new to the role save for the blonde hair and the stiletto heels (don’t ask me how she runs in those things), but she fulfills her purpose and keeps the sex appeal high from the moment she appears on screen. The acting highlights mostly belong to Shia LaBeouf who has this ‘goofy-yet-handsome-leading-man-with-a-heart’ thing down to a science and his interaction with John Malkovich really shines through. Patrick Dempsey and Francis McDormand were also welcome additions to a cast that was getting increasingly stale as the series wore on, and the always on point John Turturro was as funny as ever.

To no surprise, the strongest aspects of the film are the visuals. This is where Bay and the rest of his team really shine and the 3D option really brings out the best in these shots. After the slow first half of the movie, Transformers really hits its stride once the action shifts to Chicago in the third act. The city hasn’t looked this good since The Dark Knight and I haven’t enjoyed a 3D experience this much since Avatar. Michael Bay and James Cameron are the biggest proponents of the technology, so it seems only fitting that their films are leading the 3D wave. If Hollywood can limit the usage of the technology and only apply it when it truly enhances the movie experience, then I believe there is some life for 3D after all.

Yes, this arguably unnecessary third installment in the Transformers trilogy has its fair share of downfalls including the longest first act since Avatar (took roughly sixty minutes for the main character to become involved in the primary plot line) and the most shameless sex appeal since the last Michael Bay movie, but the visual effects (especially in the last 45 minutes – the skydiving scene was dazzling!) were so captivating that I found myself thoroughly entertained and would definitely recommend this flick for anyone trying to enjoy a few mindless hours watching the most visually stunning movie of the summer.