Sunday, April 6, 2014

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier
(2014 - April 4)
Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
2 hr. 16 min.
Rated: PG-13 | Gunplay, Intense Sequences of Violence and Action Throughout. Read more
Grade: A-

Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, 1 more credit
Writers: Christopher Markus (screenplay), Stephen McFeely (screenplay), 3 more credits
Stars: Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson | See full cast and crew


After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Marvel's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" finds Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off assailants sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy—the Winter Soldier.




I tend to agree with the pre-release buzz from the critics that this is the best film of the Super Hero genre to date. Not that this is the best movie to date but the best of its type.




I saw the regular 2D version but on an IMAX size screen in Atmos Dolby sound. It is quite a sound system, it was my first time with Atmos, not that this film utilized it to its full potential but the system itself is very impressive.






I'm not going to go into this in much detail at all. If this genre is to your liking I think you will like the film. If you hate comic books turned in to movies you may not want to go.
 





I'm posting the storyline as it appears on Wikilpedia with a spoiler alert. It does tell you the ending. So if you don't want to know before going...stop reading and go to the movie instead.


The Plot
(via Wikipedia)
Two years after the events of The Avengers, Steve Rogers lives in Washington, D.C., continues to work for the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D., and struggles to adapt to contemporary society. After meeting and befriending former Pararescue war veteran and PTSD counselor Sam Wilson on a morning jog, Rogers is called to help save a S.H.I.E.L.D. vessel from Algerian pirates led by Georges Batroc. Aboard, he discovers fellow agent Natasha Romanoff extracting data from the ship's computers, something Rogers was not briefed on. At S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Nick Fury introduces Rogers to Project Insight; three Helicarriers linked to spy satellites and designed to preemptively eliminate threats.


Due to heightened encryption, Fury is unable to access the data Romanoff recovered. On his way to rendezvous with Maria Hill, he is ambushed by assailants disguised as police officers, led by a mysterious assassin called the Winter Soldier. Fury escapes, sneaks into Rogers' apartment, and informs Rogers that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been compromised. After Fury hands Rogers the USB flash drive with the data from the ship, he is gunned down by the Winter Soldier. Rogers gives chase, and his neighbor reveals herself as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Agent 13. Fury appears to die in surgery, and Hill recovers the body.
The next day, Rogers is summoned by senior S.H.I.E.L.D. official Alexander Pierce. When Rogers withholds Fury's information, Pierce brands him a fugitive. Hunted by the agency, Rogers meets with Romanoff. Using data in the flash drive they discover an old S.H.I.E.L.D. underground base in New Jersey. There, they activate a supercomputer containing the preserved consciousness of Arnim Zola, who reveals that since S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded after World War II, HYDRA secretly operated within its ranks, sowing chaos across the world in the hope that humanity would willingly surrender its freedom in exchange for safety. Rogers and Romanoff narrowly escape death when a S.H.I.E.L.D. missile destroys the bunker.
They enlist the help of Wilson, and acquire his old "Falcon" winged-flight exoskeleton. After deducing that senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jasper Sitwell is with HYDRA, they interrogate him until he reveals Zola developed a data-mining algorithm that can identify individuals who might become future opponents to HYDRA's plans. The new helicarriers will sweep the country, eliminating these individuals with their satellite-guided guns.


En route to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, they are ambushed by the Winter Soldier. In the fight, Winter Soldier loses his mask and Rogers recognizes him as Bucky, his old World War II comrade. They are captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. but are rescued by a disguised Hill. She leads them to a hideout where they discover Fury is alive and planning a mission to prevent Pierce from launching Project Insight by replacing a chip within each Helicarrier to override their satellite control.
After members of the World Security Council arrive for the Helicarriers' launch, Pierce holds them hostage and reveals HYDRA's true motives. Rogers and Wilson storm two Helicarriers and replace the controllers, but the Winter Soldier destroys Wilson's suit and confronts Rogers at the third. They fight, with Rogers trying to revive Bucky's memories. Meanwhile, Fury and Romanoff confront Pierce and force him to unlock access to S.H.I.E.L.D's database so Romanoff can expose HYDRA's motives to the public by leaking classified information.
After a brief conflict, Fury shoots Pierce dead. Aboard the third Helicarrier, a wounded Rogers replaces the final controller, allowing Hill to override the satellite operation and have all three vessels destroy one another. The Helicarrier carrying Rogers and the Winter Soldier crashes into the side of the Triskelion, where Wilson battles compromised agent Rumlow, who had earlier tried to capture Rogers.




Rogers falls off the vessel into the river. Slowly remembering his past, the Winter Soldier pulls Rogers from the water before disappearing. With S.H.I.E.L.D. in disarray, Fury destroys the last traces



of his identity before heading to Europe in pursuit of HYDRA's remaining cells under the cover of his apparent death. Romanoff appears before a Senate subcommittee and later gives Rogers a dossier on the Winter Soldier program. Both Rogers and Wilson decide to track down the Winter Soldier.

A mid-credits scene takes place in a HYDRA lab, where Baron von Strucker is keeping Loki's scepter and two prisoners: one with superhuman speed, the other with telekinetic powers. In a post-credits scene, the Winter Soldier visits the Captain America exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution to learn of his past.




On the set behind the scenes

 
 
 

Cast
                                                  
Steve Rogers/Captain America           Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow 
 
                                     
Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier                     Sam Wilson/Falcon        
                                       
   Alexander Pierce                                       Nick Fury 

Saturday, April 5, 2014

God's Not Dead - Movie Review

God's Not Dead
(2014 - March 21) Drama
1 hr. 53 min
Rated: PG  | Brief scenes of physical violence including verbal abuse and domestic violence.
Grade: C |

Director: Harold Cronk
Writers: Hunter Dennis (story), Chuck Konzelman (story), Cary Solomon (story)
Stars: Shane Harper, Kevin Sorbo, David A.R. White | See full cast and crew

Present-day college freshman and devout Christian, Josh Wheaton (Shane Harper), finds his faith challenged on his first day of Philosophy class by the dogmatic and argumentative Professor Radisson (Kevin Sorbo). Radisson begins class by informing students that they will need to disavow, in writing, the existence of God on that first day, or face a failing grade. As other students in the class begin scribbling the words "God Is Dead" on pieces of paper as instructed, Josh find himself at a crossroads, having to choose between his faith and his future. Josh offers a nervous refusal, provoking an irate reaction from his smug professor. Radisson assigns him a daunting task: if Josh will not admit that "God Is Dead," he must prove God's existence by presenting well-researched, intellectual arguments and evidence over the course of the semester, and engage Radisson in a head-to-head debate in front of the class. If Josh fails to convince his classmates of God's existence, he will fail the course and hinder his lofty academic goals. With almost no one in his corner, Josh wonders if he can really fight for what he believes. Can he actually prove the existence of God? Wouldn't it just be easier just to write "God Is Dead" and put the whole incident behind him? GOD'S NOT DEAD weaves together multiple stories of faith, doubt and disbelief, culminating in a dramatic call to action. The film will educate, entertain, and inspire moviegoers to explore what they really believe about God, igniting important conversations and life-changing decisions. --(C) Official Site

The film is ambitious but falls short of its goals. One local critic opined that it is unfair to the open minded. What? Should we talk about how fair academia has been in treating those that are believers. What a doofuss, isn't that the bigot calling the kettle black! I am so tired of the proud 'educated' folks that so loudly and boldly proclaim their own social evolution and enlightenment that function as blinders to seeing their own bigotry and bullying that they wear so prominently on their own bloody sleeves. Our schools and universities have become anti-Christian social engineering propaganda mills rather than the temples of learning they were intended to be, but I digress. The film is somewhat monotone and feels like a promotional vehicle for 'The Newsboys', a popular gospel/rock boy band. The characters are one dimensional, simplistic and basically black or white. The message is admirable and good but the methodology is weak. It is a film that you can take the entire family to see free of profanity and sex. There are a couple of scenes of violence that could be disturbing to the very young. God's Not Dead falls short, I was hoping for something more but is still worth a look.
Cast
                         
  Josh Wheaton             Professor Raddisson         Reverend Dave 

Friday, April 4, 2014

Dirty Words - Review


Bad Words
(2014 - March 28)
Comedy
1 hr. 29 min.

Rated: R | Crude and vulgar gratuitous sexual content, brief nudity and Language. Common Sense Media says Pause for kids 16 & under. In my opinion kids 16 and 17 should not be subjected to this trash...18 and older shouldn't be subjected to this trash, which includes a 9 year old encouraged to use profane language and succeeds in getting him to do so but the bad behavior is not limited him swearing. Expect to hear repeatedly most of the words from the worst list. Read more

Grade: D+


Director: Jason Bateman
Writer: Andrew Dodge (screenplay)
Stars: Jason Bateman, Kathryn Hahn, Allison Janney | See full cast and crew



Warning this is the R rated trailer, it contains profanity.



Jason Bateman ("Identity Thief") makes his feature directorial debut with the subversive comedy "Bad Words." Bateman stars as Guy Trilby, a 40-year-old who finds a loophole in the rules of The Golden Quill national spelling bee and decides to cause trouble by hijacking the competition. Contest officials, outraged parents, and overly ambitious 8th graders are no match for Guy, as he ruthlessly crushes their dreams of victory and fame. As a reporter (Kathryn Hahn of "We're the Millers") attempts to discover his true motivation, Guy finds himself forging an unlikely alliance with a competitor: awkward 10-year-old Chaitanya (Rohan Chand of "Homeland"), who is completely unfazed by Guy’s take-no-prisoners approach to life.

It seems that Jason Bateman has joined the ranks of the actors/writers/directors that feel a need to showcase their lack or morals by shoving it up your nose on screen. Dragging a child, Rohan Chand his co-star, through the gutter and calling upon him to use vulgar language and to do things things that in most communities would put the adult at risk of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and possibly child abuse, is just plain wrong, but Hollywood gets a pass hiding behind claims of artistic integrity and freedom of expression. The abuse of children doesn't stop with Chand, but all the other child actors are subjected to vulgarity and profanity as well.
Bateman is a talented actor and comedian but continues to tarnishes his image here in his directorial debut. Beyond the above weaknesses the story is predictable and trite and ends just where it could have moved forward possibly redeeming itself.
The mystery of the film is the motivation for why Guy Trilby (Bateman) is doing what he is doing, but what is this 40 year old going to at the end of his spelling bee stunt, once his goal has been met and his motive has been exposed. This would have made a much more compelling story. The real story is left unresolved.
What could have been a charming, funny morality tale, instead becomes a vulgar, trashy, narcissistic exploit with little social redeeming value and very little humor. The film does have a few clever lines and a couple of laughs but they are not worth the hour and 29 minutes of your life.
 On the set with director Jason Bateman and his co-star Rohan Chand
 
 Cast
            
     Guy Triby                  Chaitanya Chopra  
 
                    
  Jenny Widgeon                Dr. Bowman       

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Kitty Knows Best 3: Happiness Is Someone To Hold On To.

I've missed you so much.
Promise you'll never leave me again.