Secret Agent Gal Movie Reviews

Captain America: The First Avenger ***

 

Imagine a stirring marvel comics movie where a violent bully breaks away from his boss Hitler and threatens the entire free world. A scrawny, heroic American boy risks his life in a secret experiment. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) emerges a muscular Mr. Universe with superhero powers. His mission: to track down the demonic Red Skull (Hugo Weaving).

Now imagine watching the entire movie wearing dark shades. Captain America: The First Avenger, sets up next year’s comic book feature The Avengers.

The story is exciting at first. World War II is underway. Hitler wins victory after victory. Rogers, a gaunt asthmatic with a brave spirit, is turned down by the Army. He applies again and again. When research scientist and former Nazi Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci, fascinating here) spies Rogers at the World’s Fair in Queens, New York, he sees great potential.

“Do you want to kill Nazis?” Erskine asks Rogers. “I don’t want to kill anyone,” Rogers replies. “I don’t like bullies.” The scientist recruits him for a top-secret training program. Rogers will become the first of a new breed of super soldiers. “Why me?” Rogers asks. A weak man knows compassion, Erskine tells him. Skeptical Col. Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones, very good here) must admit that lightweight Rogers has loads of bravery and character.

A gray pall covers the entire 2-D version of Captain America. The movie is so visually dull that its story grows lackluster. Reviewers who saw the 3-D version have complained about an even darker effect. Too bad director Joe Johnston didn’t take a cue from Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight), who married noir with occasional daylight. Johnston’s film isn’t noir, though. It’s just gray.

 

Transformation is overshadowed by special effects. Captain America loses energy in its second half. Repetitive action, stiff formality and a disconnected feeling among cast members don’t help. Oh, for the heart and pizzazz of Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man! Absent is the rich character and interpersonal sparring of the X-Men: First Class!

Johnston (Jumanji; Jurassic Park III; October Sky) could have filmed Captain America in black and white. This would have been more interesting and lively. He does capture beautiful 1940’s detail here.

In emphasizing period detail and computer-generated effects, the director neglects character development. Often lacking are the complexities of authentic interpersonal tension (achieved so well in X-Men: First Class). The rapport between Evans and his love interest, training officer Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), feels forced and underdeveloped.

Evans creates a strong, brave, soft-spoken hero (combining shades of Superman and Clark Kent). Sebastian Stan plays his best friend Bucky Barnes. Weaving (Agent Smith in The Matrix trilogy) is fun to watch as dastardly Red Skull, a power-hungry villain almost incoherent with hatred.

Red Skull is backed by an army of robo-soldiers who make up the Nazi research group Hydra. “Hail, Hydra!” they cry. “If you cut off one head, many will grow it its place,” a dying spy warns Captain America.        

A twisted reference to the tree of life symbol (a tree that joins heaven and earth) is shown as an invasive, sinister “Tree of the World” emblem for Hydra.

Why mask the red, white and blue with unrelenting gray? The choice reflects America’s widespread national cynicism. A languishing economy, natural disasters and terrorist acts have made such cynicism popular. Captain America is doing extremely well at the box office.

Promising inspiration, Captain America doesn’t deliver. Thankfully, this marvel comics movie ends with a dash of hope. Samuel L. Jackson reminds us that this tale merely sets up the future adventures of The Avengers (2012). Starring will be Evans, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Jackson as Nick Fury, and many more. The Avengers is being directed by Joss Whedon.

If you like Captain America, you might enjoy:  X-Men: First Class; Thor; Iron Man 2.

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Captain America     2011  /  PG-13  /  2 hours, 4 min

Cast Overview:  Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, Toby Jones, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke, Ken Choi, Stanley Tucci

Director:  Joe Johnston 

Genre:  Comic Book, Adventure, Fantasy

 

X-Men: First Class *****

 

Calling young mutants everywhere: We need you. Please save our world. Matthew Vaughn’s masterpiece of comic book action, drama and history X-Men: First Class champions being different, proud and loud. It's livelier than its predecessors The Last Stand and Wolverine.

On par with Batman and Superman, this smart, exciting prequel is an instant classic. It captures the spirit and scope of the original Marvel Comics with big talent, engaging story, sci-fi elements and James Bond-like espionage. Vaughn displays his Kick-Ass flair as the X-Men exercise mutant powers.

Freaks as valuable members of society is a major theme throughout the film. Outsiders are the ones who can see beyond the petty, dangerous wars of men. They are the true heroes of humanity. The new X-Men must learn to accept themselves fully to unlock that awesome power. 

Globe trotting, can’t-look-away action is expertly woven around larger-than-life characters. This stylish summer blockbuster has a timeless quality, with action that seems like it's happening today rather than during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

James McAvoy as humanitarian genius Professor X/Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender as obsessed revenge seeker Magneto/ Erik Lehnsherr headline with an uneasy bromance. They’re the mutant granddaddies who lead and guide a hand-picked crew of young superpowers to battle mutant Nazi megalomaniac Sebastian Shaw/Dr. Schmidt (Kevin Bacon, better than ever).

Professor X's telepathy has given him empathy and a concern for humanity. X-Men have a responsibility to  be better than humans, using their powers to prevent catastrophe and also to lead men on the path of peace and justice. Magneto's rivalry with Professor X arises from his thirst for revenge. He'd rather be right than be happy.

Years after executing Erik's mother, Shaw is now a world threat who wants to exploit Cold War tensions to spark nuclear annihilation. Erik must stop him. “Let’s just say I’m Frankenstein’s monster and I’m looking for my creator,” he says. Bacon has played evildoers before, most notably a child molester in The Woodsman.

Charles teaches his friend to tap into authentic might. “True focus lies somewhere between rage and serenity,” he says. Erik eventually joins forces with Charles and the other X-Men to enhance his own powers.                

Sexpot Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) yearns to fit in with humans, hiding her lovely blue scales. Raven sneaks into Erik’s bed one evening. “You want society to accept you, but you can’t even accept yourself,” he chides. Nerdy scientist and Raven’s admirer Hank/Beast (Nicholas Hoult) enhances his freakishness in a botched lab experiment. Finally Raven gets it. “Society should aspire to be more like us.”

Rose Byrne plays adventurous CIA agent Moira MacTaggert who recruits Charles and Raven to join the agency’s new Division of Mutant Powers. Oliver Platt is perfect as a CIA special ops bigwig who must defer to Charles’ leadership if they stand any chance of stopping Shaw.

Rounding out the ensemble are January Jones as Shaw’s accomplice Emma Frost, a call girl and telepathic ice queen. Zoe Kravitz (Angel Salvadore/Wings) breaks a few hearts. Caleb Landry Jones (Cassidy/Banshee) rides ear-splitting sound waves. Jason Flemyng (Clash of the Titans) plays devilish Azazel. Lucas Till shows real leadership as Alex Summers/Havok. Alex Gonzalez plays soulful Janos Questad/Riptide. Edi Gathegi (Twilight) stands up to Shaw as Darwin/Armondo.

A funny cameo by one famous mutant bestows a back-handed blessing on the newest X-Men.

Top notch are John Mathieson’s cinematography, John Dykstra’s visual effects, Chris Seagers’ production design and Sammy Sheldon’s costumes.

If you like X-Men: First Class, you might enjoy:  Comic Book Movies.

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X-Men: First Class     2011  /  PG-13  /  2 hour, 10 min

Cast Overview:  James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Rose Byrne, January Jones, Oliver Platt, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Zoe Kravitz, Jason Flemyng, Lucas Till, Caleb Landry Jones, Alex Gonzalez, Edi Gathegi

Director:  Matthew Vaughn

Genre:  Action, Adventure, SciFi, Fantasy, Comic Book

 

Thor ***

 

Norse mythology turns galactic as God of Thunder Chris Hemsworth stars in Thor, a visually stunning film that sets father against son and brother against brother. Kenneth Branagh (Henry V, Frankenstein, Hamlet) directs this tale based on the Marvel comic book character.

Thor is prince of the nine realms and the arrogant son of King Odin of Asgard (Anthony Hopkins). His terse younger brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston of Wallander) chafes as Thor is about to be crowned the new king. Just then the Frost Giants invade. Colm Feore plays the menacing Frost Giant King.

Odin banishes Thor (and his mighty hammer) to Earth after the cocky young warrior disobeys him and leads an avenging team to the Ice Planet. Thor must learn respect and humility. “A wise king never seeks out war, but he must always be ready for it,” says Odin.

Hemsworth, who will star in this story’s sequel, The Avengers, lends his awesome screen presence, swoon-worthy physique and booming, mellow voice.

Thor’s love couple seems more like best friends. Best Actress Natalie Portman plays Jane Foster, earth woman and astrophysicist who “grazes” Thor with her SUV twice (ooops!). Portman (who studied psychology and neuroscience at Harvard University) is interesting as a Contact-like physicist who’s OMG bubbly with just a hint of Jodie Foster's gravity. Her research team includes senior scientist Erik (Stellan Starsgard) and Darcy (lively Kat Dennings).

Sky gods continue to live in our religions and mythologies. A Father in heaven is a prevailing idea. The word “Thursday” derives from “Thor’s Day.” Branagh successfully weaves Shakespearean overtones, an intriguing surprise and a double cross as Odin, Thor and Loki do battle.

Hiddleston evokes the dark, tortured Loki with considerable screen time. Exciting Japanese movie star Tadanobu Asano delivers just a few lines as a member of Thor’s team. Asano travels to Earth with Joshua Dallas, Ray Stevenson and Jaimie Alexander to rescue their friend.

Fantastic set design and visual effects treat us to floating kingdoms, stunning space travel, and dramatic use of ice and fire. The 3-D is subtle yet beautiful. A sky bridge connects Asgard to Earth, guarded by the imposing gatekeeper Heimdall (Idris Elba of The Wire).

 

The intersection between human and Divine isn’t fully imagined here. Where’s the vivid possibility and heroism conjured by Superman and Spiderman? If Thor isn’t going to save us from bad guys, what is his role? He seems to be a Starman or Brother from Another Planet without the wisdom. Is this film just a platform for part two?

Thor’s fondness for Jane and her Earth team is unconvincing. Jane is supposed to be the transformative force in Thor’s life, but we don’t see his character develop. He’s a jerk who’s suddenly a hero. Pride and vanity somehow morph into leadership. Thor often seems like two movies, one intergalactic, one pedestrian.

When the Feds swoop in, it seems little more than an excuse to bring back Iron Man’s S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), and throw in a cameo of future Avengers hero Jeremy Renner.

Chris Evans will star in Captain America: The First Avenger, this summer. Samuel L. Jackson (so excellent as a comic book devotee in Unbreakable), appears after the end credits. Jackson will star as the first black Nick Fury next summer.

Thor tells Jane that “magic and science are one and the same” in his realm. Let’s hope The Avengers will conjure more of that magic on Earth.

If you like Thor, you might enjoy:  The Eagle; X-Men: First Class; Captain America: The First Avenger.

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Thor     2011  /  PG-13  /  2 hours 10 min

Cast Overview:  Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Starsgard, Colm Feore, Ray Stevenson, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Rene Russo, Anthony Hopkins, Clark Gregg, Jaimie Alexander, Tadanobu Asano, Joshua Dallas

Director:  Kenneth Branagh

Genre:  Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy

 

Hanna ****1/2

 

A freak claims her identity and kicks serious butt in the action thriller Hanna. Saoirse Ronan, the sweet, wide-eyed dead girl of The Lovely Bones and young Briony in Atonement, stars as the dispassionate hunter.

Hanna lives near the Arctic Circle with her fugitive spy dad Erik (Eric Bana of The Time Traveler’s Wife and Munich).  Hanna speaks German, Italian, Spanish and Arabic.  She can hunt, shoot, track, gut a deer for dinner and evade capture.

Hanna has been genetically engineered to be the perfect soldier.  But anyone who thinks for themselves and tries to do what is right might upset the natural order of things. Enter it-rhymes-with-witch CIA operative Marissa Wiegler (devastating Cate Blanchett).

Director Joe Wright (known for Atonement and The Soloist) explores what makes us human in a techno-human world. He succeeds as Hanna achieves more depth than the usual action film. She’s a science experiment grown into a secret agent girl with soul.

Approaching womanhood, Hanna tells dad she’s ready to leave their cozy cabin.  This will mean flipping the switch of a device that will bring special forces swooping down upon them.  Hanna will have to use everything she’s learned to protect herself and avenge her mother’s killer – guess who?

Wiegler considers Hanna and her rogue asset father threatening to national security (we’re not told why). She dispatches teams of assassins to pursue both father and daughter. Tom Hollander plays creepy, whistling Isaacs.

Displaying impressive fighting skills on the run, Ronan (just 16 at the time of filming) reveals vulnerability and the soul of wonder. “What does music feel like?” she asks the whimsical, grisled proprietor of an abandoned Grimms theme park. The Chemical Brothers provide innovative, Euro-metal soundtrack.

An interlude with a hippie family driving their van through Morocco and Spain allows Hanna to explore relatively normal life and social relationships. She goes on a date, but that first kiss is not like anything we’d expect. Jessica Barden plays Hanna’s talkative, tender friend Sophie who calls her a freak.

Desperate to fit in while embracing her wild strength, Hanna’s reunion with dad becomes a wildcat confrontation.  Bana is manly-cool in the scene and during a number of chases and hand-to-hand tussles.

 

The energetic screenplay was penned by Seth Lochhead and David Farr. Cinematographer Alwin Kuchler is both fluid and frenetic with widescreen framing. Sarah Greenwood lends beautiful production design.

Hanna has been trained to kill when necessary, but wants to stop. Like Angelina Jolie in SALT but more touching, Ronan approaches superhero status as she stands in her power.   

If you like Hanna, you might enjoy: The Lovely Bones; The Soloist; Red Riding Hood.

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Hanna   2011  /  PG-13  /  1 hour, 51 mins

Cast Overview:  Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hollander, Olivia Williams, Jason Flemyng, Jessica Barden

Director:  Joe Wright

Genre:  Action Thriller, Adventure, Mystery

Iron Man 2 ***

 

Robert Downey Jr. returns with heart and pizzazz as Iron Man 2’s comic book action hero. Downey plays Tony Stark, billionaire playboy industrialist who relishes his role as global troubleshooter and guardian of the nation’s safety.

While Stark wants to remain an independent do-gooder, both Congress and his friend Lt. Col. Jim Rhodes (Don Cheadle) press him to sell his technology to the government.

Dramatic tension builds early as we discover that the nuclear powered device keeping Stark alive is also poisoning his blood. The circular disc over his heart is failing, and only the discovery of a new element strong enough to power it will save Iron Man.

Mickey Rourke beautifully develops bad guy Ivan Vanko, a Russian physicist whose father first developed the Iron Man technology. Vanko feels that he, not Downey, is its rightful heir. Rourke brings to Vanko pathos and sensitivity (he’s very fond of his white cockatiel). With growling determination, he pursues Downey at a Monaco racetrack, electrical whips crackling from his gladiator garb.

In an unpleasant surprise, talented Gwyneth Paltrow mars Iron Man 2 as shrill, hormonally raging Pepper Potts, Downey’s love interest turned Type A CEO of Stark Enterprises. Paltrow’s tiresome stereotype detracts from the film. There is scant chemistry between her and Downey.

Luckily Paltrow’s circumspect assistant Scarlett Johanssen steals the show as Natalie, also known as secret agent and martial arts expert Black Widow. It’s Johanssen who reaffirms our faith in strong women heroines in action thrillers.

As the story continues, Cheadle gets to soar and wage combat in an Iron Man suit. Samuel Jackson is excellent as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Nick Fury, perhaps the only person who can keep Downey’s ego at bay, at least for a few moments. Sam Rockwell struts about as a rival industrialist who recruits Rourke to garner a lucrative government contract.

Iron Man 2 features plenty of metallic clashes and laser shootouts, along with spectacles such as Tony Stark’s expo at the former World’s Fair Grounds in Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York. Overall director Jon Favreau has crafted a fitting opening to Summer 2010’s action thriller season. Good acting raises the bar in Iron Man 2.


Iron Man 2 2010 / NR / 2 hrs, 4 min

Cast Overview: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Samuel L. Jackson, Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson

Director: Jon Favreau

Genres: Action and Adventure, Comic Book and Superhero, Action Thriller