Pads & Panels

Title: Captain America (1992)

Format: DVD

Directed by: Albert Pyun

Written by: Stephen Tolkin, Lawrence Block

Starring: Matt Salinger, Ronny Cox, Ned Beatty, Darren McGavin, Michael Nouri, Melinda Dillon

Studio: Fox MGM

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

With a new adventure for Captain America: The First Avenger already released in theaters on the road to The Avengers, MGM/Fox figured they might as well cash in with an MGM Limited Edition Collection DVD for the 1992 version of Captain America, with Albert Pyun at the helm and Matt Salinger under the cowl. But comic fans beware – this isn’t the Captain America you know and love. (more…)

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Title: Captain America: The First Avenger

Directed by: Joe Johnston

Written by: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely

Starring: Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Dominic Cooper, Stanley Tucci, Samuel L. Jackson

Studio: Marvel, Paramount

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

Captain America: The First Avenger marks the final superhero movie to hit theaters before next year’s Marvel mega-film-event The Avengers. And like most superhero flicks as of late, it starts with the beginning, telling the origin of a scrawny man named Steve Rogers who through the wonders of science becomes Captain America, a beacon for patriotism during the war with the Nazis. But for all of its stylistic successes, its plot could use some work, and it is hard to shake the feeling that it’s in part an incredibly long trailer for another movie. (more…)

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Title: Green Lantern

Directed by: Martin Campbell

Written by: Greg Berlanti, Michael Green, Marc Guggenheim, Michael Goldenberg

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong

Studio: Warner Bros.

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

In a summer movie season that already saw the surprisingly good debut of Thor, and the unexpected resurgence of X-Men in First Class — both coming out of the Marvel camp — Green Lantern, DC Comics and Warner Bros. had their work cut out for them. But even if it were not for the high standards set by its summer predecessors, Green Lantern would be a letdown, whether the viewer is coming in as just a casual moviegoer or hardcore fan of the comics.

Green Lantern tells the tale of Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds), a test pilot who is granted the power to physically manifest anything he can see in his mind with the power of a green ring that chooses him after an alien crash lands on Earth. The ring gets its power from a titular green lantern, which derives its power from will, which is depicted in the color green. (more…)

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Title: X-Men: First Class

Directed By: Matthew Vaughn

Written by: Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman, Bryan Singer

Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, January Jones, Kevin Bacon

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Rating:

Review by: Matt Peters

X-Men: First Class is one of those rare films that earn its franchise a second wind. After the poor showing of X3 & Wolverine, it seemed as if the series had run its course. Fortunately, a Bryan Singer-infused script and an inspired Matthew Vaughn decided to try a different approach than what preceded them.

Setting the film in the 1960’s is a good choice. Some mutant powers like Professor X’s mental abilities have more of a “wow” factor in a time before mobile phones were widely available. Also, the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis provides a common, undeniable issue that must be dealt with by the CIA, and in this case, their covert team of superpowered mutants. Little tweaks like this also add credibility to the otherwise unbelievable premise that a trust-fund psychic would a) graduate from Oxford without cheating and b) decide to form a team and use his powers for good. (more…)

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