Quick Takes: "21 Jump Street", "Iron Man 2", "Captain America"

"21 Jump Street"

Directed by Phil Lord & Chris Miller

Channing Tatum has been a massive anomaly and point of confusion since the start of his existence. He's not especially influential in his action roles, and plain sappy and dull in his romantic roles. The guy simply was not meant for serious work, so it's no mistake that "21 Jump Street" finally gives the guy something that he can thrive in. Spinning off of the old television show, it ultimately ignores that small fact to embrace something funnier and more interesting. The high school stereotypes of old have changed dramatically in years recent, and the power structure of schools is less and less with jocks, and more with charismatic members of band and drama.

"21 Jump Street" is not at all about intensity, and is more about two polar opposite personalities having to come to terms with aspects of themselves that they have not realized before. Jonah Hill often times falls to idiocy in comedic roles, but the man is on a mean streak recently. "Moneyball" showed that he had serious chops in him, and this film gives him some sweet and affectionate chemistry work between him and Tatum. As said before, Tatum is the guy who truly rocks this film. His typically dopey work is hilariously on time here, and the guy really is a born comedic actor. Don't be afraid to defame yourself Tatum. It may be where you belong! And Brie Larson is just darling. The girl had me at hello.

Box Office Update: "Help" Wins Under "Rise"

If things seem somewhat tried and redundant in the coming weeks, it's frankly because there's absolutely nothing new to say. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" looks to be the last major blockbuster of the summer, still holding the top slot for the second consecutive weekend. That wouldn't be such a major accomplishment if things had unfolded as predicted, but "The Help" was a surprisingly strong debut. Much as I hoped, audiences have been reacting to the drama positively in all corners. It certainly shows up the other debuts this weekend.

"Final Destination 5" couldn't scrape $20 million, so things may be coming to a halt for the horror franchise. "The Smurfs" continues to reap more cash than it deserves, now climbing past $100 million. "30 Minutes or Less" proved to be mostly a failure, due likely to negative reviews and some controversy over real life events. "Glee" didn't even scratch the top ten, falling at number 11 with under $6 million. Things are still generally more positive than the end of last summer, but that could change somewhat quickly.

1. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (Second Weekend; $27.5 million)

2. "The Help" (First Weekend; $25.5 million)

3. "Final Destination 5" (First Weekend; $18.4 million)

4. "The Smurfs" (Third Weekend; $13.5 million)

5. "30 Minutes or Less" (First Weekend; $13 million)

6. "Cowboys and Aliens" (Third Weekend; $7.6 million)

7. "Captain America" (Fourth Weekend; $7.1 million)

8. "Crazy, Stupid, Love" (Third Weekend; $6.9 million)

9. "Deathly Hallows: Part 2" (Fifth Weekend; $6.8 million)

10. "The Change Up" (Second Weekend; $6.2 million)

Box Office Update: Substantial "Rise" as summer falls

I know it's strange, but I miss this site being, or at least feeling, important. Across the past few weeks I've fallen into a bit of a slump, and I am dearly sorry for that. I'm not in a very endearing or motivating environment, so that makes me feel quite often like I'd rather do nothing. So for the next few weeks leading up to September you're going to be seeing a major resurgence in activity on the site. I'm going to try to talk about something every day, even if there's nothing to talk about in the news. I'm going to get back to my roots of indulging in more trivial news for the sake of anger and enjoyable reading.

So now on to the box office, which was surging this weekend. I'll be getting to my thoughts on Rise of the Planet of the Apes soon enough, and though I'm not quite ecstatic about it, it is better than the film that debuted in this frame last year, The Other Guys. I was surprised by how well the film played with audiences, and should continue to play in the coming weeks of the summer. With little competition in its way, it could have stood out as a sleeper hit if the opening wasn't so great. It still could stick out in that way, but that's for next weekend to tell.

The rest of the box office was successful, but disappointing due to the films they belonged to. The Smurfs rose to $76 million, beating out Cowboys and Aliens after an indecisive finish last weekend. The latter film rests a gulf of $10 million behind, and that gap will only increase in the coming weeks. The Change-Up happily disappointed, with one of the lowest opening for a comedy this summer. Ryan Reynolds has not had a good summer, nor has he deserved one. Captain America still lags slightly behind Thor, but is generally positive at the present time.

Box Office Update: "Cowboys" Gets "Smurf"ed

I'm sorry Damon Lindelof, but you really shouldn't have brought it up in the first place. While some will gripe that both films opened about equally, Cowboys and Aliens had more potential and expectation going into this weekend, so the adequate opening weekend gross just doesn't match up. The Smurfs, on the other hand, played higher than it was expected or deserved to, so it's kind of the champion of this weekend, regardless of what Monday's numbers say. In other news, completely unrelated to the colossal debuts this weekend, Captain America dove 61% from last weekend, showing that it doesn't have quite the same staying power as Thor did in May.

Deathly Hallows: Part 2 continues to do really well despite the expected massive drop in its second weekend. Sadly, you can tell my disposition about the film from how I only refer to it as Deathly Hallows: Part 2, and not Harry Potter. Crazy, Stupid, Love is faring as you'd expect a standard rom-com to nowadays. The superior Friends with Benefits dipped precisely 50%, and should hopefully hold up better than the former. So expect the box office to hit a massive slump after this weekend, much like it did last year.

1. The Smurfs (First Weekend; $36.2 million)

2. Cowboys and Aliens (First Weekend; $36.2 million)

3. Captain America: The First Avenger (Second Weekend; $24.9 million)

4. Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Third Weekend; $21.9 million)

5. Crazy, Stupid, Love (First Weekend; $19.3 million)

6. Friends with Benefits (Second Weekend; $9.3 million)

7. Horrible Bosses (Fourth Weekend; $7.1 million)

8. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Fifth Weekend; $6 million)

9. Zookeeper (Fourth Weekend; $4.2 million)

10. Cars 2 (Sixth Weekend; $2.3 million)

Box Office Update: Victory for "America"

I'm still getting a weird sense of polarization after giving Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 a pan last weekend, and I almost gave Captain America: The First Avenger a decent review this weekend. Then I thought, "Did I really enjoy it more than Harry Potter?" Thank heavens I didn't, because this weekend is lining things up rather agreeably for most films. Captain America came in first, which was a tad surprising, but it's income was exactly as expected. Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was the one that took a pretty big tumble. It fell all the way down to $48 million from it's highest opening weekend ever.

So it looks like The Dark Knight is still moderately safe, and I'd attribute Potter's massive success to opening day madness. The films in that franchise always were a bit front-loaded in terms of income, but still pretty successful. Other than that, I'm not quite sure what else is big about this weekend. Friends with Benefits opened to third place, just below $20 million. That is a tad lower than its counterpart No Strings Attached, but that released during the most depressing time of the year in box office terms. People were looking for something mildly good, and it was only that.

1. Captain America (First Weekend; $65.8 million)

2. Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Second Weekend; $48 million)

3. Friends with Benefits (First Weekend; $18.5 million)

4. Transformers 3 (Fourth Weekend; $12 million)

5. Horrible Bosses (Third Weekend; $11.7 million)

6. Zookeeper (Third Weekend; $8.7 million)

7. Cars 2 (Fifth Weekend; $5.7 million)

8. Winnie the Pooh (Second Weekend; $5.1 million)

9. Bad Teacher (Fifth Weekend; $2.6 million)

10. Midnight in Paris (Tenth Weekend; $1.9 million)

Film Review: "Captain America: The First Avenger" (**1/2)

I'd very much like to hate what I want to hate, but occasionally I have to give credit where credit is due, and credit is very much due to key member involved in creating Captain America: The First Avenger. Probably the most key members in this film are Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the two men who created the original comic, which is the building blocks for what makes this film mildly successful. You have to give them credit for inventing one of the more original superhero origin stories, as well as one of the more tragic.

This fifth film in Marvel Studios' superhero chronicle follows Steve Rogers, a 90 pound asthmatic who is desperate to serve his country, not on brutality but on principle. He's not one of those gung-ho attitude military types, but mostly a man who wants to serve his country, and as cliche as that sounds, it kind of works. That is, it works until he's given a serum that gives him "amazing superhuman abilities"... which are that he's suddenly gorgeous and can leap long distances and punch stuff? As much as it fits the 1940s mentality, that is still a lame power to have.

The Weekend Report:: Red, White, and Bland

It might be a bit unfair to call Captain America: The First Avenger bland, but heading into seeing the film, I can't imagine it being pretty. With a man like Joe Johnston at the helm, how can it be? Some say that he's a successful genre director, but I just prefer to say that he's awful. That's the simple and truthful way of putting it. Even at his least gruesome, the word schlocky comes to mind to describe his work. While I have faith in the cast of the film to bring some life to it, it's already looking like something of a dead affair. I'd write it off entirely if it weren't so likely to bring in money this weekend.

Of course it is going to have to fend off the sophomore weekend of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, whose income continues to be just as colossal as its name. Winnie the Pooh failed to make a dent in as the only other new competitor, and with Captain America also in the market this week, one wonders if Friends with Benefits will attract enough of a crowd. I won't be seeing it until Monday, but since it's the only comedy to crop up since Horrible Bosses I imagine it faring well enough. It's a light counterbalance to the depression of Potter and America.

For Your Anticipation: You Win Wars with Guts

I'm still of the opinion that Captain America: The First Avenger is going to be, for the most part, an unattractive and overly patriotic fluke. It's painting America as it was perceived during it's most righteous of time periods, which was when it was fighting the Nazis. The best thing that Captain America: The First Avenger can be is a superhero iteration of Forrest Gump. I highly doubt that it will, but there's a sprinkle of hope. However, I won't be watching to finding out until next weekend, so please feel free to let me know how it is.

Films to See in 2011: July

So June went by with a deafening whimper, and as for how a whimper can be deafening, it's because you can't really hear anything. As May provided an excess of revitalizing filmmaking, not so much stunning as it was refreshing, June was the inevitable hangover. July is a spring of steady euphoria as we get back to some sense of sanity and stable thought. Transformers: Dark of the Moon switched months just after I posted my most anticipated films of June, so I'm tempted to rule July as an utterly depressing wreck starting out. Still, it will have that transforming robot heat going forward a few days ahead of time.

There are films that I am somewhat looking forward to, but don't quite break the top three. Horrible Bosses and Crazy, Stupid, Love both seem to go for the same sort of comedic demographic, with the latter having some sort of edge going for it, but both being general degradable. Friends with Benefits has more certain comedic spark, but I remain quietly skeptical. Captain America: The First Avenger seems to be on the same level of entertainment as Thor, so that's perhaps promising, but possibly disastrous. The biggest surprise omission is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, because even though I really loved Part 1, I expect a disappointing conclusion to the saga. That being said, I'm still very excited. So here are my picks, and you can comment below to tell me yours.

3. Tabloid

Directed by Errol Morris

The biggest barrier that modern moviegoers need to overcome is documentaries, because they're not always as depressing as Waiting for "Superman". Sometimes they're incredibly revealing and intense (The Cove), or spryly entertaining with a unique touch (Exit Through the Gift Shop). Tabloid looks like it's setting itself up in the ranks of the latter, looking at the true story of a woman who is either a monster or a victim, and I tend to believe the former. Then again, so little is told by the trailer that it's impossible to tell the eventual outcome of this film. I'm impressed when a doc tackles a little told and narrow subject only to reveal how fascinating it is.

"Captain America: The First Avenger" Trailer 2

When a film's teaser trailer and final trailer are equal in length, one can be forgiven for some trepidation. I've been against Captain America: The First Avenger from the start, based solely and surely on the promise of director Joe Johnston. There was a point of optimistic denial in which I had hope for this film, but the trailer honestly looks somewhat foul. It looks like the sort of film that will make me gag in the same way G.I. Joe did, or Johnston's own The Wolfman. There should be those who support this film, but I'm just going to stick to my usual snobbery and put it down.

Digital 3D in Summer 2011

I feel like the film industry has learned some valuable lessons in terms of using Digital 3D in film. I am, personally, an affable fan of the technique just so long as it is done correctly. It's like really good chocolate, but you can still overdo it. This Summer has found a certain measure of moderation, with X-Men: First Class, Super 8, and Cowboys & Aliens all opting out of Digital 3D. I think it's a worthy rule that if your film isn't just standard popcorn fare that you shouldn't go for 3D. In the meantime, there are some films that you could easily see in 2D without complaint. I'll try to give you a decent idea of which films would be worth the extra three bucks.

May

Thor - Post-conversion, but deals with epic celestial realms. Probably still majestic and preferable in 2D.

Priest - Not in 3D. Not in 2D. Not on DVD. NOT EVER!

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - Promising visuals from Rob Marshall in service of a less than spectacular screenplay. If you see it at all, go for 3D.

Kung Fu Panda 2 - Heartfelt animation from Dreamworks, so definitely worth 3D.

June

Green Lantern - It's practically an animated film, and the superhero was made for 3D. Should attract the same fans as Avatar, so you'll see it in 3D either way.

Cars 2 - If it's not in the sky, it's not worth your time. If you see Pixar's latest, see it in 2D.

July

Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Sparks, explosions, clanging metal, and more explosions. Shut your brain off and see it in frantic 3D glory!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 - I'm completing the journey in 2D. You should too.

Captain America: The First Avenger - Seems to evoke the film I would have died to see in 3D, Star Trek, so go for the glasses.

The Smurfs - Seriously? Don't even bother.

Teaser Trailer: Captain America: The First Avenger

There is a lot that I'm not at all sure about concerning Captain America: The First Avenger. It's directed by Joe Johnston, the man who ruined The Wolfman last year, turning it into something instantly forgettable and atrocious to behold, and it's starring Chris Evans, the man you thought was a total D-Bag in Fantastic Four. Despite everything else, including the apprehension I still hold onto as a precaution, this trailer was something of a success. There were a few structural problems, but it doesn't look nearly as stupid or pointless as Green Lantern. I still have a weird sense of faith in Thor that I have not yet cultivated to this film, but we'll see how it turns out. I'm still kind of upset that Michael Giacchino isn't scoring it as originally rumored. This trailer doesn't stink of disappointment, but we don't have anything truly promising yet.

2011 Super Bowl TV Spots

I honestly couldn't care less about the outcome of the Super Bowl. I don't care about football. I don't really care about any sports. Truth be told, I don't even care about the halftime show. When all is said and done, I only tune in for the commercials, and I'm not talking about the countless senseless Doritos and Budweiser ads. The money that is spent for 30-60 seconds of ad time during the show is ridiculous, and it's always a draw for high profile film previews. Tonight that included a long list of films like Cowboys & Aliens, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. However, the one that everybody is going to be talking about until the first trailer premieres is Super 8. This is our first comprehensive look at the film, and it looks breathtaking in any classic sense of the word.

Thor was nothing new in the slightest, but our first look at Captain America: The First Avenger was slight confirmation of all of my fears. Quite honestly, Thor is looking like a sensible alternative.

I had a bit of a quarrel with a few new friends on how Cowboys & Aliens looks to them, and I was dispirited to hear them call it stupid. I doubt they'd have said that if it had a different title, and the new TV spot added onto the favorable buzz going out for the film.

Closing on a mildly hopeful note, the new TV spot for Transformers: Dark of the Moon brought the awesome flashy visuals we expected, and the hope of something better. On a slightly geekier note, THEY HAVE A ROBOT DRAGON!!!!!

Oh, and just to propel forward my support for advertisements that aren't done with mind-choking stupidity such as Doritos ads, here's the clever ad for House.

"Captain America" Teaser Poster

I always took the first poster for a film as a sign that we might be getting a teaser trailer relatively soon. That's what happened with Thor and Cowboys and Aliens, but then the teaser poster for X-Men: First Class was released, and we've gotten to this point without seeing that trailer. So I'm keeping myself reserved in anticipation for the trailer for Captain America: The First Avenger. The poster looks great, but I just don't trust director Joe Johnston with anything. He gave us Jurassic Park 3 and The Wolfman, so keep your expectations to yourself, because that's where they are safest.

Comic Con 2010: Wrap Up!

Alright, let me just wrap up with my thoughts on Comic Con. I was rather disappointed by how little low quality video captured on people's video cameras made its way online. I was hoping to see more, but was disappointed. That's my general feeling from this Comic Con. There wasn't enough material thrown around this year. Nobody real took full use of Hall H as they could have. There weren't many events that had a huge amount of buzz around them. I'm sad I wasn't there this year, but I feel like it wouldn't have be as exciting as I'd have hoped for.

We got some big events from TRON Legacy, Jon Favreau's Cowboys and Aliens (A photo from which can be found at the top of this article), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and Matt Reeves' Let Me In, but there wasn't so much to talk about. Nobody premiered 20 minutes of footage to an eager crowd like James Cameron did last year for Avatar. The film sucked, but at least he took the time to give fans more of what they wanted. It'd have been nice to see the short bits of footage from Thor, Green Lantern, and Captain America, but I'm not as huge a comic book geek as the rest of my family, and I'm really growing tired of the Marvel franchise.

So what can we expect from Comic Con next year? For one thing, you can expect me to be there. It's a long trip across the entire country, and I literally mean the entire country. I live in New Hampshire, so San Diego will be a bit of a long haul, but hopefully I'll be able to make it. As for events, most of the summer will be long gone by the time Comic Con comes around. So what's there to hype about? Will they show an advance screening of Spy Kids 4? I sincerely hope not. There's a chance we'll get a lot more Cowboys and Aliens footage, seeing as the film comes out two weeks later, but there are a few films that come out that fall and the following year that might generate buzz.

Happy Feet 2, Martin Scorcese's Hugo Cabret, Mission Impossible 4, Sherlock Holmes 2, David Fincher's Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Stephen Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn will all be dawning in November and December of next year. Not to mention, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1. I'll give you a few minutes to puke, and then you can finish reading. Also be ready for whatever footage from The Avengers Joss Whedon is sure to unveil at Comic Con, because you know he will. Also look for footage from the summer 2012 pics Battleship, Men and Black 3, the Spiderman reboot, and whatever Christopher Nolan feels good with sharing about his next project, whatever it is (The Dark Knight sequel?). Well for now, I leave you with one more poster. It's the third Let Me In poster from Comic Con, and it instantly overshadows the other two.

Comic Con 2010: Panels for Paul, Cowboys and Aliens, Captain America, and Thor!

As much as I'd like to go into extreme depth with this post, I'm just sick and tired of Comic Con by now. I hate hearing about all these things that I wasn't able to witness, and I really hope that I get a chance to be there next year. Until then, I leave you with one more link to In Contention, where you'll be able to find out what Kristopher Tapley thought of yesterday's panels, including that of Paul, Cowboys and Aliens, Captain America, and Thor. So the link is below. Enjoy reading about things you didn't have the pleasure of seeing for yourself.

In Contention