Film Review: "The Avengers"

"And then Shawarma after."

There is a juncture about 90 minutes into Joss Whedon's superhero extravaganza "The Avengers" that states my feelings towards the film better than any words could. Mark Ruffalo's newly tuned Bruce Banner awakens in a pile of rubble to the company of a janitor played by none other than Harry Dean Stanton. It's a short scene played almost entirely for humor, with the hilarious delivery of the words, "I think you have a condition". That may very well be my absolute favorite moment of the film's two hour and twenty minute running time, filled enterprisingly with bombastic action, interpersonal conflict, and character articulation. A random cameo talking to a nude guy who just got busy breaking apart an air fortress.

It's that moment where I realize that this could easily have never happened, just as this film could have gone awry at any juncture. They had five films to build up to this one, and if one of them had been entirely horrible, this one would have fallen apart entirely. Against any possibility, this geek pipe dream has become a reality, and for nearly everyone else who sees it, it will be received as miraculous. Indeed, ignoring the film entirely, we have to spend a moment to acknowledge just how difficult it has been to bring us to this point, where a film like this is not only possible, but absolutely fluent. But if I'm building it up as a disappointment, it surely isn't.

"The Avengers" Teaser Trailer

I suppose I'm not going to be as crazy about this trailer as most people will. After all, I don't think I've ever merited a Marvel superhero film anywhere above 3 stars. However, I am looking forward to seeing how these characters coexist. From what I see here, Tony Stark seems to be much of the catalyst here. Steve Rogers is all too serious. Banner is kept on hold to the end, as they would. Thor doesn't get much beyond chuckling at Stark's joke. I think he'll certainly be amused by Stark. I can imagine the two of them having a drink at some point in the film. I'll wait and see what else comes. It looks fun.

For Your Anticipation: So Many People

And now we have an assemblage of some fine comedic actors in a film that entirely wastes them. I am not at all talking about Anna Faris. I'm talking about the dozens of people she's apparently dated, and it didn't work out. It's pretty clear there's a reason why they didn't work out. It's pretty clear Chris Evans is going to end up with her. It feels like a chore writing about it. I'm not going to suggest "What's Your Number?".

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.

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.

"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.

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.

1st Annual Nitrate Awards

We've now officially completed this year's inaugural run of the "Best of the Year" segment, and it's definitely been something of a success. It was a little rocky on the finish there, and I apologize for the numerous problems that sprung up in terms of yesterday's "Best Films of 2010" posts. I'll probably not try the whole countdown thing again next year, and just go with simply posting it all up, avoiding all the technical errors that we've been rigorously dealing with these past few weeks. So now the only thing left to do is give my superlatives, and so here is the premiere run of the Nitrate Awards, which we hope to carry on more successfully to next year. Feel free to list your choices in these categories!

Best Picture: True Grit
Best Director: Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan)
Best Actor: Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
Best Actress: Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Best Supporting Actor: John Hawkes (Winter's Bone)
Best Supporting Actress: Marion Cotillard (Inception)
Best Male Cameo: Chris Evans (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World)
Best Female Cameo: Rooney Mara (The Social Network)
Best Breakthrough Male Performance: Kieran Culkin (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World)
Best Breakthrough Female Performance: Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)