Captain America and Thor

Superhero & universe: Captain America and Thor, Marvel Universe

Is it based on a comic? Captain America first appeared in Captain America #1, published by Timely Comics (the precursor to Marvel)  in 1941.  By the end of WWII, the character had dropped in popularity, and was out of print for most of the fifties, aside from a couple of ill-received come-backs.  Cap returned to modern comics in 1963, when the Captain was found frozen in the Avengers issue #4 of their self-titled series.  He has been featured in print continuously since, enjoying over 600 issues of publication.

Thor first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83, and has been featured in print almost continuously ever since, until the character was killed in 2004 and the property was given time to rest before being relaunched.  In 2007, Thor was resurrected by J. Michael Starczynski in a series that received wide critical acclaim, and the character has enjoyed renewed popularity ever since, recently celebrating over 625 issues of publication. 

Haven't they already made that?   Captain America has been featured in numerous animated series since the 1960's, while also appearing in nearly every animated incarnation of the Avengers.  Cap also appeared in a 1944 film serial, two made-for-TV movies in 1979,  an odd 1973 Turkish film 3 Dev Adam (Cap and a Mexican Wrestler fight a green clad Spiderman), and an unreleased 1992 theatrical film (later released on video), and two direct-to-DVD Avengers movies.  Cap currently appears on Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and Super Hero Squad Show.  Following the success of last year's theatrical film, Cap will appear in Captain America 2 (official title unknown) in 2014.

The Marvel version of Thor appeared in a short lived, self-titled animated series in the 1960's, as well as in various animated projects afterword.  Thor met the Hulk in the 80's made-for-TV film The Incredible Hulk Returns, and reunited with him in the 2009 Hulk Vs direct-to-DVD movie. Thor has appeared in five other animated direct-to-DVD movies.  Thor has also appeared in several animated series featuring the Avengers, and currently appears in Avengers: Earth's mightiest Heroes, and Super Hero Squad Show.  Following the success of last year's theatrical film, Thor will return to theaters in a sequel in 2013.  Thor's Norse mythology counterpart also continues to appear in a variety of sci-fi/fantasy films and television series.

What the heck does this have to do with Avengers?  Avengers will require a degree of finesse similar to that exhibited in these films: juggling multiple character development, managing a deeply conflicted villain whilst making non-angsty goodness interesting and attractive. Despite some trepidations regarding Whedon, such demands play to many of his strengths. In terms of plot development, these movies--more than any of the others--set the stage for the culminating project: Avengers, in theaters May 4th.

Mike says  for me, the most vital piece of the Avengers puzzle was Thor.  Sure, Iron Man worked out well, and Hulk was okay.  Captain America was still waiting to be released to average hype.  A mediocre Cap movie would have hurt the franchise, but a lousy Thor film would have been fatal.  Of the many legs that the Avengers franchise stands on, Thor is one of the most vital, linking the films while also providing the key antagonist and context of the Avengers.

With this in mind, it's amazing that Marvel opted to go with Thor at all.  There are literally hundreds of Avengers to choose from, but none of them would have achieved the diversity that Thor brings, nor do any of them play as crucial a role as Thor did in the original formation of the Avengers.

Thor also had the monumental task of linking the technological worlds of Hulk and Iron Man with its own mystical aspects, which is tough in any medium.  That Thor accomplished this in an original and entertaining manner is surprising enough, but that it did it while staying true to the spirit of the source material is quite amazing.

When I first heard that Branagh was in the running to direct, I kind of shook my head and thought, "Okay, that's weird."  As it turned out, weird was exactly what the film needed.  Branagh brought a sense of scope and sophistication to the film that might not have existed other wise.

The Asgardians are portrayed very much as real people with real personalities, but who still exhibit an air of royalty that lends itself to godhood.  This is probably my favorite thing about the film.  Even before Thor learns his lesson, he is established as a likable guy with friends that genuinely enjoy his company, with plenty of evidence to support that depiction.

The inclusion of characters already established in other films was also quite successful, helping to create that believable link between the films.  Seeing the film for the first time in the theater, I was overwhelmed, brought to tears of pure joy on at least two occasions. At least one of them was when Thor first threw his hammer!

The movie is tight and solid, with a nice balance of drama and humor, and just the right bit of action.  When the film was first announced, I was terrified by the potential level of campy humor.  Throwing medieval types into the modern world for the duration of a film almost never ends with dignity.  Thor somehow pulls it off with only a small scene (the Warriors Three knocking on the window) containing any camp at all.

Thor also excelled at creating a relationship between the hero and villain that has real weight and depth, something that the other Marvel films to this point had not succeeded in.  When Thor confronts Loki at the end of the film, he is fairly sure he can reason him out of his behavior.  When the confrontation becomes a brawl, Thor seems honestly hurt by the prospect of having to fight his brother.

Even when Thor decides to take the ultimate action to save the Giants by destroying the bridge, Loki's shock reveals he still cares for Thor. "But you'll never see her again!" he screams.  Sure, this is an obvious attempt to manipulate Thor, but there's also something about it that makes me realize--Loki doesn't understand. His brother is sacrificing his own happiness to save their enemies; Loki is shocked by his brother's growth and by what he is sacrificing.

Even Loki's attempt to destroy the world of the Frost Giants seems motivated more by the love for his family than just a need for power. Loki feels that if he can destroy his own people, then there is nothing to stop him from being a true Asgardian;  Then he will truly belong.  Thor's intervention, at the risk of his own happiness, is just another example of Thor denying Loki what he thinks he deserves.

As you can see, I was bowled over by Thor.  So much that when I first saw Captain America, I left the theater feeling a tad underwhelmed.  It's not that I thought Cap was a bad movie. In fact I was fairly happy with it.  But it wasn't Thor.  Which is pretty unfair to Cap.

After some time had passed, I watched the film again on DVD, and I was blown away.  It took me a bit, but Cap really grew on me, both the character and the film.  I really appreciated the pacing and character development. In fact, some of my favorite characters in the movie were the smaller parts, including Dr. Erskine and the general played by Tommy Lee Jones ("He's still skinny").

I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Erskine.  His role as the wise mentor trying to make the world a better place is overwhelming and completely believable, making his death that much more moving. Evans as Cap is surprisingly dead on, and his portrayal as an independent thinker as well as a patriot is nice to see in this day and age.

The production design is amazing, and really makes the movie work as an extension of the Iron Man reality, while still feeling at home in the time period.  There's also a ton here for fans paying attention.  Nods, references, and foreshadowing are all treats contained in the background.

Like Thor, Cap really succeeds in its relationships.  Each one is believable and enjoyable, and Cap's relationship with the Red Skull is no different.  Cap's ability to control his dislike of the villain is specially refreshing.

Perhaps the best example of the relationship between the two is the exchange that takes place after Cap allows himself to be captured. The Red Skull, believing himself to be a godlike being, demands Cap, his most persist and challenging enemy, to explain what makes him so special that he believes he can stand toe to toe with the Red Skull. 

When Cap says, "Nothing, I'm just a kid from Brooklyn," he not only admits his own humanity but bares that of the Red Skull as well--as perfect as the Skull thinks he is, an ordinary man can bring him down.  And that is why the Skull hits Cap. Not to establish the power in the relationship, but in an attempt to reclaim it.

The end of the movie is a bit abrupt but was definitely the right way to go. By the time Cap was made, Avengers was an almost definite thing (as I said, failure of that summer's movies could have killed it, but that didn't happen). As such, the filmmakers decided to save Cap's journey of adapting to the modern world for Avengers, which puts Cap in the great position to have the main arc in the film--if he can find a family, then he will have found a place and a purpose in this world that moved on without him.  Attempting to fit all of that into one movie would have robbed the film of many of the things that made it special.

More than anything else, I've been really impressed by the methodical way (for Hollywood at least) that Marvel went about setting the stage so that Avengers could happen.  While the Iron Man and Hulk movies set up the world of Marvel, Shield, and many of the rules, Cap and Thor actually introduce plot elements and characters that will play a crucial role in the film.  Loki, the main villain of Thor, and the tesseract from Captain America both feature in Avengers.

The events in both films lead directly into Avengers, setting up the premise the film will be following.  The films can be watched together or separately, and each way brings a different layer to the experience.  If you were able to watch just two films before seeing Avengers, Thor and Cap are what you would want to see.

Here's hoping that Avengers can deliver on five years of build-up. 

I'm so exited!  We're so close!

Kate says this is the second time I've seen Captain America; the third time I've seen Thor. I enjoyed Captain America much more this time around and was reconfirmed in my high opinion of Thor.

The first time I saw Captain, I expected the movie to explore Cap adjusting to the 21st century. I couldn't get over my disappointment when that didn't happen.

The second time, I was prepared to watch the story of Captain America as a straight-forward origin tale. With that point of view in mind, I found the movie not only more enjoyable but rather touching. Just as Superman Returns is a quiet, almost reflective tribute to Superman and the Christopher Reeves era, Captain America pays sincere tribute to Cap and the history/time period that produced him. In fact, the first part of the movie could be a history lesson of the U.S. home-front during World War II!

Okay, granted the second part of the movie is far less historical (Schmidt is worse than the Nazis!). Hugo Weaving is an excellent villain, though, and far scarier in his own face than as Red Skull. In fact, truthfully, I have a hard time taking Red Skull seriously. I am very grateful that the writer/director left off turning Schmidt into Red Skull until late in the movie. When the Red Skull makes his pronouncements, I kind of sigh (despite the great dialog). When Hugo Weaving curls his lips, oooh, goosebumps.

I have been enormously impressed with Chris Evans. Since my prior exposure to Chris Evans was as the glib Johnny Storm, I wasn't expecting much with Cap. Evans delivers a profoundly gentle performance as a guileless man who is truly patriotic and self-sacrificing without being sickly sweet.

Captain America is a good movie to pair with Thor since both Cap and Thor are similar personality types: wholly decent men who perceive their extraordinary strength as an obligation rather than an excuse for dominance. In both movies, the actors manage to give their characters layered depths. Not an easy thing to do! In general, it is far easier to be the snake than the saint.

It helps if Tom Hiddleston is your snake, of course. And it doubly helps if his character is ambiguous, yet psychologically consistent. As Loki, Hiddleston manages to convey a deeply conflicted personality who is, nonetheless, motivated by a single burning desire. As I stated in my prior review of Thor, I suspected Loki's intentions from the start, which I think is an unfortunate--but perhaps inevitable--minor flaw in the movie. On the other hand, Loki does not come across as BIG EVIL BAD GUY who sets out to create the movie's tragic end. Rather, he comes across as someone whose choices keep leading him down paths with fewer and fewer options. He paints himself into his corner/predicament.

Watching this movie for the third time, I was impressed not only by the very human emotions of the two main arcs (Loki on Asgard; Thor on earth) but how well they are balanced alongside the third minor arc: Thor and Jane et al.

The first time I watched the movie, I jumped to the conclusion (if you are noticing a theme, I absolutely agree: it is never a good idea to jump to a conclusion when reviewing movies) that Jane-Thor would be the principle arc--similar to the Peter-Mary Jane storyline which pushes Spiderman forward. But Thor is not a romance; it's a family saga. From that perspective, it is rather impressive that Branagh was able to ground (ha ha) the romance as much as he did. This isn't Highlander where the sex/romance feels tacked on. The romance in Thor is set-up and paid-off with little credulity strain alongside the bigger arcs.

I have to mention how much I appreciate the use of Agent Coulson in Thor. I love the imagery when Thor attempts to take Mjolnir (or "Myeuh-muh") the first time: Coulson's deliberate command to hold off firing; his quiet and curious contemplation of Thor's attempt to lift the hammer; his self-contained, reflective stance as he waits in the rain. I love it! And I should mention that I was a fan of Coulson back with Iron Man, before I even knew he would show up later or saw the one-shots! What can I say: I guess I like dry, bland efficiency.

U.S. movie goers get to see him again plus Cap and Thor very soon.

ONE MORE WEEK UNTIL AVENGERS!