Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Apr. 12th, 2014 09:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
silverflight8I've had a few entries typed up in raw form for days now, and I've finally had time to clean them up a bit and post, that's why suddenly there are giant ones appearing.
I liked CA:TWS!
I particularly liked Natasha and Sam (also sorry Tony Stark, Falcon's wings/flying outfit is way cooler and I'm jumping ship).
For a movie called Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Bucky had about...what, fifteen words? He broods beautifully but I think it'd have been nice to hear something. Maybe they're saving all his dialogue for the next one.
Also I found this picture about Bucky's hair, which is hilarious every time I look at it: http://io9.com/new-captain-america-concept-art-show-the-winter-soldier-487296610 She did a good job matching the colours really.
Oh! Though he does say a few more words during the flashback. Who didn't look like Stan at all, I thought it was a bully or something, but given how bad I am with faces it's probably Sebastian Stan playing young Bucky and I just couldn't tell *facepalm*
Chris Evans felt very stone-like for some reason. Captain America's not a very good liar, which I think is deliberate so that excuses some of his static facial expressions when being accused. And Evans's cast into a role that is all about heroism and not only being good inside as outside, but...come on. I think once I noticed, I couldn't stop.
How does anyone have knees in these movies?! I know, I know, suspension of disbelief and superhero movies. At least Cap has a bit of an excuse. On the other hand, I'm glad that Natasha seems to be totally fine after losing a pint of blood and getting medical care (and Fury seems mobile enough later). I hate it when characters get taken out of commission.
Now: Natasha. I really liked how sarcastic she was, and the audience started laughing at quips later on; most quips fell a little flat at first. I enjoyed them though! It's a bit too bad that the (one token) woman on the governing council turned out to be Natasha in disguise, because it'd have been so cool if she'd been on both the visible side (powerful civil servant position) and simultaneously very powerful personally/physically. It'd take a lot of time to do both, though; having Natasha disguised is more believable. Incidentally, it also makes me wonder where that tech is from--from this movie it's apparent that Apple exists (do you think Stark is their competitor?)
Also really cool to see her use the widow bites (including on herself--or were those just taser-like weapons instead? Either way, I love that she comments upon waking that "they really do sting"). I like how she seems to be a step ahead of Steve, like when he's searching the vending machine in horror and she shows up in the reflection, popping the gum. I like how she got to participate in all the fighting, and how it looks like she goes down but she's fine. It's weird how impossible the situation seems for the characters, who are not exactly equipped very well (Steve's just got a shield...) but they end up holding up well.
I also liked that they brought Peggy back in, and also that she got to move on. I thought that the scene occurred a bit too early, though personally I loathe a) public displays of affection and b) raw emotion in film. It always feels so intensely private, but that's just me.
I still think the greatest weakness of the Marvel movies are the antagonists. I thought Loki was so much more interesting when he occupied a possibly-neutral or secondary-antagonist role instead of primary antagonist. I am about 0% interested in WWI-WWII stories (this is truly my least favourite period in history, and I would far rather read about literally anywhere else, anytime else) and so the latest twist on the Nazi-connected Hydra is just...blehh. Plus the whole "hail Hydra" and head-cut-off, second-head-sprouts phrase fit uncomfortably into the movie, in terms of tone. CA:TWS talked a lot about the nuances of freedom and what it means in a society where terrorism is feared, where paranoia seems to be paramount; Hydra seems so cheesy and out of place in comparison. But antagonists are not what I come to watch Marvel movies for :P
Also, called it re: the access devices being weapons. They're just opaque enough in usage and individuality that they could easily be used for other nefarious purposes.
I liked CA:TWS!
I particularly liked Natasha and Sam (also sorry Tony Stark, Falcon's wings/flying outfit is way cooler and I'm jumping ship).
For a movie called Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Bucky had about...what, fifteen words? He broods beautifully but I think it'd have been nice to hear something. Maybe they're saving all his dialogue for the next one.
Also I found this picture about Bucky's hair, which is hilarious every time I look at it: http://io9.com/new-captain-america-concept-art-show-the-winter-soldier-487296610 She did a good job matching the colours really.
Oh! Though he does say a few more words during the flashback. Who didn't look like Stan at all, I thought it was a bully or something, but given how bad I am with faces it's probably Sebastian Stan playing young Bucky and I just couldn't tell *facepalm*
Chris Evans felt very stone-like for some reason. Captain America's not a very good liar, which I think is deliberate so that excuses some of his static facial expressions when being accused. And Evans's cast into a role that is all about heroism and not only being good inside as outside, but...come on. I think once I noticed, I couldn't stop.
How does anyone have knees in these movies?! I know, I know, suspension of disbelief and superhero movies. At least Cap has a bit of an excuse. On the other hand, I'm glad that Natasha seems to be totally fine after losing a pint of blood and getting medical care (and Fury seems mobile enough later). I hate it when characters get taken out of commission.
Now: Natasha. I really liked how sarcastic she was, and the audience started laughing at quips later on; most quips fell a little flat at first. I enjoyed them though! It's a bit too bad that the (one token) woman on the governing council turned out to be Natasha in disguise, because it'd have been so cool if she'd been on both the visible side (powerful civil servant position) and simultaneously very powerful personally/physically. It'd take a lot of time to do both, though; having Natasha disguised is more believable. Incidentally, it also makes me wonder where that tech is from--from this movie it's apparent that Apple exists (do you think Stark is their competitor?)
Also really cool to see her use the widow bites (including on herself--or were those just taser-like weapons instead? Either way, I love that she comments upon waking that "they really do sting"). I like how she seems to be a step ahead of Steve, like when he's searching the vending machine in horror and she shows up in the reflection, popping the gum. I like how she got to participate in all the fighting, and how it looks like she goes down but she's fine. It's weird how impossible the situation seems for the characters, who are not exactly equipped very well (Steve's just got a shield...) but they end up holding up well.
I also liked that they brought Peggy back in, and also that she got to move on. I thought that the scene occurred a bit too early, though personally I loathe a) public displays of affection and b) raw emotion in film. It always feels so intensely private, but that's just me.
I still think the greatest weakness of the Marvel movies are the antagonists. I thought Loki was so much more interesting when he occupied a possibly-neutral or secondary-antagonist role instead of primary antagonist. I am about 0% interested in WWI-WWII stories (this is truly my least favourite period in history, and I would far rather read about literally anywhere else, anytime else) and so the latest twist on the Nazi-connected Hydra is just...blehh. Plus the whole "hail Hydra" and head-cut-off, second-head-sprouts phrase fit uncomfortably into the movie, in terms of tone. CA:TWS talked a lot about the nuances of freedom and what it means in a society where terrorism is feared, where paranoia seems to be paramount; Hydra seems so cheesy and out of place in comparison. But antagonists are not what I come to watch Marvel movies for :P
Also, called it re: the access devices being weapons. They're just opaque enough in usage and individuality that they could easily be used for other nefarious purposes.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: Apr. 13th, 2014 07:55 am (UTC)still, a pretty decent ladies-dudes ratio for a superhero movie, overall. i hope agent 13 stays on.
no subject
Date: Apr. 13th, 2014 01:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Apr. 13th, 2014 03:58 pm (UTC)*nods* I read a review by Hello, Tailor that argued that Natasha almost fills the usually-male sidekick/friend role for Steve, but really the movie doesn't fit into any of the usual hero-sidekick-love interest-antagonist circles. And I'm really glad that we got to actually see Peggy again (;___;) and find out she had a really great, fulfilling life.
no subject
Date: Apr. 13th, 2014 01:35 pm (UTC)I agree about Natasha and Sam, they really carried the movie along with Steve; although YES to her first quips falling flat, that dumb Smithsonian one...(although that is more about the irritating tendency for tourists to refer to all 19 Smithsonian museums as "the Smithsonian," as if it were one facility. /DC local rant).
I agree Hydra was lame, although I did appreciate the change in tactic of causing chaos so that people would willingly give up their freedom--because so true. (Although that was how Hitler came to power to an extent as well, oops). But I really liked the Winter Soldier as an antagonist because of the complexity and moral ambiguity he raises, so I thought this movie was better than the average Marvel film on the villain front in that sense. Even if TWS himself didn't speak much (though he said more than 15 lines! :p), the whole movie was still about him as they tried to figure out who he was, and with aall the fights, etc. Sebastian Stan in long hair was weird though! :p (And yes that was Stan in the flashback, lol!)
I posted my thoughts/reaction to the movie here (http://sherrilina.livejournal.com/104605.html). :)
no subject
Date: Apr. 13th, 2014 04:10 pm (UTC)Yeah, I think they went with the best available solution but it'd have been easier to swallow if there was any foreshadowing in previous movies; Sitwell in particular was pretty likeable before but then ??? No idea why he went over. Alas. I agree that "people giving up and wanting security/stability/peace" is definitely plausible--even now I think of stuff like the TSA and the arguments between "saving lives!11!" and "unacceptable breaches of personal rights".
I feel like he didn't say much! He just brooded a lot :P Maybe my impression got skewed.
I actually think the antagonist thing is not just the Winter Soldier. He's pretty clearly only one of the instruments employed; he doesn't even know what's going on, since he gets wiped every time he goes back on ice. Pierce is another manifestation of it, Hydra is another manifestation (with Zola being the OTT representation). Behind all of it...it's not a maniacal dictator, I think it's just plain fear, fear that comes from all of us that fuels the rise of organizations like Hitler's, like you say. Our ease in being manipulated into supporting groups.
Actually it reminds me of Loki's statement about us needing to be ruled.
Is the hair weird? I thought it looked nice on him! (Many opportunities to stand on the freeway and have the hair blow, or to hide face in hair [tactic I also employ].) Though I haven't seen him elsewhere, so :)
no subject
Date: Apr. 13th, 2014 11:54 pm (UTC)As soon as they said the access was biometric yet handed out passes, I was like 'this is not how biometrics works, clearly something wrong is going on here!' and I was right.
What did you think of the post-credit scenes?
no subject
Date: Apr. 14th, 2014 12:41 am (UTC)Yeah...and they take it without question! That's a setup if I've ever seen one.
Credits: I didn't understand the mid-credits scene, since I don't follow the comics (I also had to go online to figure out the one for Thor:TDW). It was interesting, I guess, but I didn't know who anyone was! As for the second one, again, all I got is ;____;
Though that means that he got out of the room/has some freedom to move around a bit? Not much is explained about how his re-conditioning works; I wonder if he was supposed to be on assignment and just snuck off for a bit, or if he broke away. Either way, it sounds like stuff is surfacing for him. I hope anyway. The reconciliation cannot come fast enough.
no subject
Date: Apr. 14th, 2014 08:49 pm (UTC)"The twins" are Pietro and Wanda Maximoff. He's Pietro (aka Quicksilver), he runs superfast and he's kind of a tool. She's Wanda (aka Scarlet Witch), she's super awesome and one of my favourite characters in comics. In the comics her powers fluctuate between probability manipulation and reality warping, also magic. Here, they seem to be going for telekinesis as a subset of probability manipulation. (Science tells us that at any given time, there is a non-null (yet super super small) probability of any event happening: maybe water suddenly starts flowing uphill! Could happen, if all the water molecules' random movement suddenly involved going up.)
Imho, Bucky didn't go back to Hydra after the helicarriers crashed and is now on the run from both them and SHIELD.
no subject
Date: Apr. 16th, 2014 05:18 am (UTC)The probability manipulation sounds so cool though (yay stats!)
Ohh, that makes a lot more sense.
no subject
Date: Apr. 16th, 2014 10:38 pm (UTC)I'm not a Quicksilver expert, mostly because I think he's boring, but there's another character in the comics (Speed) with the exact same powerset, who can run fast enough to vibrate his molecules so he can pass through walls, so that might be what pietro is trying to do.
They sadly never really use stats to show Wanda's powers. Domino has somewhat similar powers on a smaller scale, often called "luck powers" so maybe with her, but somehow I think most writers don't like stats.
no subject
Date: Apr. 17th, 2014 01:49 am (UTC)Ahh. I thought maybe he couldn't take it or something.
no subject
Date: May. 2nd, 2015 06:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: May. 8th, 2015 03:32 am (UTC)