Tag Archives: Captain America

Review: Captain America: Civil War – the real versus movie

Captain America: Civil War is the third installment in the Captain America films, being a direct sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it’s also the 13th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s about Cap and Iron Man disagreeing if political intervention should be involved with how the Avengers operate. Civil War is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, with a screenplay by Christopher Markus Stephen McFeely. The movie stars; Chris Evans, Robert Downy Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bethany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Emily VanCamp, Tom Holland, Frank Grillo, Willian Hurt and Daniel Bruhl. This is how you pit superhero against superhero. Continue reading

Review: Avengers: Age of Ultron – The Summer Has Assembled!

Avengers: Age of Ultron is about our favorite superhero team venturing out on another mission to save the world, in this case, it’s a mechanized creation that that’s highly intelligent, highly resourceful, and highly charismatic. The film is written and directed by the great Joss Wheadon, and stars an all-star cast; Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgård, James Spader, and Samuel L. Jackson. It opened at $187.7 million this weekend.

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Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier – how ‘ice to have met you

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger. Much like Thor: The Dark World, this film directly follows events that took place in The Avengers, more fondly referred to as the “Battle of New York.” Cap is still getting used to the modern world and how he fits in it. We throw in S.H.I.E.L.D., some covert plotting, and sprinkle in some action, that’s what we have here.

The good; we get the same cast back. That’s always a pleasure because it’s the same world, it’s consistent with what we’ve seen, makes it more believable.

The action is great in this movie. We really get to see Cap move and fight in ways that we’ve only really seen in the comics and the animated tv shows. They perfected Cap’s movements from The Avengers, he leaps, jumps and throws his shield more and more like he does in the comic books.

Speaking more to the action, they utilized a lot of practical stunts, I really appreciate that. The combination of CG and practicals worked really well in this film. I know the shield is computer generated at times, but how else would they have done it? Very good job with how the shield behaves. There’s also a car chase scene with Nick Fury that was previewed on tv, but the entirety of the scene is great. His vehicle is a SHIELD vehicle and has all the gadgets and gizmos that would make James Bond jealous.

And this film is a direct sequel to the first movie, without ignoring The Avengers, I wasn’t expecting it to be as much of a sequel as it was, bravo for that.

Oh and this is definitely the comic book fan boy in me, but we get to see Cap’s ears with his mask. That’s just how it’s been in the comics, with the first movie they were covered and I couldn’t put my finger on what bugged me, but it was the ears. We see his EARS! Hahaha. In line with the comics, the way they dealt with The Falcon was great. I was worried when they first announced that he would be in this film, but they updated him to fit the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The bad; this is just me being nitpicky, but it feels too soon to see Steve Rogers in the Commander Rogers outfit. But at the same time, I’m glad that we got to see him in the original costume too, but his ears are covered… hahaha

The action, I know I mentioned this above, but it was too hand held at times. Why have all these practical stunts and not see everything? They worked hard and I want to see the stunts.

The reveal of The Winter Soldier was… well, revealed earlier on in some tv content. It kinda took away from the reveal in the film, it seems like the whole audience already knew who he was, nary was a gasp to be heard.*POSSIBLE SPOILER* and to title this film The Winter Soldier is a bit misleading… it’s not the Winter Soldier story at all, the end of this movie does set it up so that the next sequel will be the Winter Soldier’s story. I really found that odd. *END POSSIBLE SPOILER*

Oh, and people… people really make it hard to enjoy a movie in the theatres these days. With the assigned seating and higher price point you’d think it would eliminate some of the riff raff… but that time period has gone, back in full force is the lack of common courtesy.

Overall I enjoyed it. So did everyone else, it made $96.2 million this weekend.
We get a very solid action movie with an evil plot to take over the world thrown in there. The way the Captain America movies have been are great, it reminds me of Superman. How Cap is a product of his time but yet relevant in the present, DC Comics should take a page (pun intended) from how Marvel has treated Captain America in their films. You can take a character has “old world” values and still make him interesting.
Captain America is one of my favorite Marvel superheroes, it’s probably all that patriotism drilled in to me as a kid, and I’m glad that we’re getting these movies.

 

WonderCon: Talking with Cosplay Fans (Day 3)

So this post should have been up much sooner but I was busy doing other things.

00:00 – Joker and Harlequin loves that his character is so sporadic

01:27 – Captain America loves his character’s love for America

03:18 – A Underworld death dealer has very convincing fangs talks about a gender bender cosplayer that will scar her for life

05:55 – Peter Pan loves never growing up and cosplaying other Disney characters

07:10 – Ariel (Little Mermaid) claims she is not a hoarder but wants you to visit her under the sea

08:50 – Skull kid (Zelda) is a mini-boss is older than he sounds and supports PETA

10:35 – Kato (Green Hornet) thought Jay Chow did a great job as Kato even though he didn’t like the movie much.

12:13 – Talon is way into his character says the craziest thing he’s seen is his creator nerdgasming over him

14:07 – this original character is a steampunk/rogue warrior is very impressive looking. Check out her cosplay page on Facebook

15:47 – Kromp is known for stealing, drug deals, putting children on sex trade, and thinks elmo is a unic. He gives indispensable advice for surviving the ghetto. Check out more kromp at puppetmayhem.com

18:30 – The pedo bear thinks we’ll believe he is a pokemon player. He’s studying child development and knows kids love candy

19:59 – storm trooper escorts Chewbacca

20:18 – Scarecrow’s outfit has gone through several redesigns

22:05 – Red Robin doesn’t care for the new Batman movie. He doesn’t like the look of Nolan’s versions of the Batman

23:18 – Star Wars cosplayers gives a special message to George Lucas

24:33 – The Ice King loves his character’s swag

25:25 – Yuna (Final Fantasy) loves her kickass character

Avengers Trailer 2 is Out!

Avengers assemble!  Looks like we got a new teaser with more Hulk action!  Take a look below for the latest trailer.

Marvel Studios presents in association with Paramount Pictures “Marvel’s The Avengers”–the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012. In “Marvel’s The Avengers,” superheroes team up to pull the world back from the brink of disaster when an unexpected enemy threatens global security.

Official page

2011 Long Beach Comic Convention: Talking with Cosplay Fans

Earlier this year, we gave you guys an intimate look at cosplay fans of the Los Angeles Anime Expo. Well, I hope you didn’t think we’d leave you hanging with the Long Beach Comic Convention, because we did it again!

Have a look and discover what cosplay fans are all about as we ask them questions like what makes the Long Beach Comic Convention different from others, why they love the characters they cosplay, how long their customes took to make, why DC Comics doesn’t release as many movies as Marvel, and what they do for a living. Notice how popular steampunk costumes have become?

00:00 The Joker explain who she is and why it’s fun to be crazy. It’s interesting that she references Batman as a creation by Christopher Nolan rather than Bob Kane. She always weighs in on Twilight versus the Avengers. Don’t try to find her online because she’s got tough security settings.
02:10 John Stewart (Justice League Unlimited) loves being one of DC’s first black characters
03:55 Ash Williams (Evil Dead II)
04:58 Bloodsucka Jones gives us the heads up on the convention being a place to pickup girls
05:42 An rebel X-wing pilot talks about George Lucas’ tweaks to the video releases
08:15 An attorney cosplays Superman and talks about the character being inspirational, leading by example, the DC Comics reboot, and why DC Comics hasn’t made as many movies as Marvel Comics
11:05 Wonder Woman
12:23 a storm trooper tries to take down Felix the Cat
12:49 a steampunk couple explains the allure of steampunk and the convenience of the Long Beach Comic Convention being close to home

00:00 Boba Fett, intergalactic booty hunter, talks about why he’s the 1%, all the girls he’s pulling, and gives advice to the president
01:07 An amazing Deadmau5 helmet that took 10 months to make by a film and visual effects student. Follow him on twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/pwnch
01:58 A computer science student talks about his original character, Ordo Mando, and the challenges of using fiber glass and resin. He mentions deconstructing the helmet taking awhile due to many screws. Check out the forum that helped him make his costume: http://405th.com/
03:40 An insurance claims negotiator cosplays a dalek from Dr. Who and promotes her fiance’s comic book site: Old Dying Kitty Comics
05:22 Captain America gives advice for the president
06:28 An English major graduate student cosplays Henchman 21 from the Venture Brothers and talks about Long Beach Comic Convention being great for checking out panels
08:01 A human services major student cosplays Lina Inverse from Slayers and gives advice for the president and predicts the outcome of a Jersey Shore versus Twilight fight
10:25 Chun-li from the Anime Expo cosplays Jill Valentine from Resident Evil
11:45 Daft Punk
13:05 A geek squad agent (Best Buy) cosplays a more obscure character, Jared Nomak (Blade 2), and shares his thoughts on Steve Jobs’ legacy

00:00 Steampunk cosplay fan talks about her outfit ingredients: Nerf gun, cookie cutter
01:23 Sexy Colonel Sanders and a KFC chicken drumstick. This was my favorite for sure. There isn’t any explanation needed. I even asked the couple if the idea was ironic. I know fast food always gets a bad rap and I initially suspected the couple might have actually been vegetarian. It turns out they’re just fans of the Colonels wonderful recipe.
02:33 A very nervous John Egbert struggles to answer questions. I guess we caught him off guard.

Comikaze Aftermath with Photos

Comikaze was a triumph!  It’s hard to overstate our satisfaction with Comikaze Expo.  We were amazed by the dedication of the volunteers and the very huge turnout of fans.

There were so many things and people to see and here are some of the highlights (listed in no particular order):

  • Smaller venue – This one is a bit misleading, because the venue was just right for the occasion.  It wasn’t as massive of a scale as San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) but as a smaller venue it still maintains its fun.  There weren’t too many people to dodge (sort of) when walking around.  We watched 2 guys in full body suits go into an impromptu dance off and everybody was cheering at the end of it.  At the end of the convention, we saw a Jurassic Park hunter and raptor chasing each other on a Power Wheel Jeep throughout the floors of the convention.
  • Low cost – We believe this was the leading reason why the turnout was so great.  For $20, you get to go for both days.  At such a low cost, it doesn’t bleed out your wallet. Now you have money to buy any item at the convention like comic books, artwork, plushies, swords and so on.  Other low price promos, such as Groupon and Goldstar, helped in creating a good crowd as well.
  • Diversity of the booths – There was a lot of options available of varying interest, from a steampunk outfitter to your regular toy/plushie/comic book vendors. They even had a tattoo artist booth, that were available to give you a tattoo on the spot!
  • Celebrities – There was an incredible number of fans that came for headliners Stan Lee and Elvira!  Fans lined up and stretched for quite a while. Even when the locations would change a bit, the fans just shifted over and continued to wait in the long line just to meet their favorite celebrity.  The venue was intimate enough to meet and converse with other celebrities like Ernest Borgnine, Miracle Laurie and/or Garrett Wang (Ensign Harry Kim of Star Trek Voyager). In fact, we learned that Sean Kanan, who was the villian in Karate Kid Part III, has a cookbook!
  • Artist signing/drawings – Being able to get custom art or purchasing some of the art (whether it was a poster or a shirt) from your favorite artist is always great.  Sure you may see their work in comics and web sites, but being able to talk to them in person is always a nice bonus on top of supporting them.  There was even an artist who was willing to draw you in zombie form.
  • Informative panels that was both funny and engaging – Morgan Fairchild knows a great deal of paleontology.  Garrett Wang watched the 2009 Star Trek Movie nine times.  Being able to debate who would in a fight is always fun, well besides facing Batman (he has an answer for everybody).
  • Costume Masquerade – A bit unorganized at first, and it was standing room area, but it was nice to see the turnout of cosplayers in quality and quantity.  Costumes were fantastic!  We saw so many well done costumes, there’s too many to list (thankfully we have photos below).  The three hosts (Dante, Chun Li and Jake from Blues Brothers) did an excellent job of maintaining order and keeping it fun.

Here are things we thought that could’ve been better (listed in no particular order):

  • No time schedule/program readily available – Though there was a schedule posted at each booths and makeshift rooms (more on that later), there was a sense of confusion when you didn’t quite know when some panels were going on.  This was slightly addressed on Sunday when there was a time schedule printed on a poster board near the front, but there were many that weren’t aware of where Room 306 AB was or that a panel even existed up there.
  • Makeshift rooms – There is an understanding this is the first convention so we’re hoping this one will get addressed.  The sound was atrocious as the people within the panels would become hard to listen, mostly because of the ambient noises from the convention itself.  Some people could break through the curtained off areas to sneak into the panel from the side (good or bad thing).

Despite the minor complaints, it was a great outing and we look forward to seeing this event next year!  Likewise Mark has been posting quite a few videos we took as well.  Enjoy the crazy amount of photos we took that weekend!  Photos were courtesy of Danny and myself and have been combined for your entertainment.

Comikaze Expo is the largest multimedia pop culture convention in Los Angeles. This unique event brings together the best in comics, gaming, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, anime and all other cult programming. Comikaze took place November 5-6, 2011 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and offers a slate of innovative programming, panels, contests and other activities that provide fans access to their favorite artists and creators in this adventure-packed weekend.

Please go to the official Comikaze Expo page for additional information.