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Arts & Entertainment

Weekend Movie Forecast: Captain America Vs. Justin Timberlake

By

Robert Horan

Published Jul 22, 2011

Modified Jul 22, 2011

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Wrapping up a hefty payload of summer superhero movies (X-Men: First Class, Thor, Green Lantern) is Marvel's Captain America: The First Avenger. The film follows all-American good boy Steve Rogers, who volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America. Judging from the trailer and commercials it looks like they really delve into '40s American mythology (bombshell girls, evil Nazi scientists, big bands) which was one of the fun things about the Indiana Jones franchise, but we're not holding our breaths. A lot of people will be lining up for this, so if you're not a fanboy who bought a ticket months ago, you might need to get to the theater early if you want any chance of getting in.Reviews have been pretty good for a superhero movie, with Tasha Robinson from The A.V. Club saying: "More than any Marvel Studios film since Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger feels like it’s working from a conceptual checklist titled How To Make A Superhero Movie Fun For Everyone. For mainstream viewers, there are big action sequences, a heady battle montage, a ’40s setting featuring über-Nazis with glowing laser-guns, and plenty of well-timed one-liners. For the hardcore comic-book fans, there’s the Wilhelm scream, the Stan Lee cameo, the Marvel-history inside jokes, and a self-aware humor that even includes a wry dig at Raiders Of The Lost Ark."At times, Captain America feels like four films in one, packed with incident and distinct acts, a few of which work better than others. (The tone-deaf ending, which turns a tragic situation into a stupid punchline, is a massive miscalculation.) But for the most part, it manages to balance laughs, genuinely rousing moments, and a fully packed agenda into something fleet enough to keep running under the weight of its rich ambitions."

 

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By

Robert Horan

Published Jul 22, 2011

Modified Jul 22, 2011

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Click on the film stills for details and reviews on this week's new releases and repertory screenings, which include Captain America: The First Avenger, Friends with Benefits, NewFest, Another Earth, Warren Williams: The Heel of Heels, World on a Wire, Sarah's Key, The Woman with the 5 Elephants, The Myth of the American Sleepover, Psychohydrography, and True Romance.

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Robert Horan

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