Monday, July 25, 2011

'The Avengers' Character Posters Debut

Avengers promotional items are showing up on the Comic-Con floor, and now Marvel is releasing character posters for each of the heroes who will be assembling next summer.

The Avengers roster consists of Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo ), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner ), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). There are several rumors pointing to The Avengers facing an alien threat in the film, but for now, all we know officially is that this team of superheroes is coming together for one big, Earth-shaking battle. ‘Nuff said.

Here they are folks, the new 'Avengers' character posters.








The posters do a good job of conveying the backstory of the individual characters, as established by their respective movies. Poor Hawkeye Nick Fury and Black Widow – their posters are noticeably vacant of backstory – but hey, at least they have the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, and Quinjet, right?

It’s good to get yet another look at the modern-era Captain America costume, which looks slimmer and overall better than the bulky WWII outfit used in The First Avenger. The helmet in particular is of a much-improved design. The Hulk design is…interesting. There is definitely more of a classic movie monster vibe to the look of the jade giant, as opposed to the titan elemental design of the first Hulk film or the more logical design of the second. Can’t wait to see how it plays onscreen.

One big question that has been circling these Avengers images and posters is the design of Iron Man’s armor. In Iron Man 2 Tony Stark of course “invented a new element” which saved his life by giving him a stable and inexhaustible energy source to power the small arc reactor that keeps his injured heart beating. That new power source was of course in the shape of a triangle, which made Iron Man’s Mark VI armor chestplate of triangular shape as well. Obviously in this poster we can see that Shellhead’s armor sports a circular reactor once again, which raises all kinds of questions about what new changes in armor and power source Tony Stark will go through in the film.

It’s almost time, folks. Start getting excited.

The Avengers will assemble in theaters on May 4, 2012.

Friday, July 22, 2011

'Captain America: The First Avenger' Review


Well, as of several hours ago, I saw Marvel Studio's latest superhero film Captain America: The First Avenger, and I am happy to report, that the film has gone above and beyond in what I had expected.

First off, the director, Joe Johnston, really did good by Cap in both adventure and origion. He squeezed Cap's origion and WWII adventures, all into a two-hour film. The film was laced with a few fanboy goodies and nods to the comics themselve, such as the little old lady in the Brooklyn anitques shop (you have to go all the way back to issue #1, 1941 folks for her). Also, I found it interesting that they included a brief scene, showing copies of Captain America #1, selling like hotcakes from a newsstand, which shows that the film is grounded in reality to a degree. Also, when Steve is walking through the Worlds Fair with Bucky and the girls, be on the lookout for a certain synthetic human in red jump suit folks.

Now as for Chris Evans performance as Steve Rogers/Captain America, I must say he did a fantastic job. He's come a long way from playing the Human Torch in Fantastic Four, and the fact that he brought to the film, a level of maturity that played into Steve himself, showing him to be "not just a soldier, but a good man", retaining his goodness and kind nature, despite being given power. The costumes were awesome, the shield was sweet, and the fact that they managed to cycle in three variations on his uniform was even more cool.

As to the fact that they are no Nazis in this film, despite HYDRA being a "Nazi deep science division", I like the fact that they make HYDRA the primary enemy for Cap and the group he works with (consisiting of Colonel Philips, Peggy Carter, Howard Stark, the Howling Commando's and other staffers) because to me, it was like a 1940's, WWII version of S.H.I.E.L.D., still continuing the good fight against HYDRA. My hope is that HYDRA will resurface in the modern times of the Marvel Movieverse, after all "cut off one head, two more grow in its place"! Toby Jones as Arnim Zola was a great choice, can not think of anyone else to potray him. And Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull, oh man oh man, that was stylin' folks I tell you what. He brought this infamous comic book villain to life in a very scary way, making him very menacing and villainous, and not in the least bit cartooney. And the other adventures that Cap seems to have in the movie, taking down other HYDRA bases before going after the Skull's main base, is a nice way of setting up the chance for a sequel that could go back to the war.

As for the other actors, Sebastion Stan portraying Bucky Barnes was great, he did a awesome job mixing main Marvel Universe Bucky with a bit of Ultimate Universe Bucky in there as well. Tommy Lee Jones as Colonel Chester Philips was hilarious, his lines were so funny, yet serious as well. Stanley Tucci in the role of the man behind the Super Soldier Serum, Dr. Abraham Erskine, was excellent choice, because he showed that the Doctor was truly invested in chosing Steve to be the one to receive the formula, because of the good qualities he saw in Steve. And Haley Atwell as Peggy Carter, wow she was awesome. She brought this strength to her character, showing her to be a girl yes, but a girl who can take care of herself.

All in all, I was very pleased with this movie. It went above and beyond what I had expected of it, and delivered more in a star-spangled knockout punch! In terms of rating, I give the film five out of five stars. I cannot wait for the Avengers movie next year, because that will be the crux of all that Marvel has been working towards. Truly these are strange and fantastic times we live in my friends, they truly are.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

More 'Avengers' News

Now that Captain America: The First Avenger is days away from release, the next big Marvel film – made by Marvel, that is – will be The Avengers, circa May 2012.
So naturally, people are anxious to see what all the Avengers’ costumes will end up looking like, from Thor to Iron Man to Hawkeye to Hulk (if you can even call that a costume) to Black Widow to, maybe most important of all, modern-day Captain America.

Chris Evans recently talked to Movie Line about the differences between the Cap costume in The First Avenger and the one in The Avengers, saying:

“They each have pros and cons. [T]he first Cap costume is very cumbersome. It’s thick and it’s bulky, it’s tough to do fight sequences in, but the cowl, the helmet, can come on and off at will. The current wardrobe is a bit different. The suit, the range of motion is fantastic, you can really get some good fight sequences in. It’s a little bit more form-fitting. But the cowl, the hood, has some… changes that make it a little more difficult to get on and off.”
Alas, for those who’ve seen the leaked Avengers trailer, it appears that Thor’s sleeveless costume is more like the Ultimate comic book version than the one above, and Iron Man’s armor is slightly different as well (his Arc Reactor is now triangular, not circular), so there’s no telling how close to the final product the costumes in the poster will end up being. Still, there’s probably some comparability worth analyzing.

On the number of Marvel films Chris Evans is contractually obligated to act in:
“It started out as a nine-picture and they dropped it down to a six-picture deal, but even six movies — they could spread those out and it could be ten years. I could be doing this ‘til I’m 40. That’s a crazy thing to think about. I don’t think anybody here could make a decision for the next ten years of your life. It’s crazy. Movies, for me up until now, have been one at a time. If my passion shifted, if my search in life went somewhere else, I could go do that. This just meant you can’t. That’s scary. And the potential lifestyle change; I’ve been making movies for ten years but I can still go to a ball game. I can still go to Disney World. I can still live my life with relative ease and anonymity, and this movie could potentially change that, and that’s scary too.”
And lastly, on the awesomeness of his co-star, Robert Downey Jr .:
“He’s so great. I can’t say enough about him, I really can’t. I didn’t know what to expect going in to work with him. He’s so talented and he’s got so much charisma and persona. I can honestly say, of all the movie stars I’ve worked with, he’s the one that when he comes on set, you really feel like, ‘Man — this guy’s a movie star!’ You just feel it. When he comes in a room he just owns the oxygen. He is a movie star, and he’s been so great. So supportive, so positive. I had to do a scene with him the other day where I was just nervous, it was just me and him, and I was just terrified. It’s Robert Downey Jr.! And he’s just, you know, every little take he gives you a fist bump, a little thumbs up, and it just changes your whole day. It probably means nothing in his mind but I go back to my trailer, like, giddy. He really is something else.”
Indeed, Chris Evans has his work cut out for him – especially in terms of performing opposite Robert Downey Jr. In the comics, Iron Man and Cap are great friends who have, at times, been at odds with one another (not the least of which was when they practically killed each other in Civil War). But at the end of the day, no matter how interesting and essential Iron Man is, it’s Cap who’s the heart of the team — the glue that holds everyone together. It’s easy to be overshadowed by Robert Downey Jr., but maybe Evans can pull it off – and hold his own.

And for the kicker folks, here is a better look at that official Avengers promo poster, even though it is basically an artistic representation of the all the characters in costume and action.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Closeup of the new 'Amazing Spider-Man' Costume

Come next weekend when Captain America: The First Avenger debuts in theaters, this summer will have seen four major DC-Marvel comic book films. 2012 will be no different in its genre offerings and next week at Comic-Con, we’ll get up close and personal with a summer 2012 comic book flick we’re curious and excited for: The Amazing Spider-Man.

Rebooting Sony’s cash cow franchise only a few years after Sam Raimi and Toby Maguire’s trilogy of Spidey adventures, The Amazing Spider-Man introduces an entirely new cast, headlined by Andrew Garfield who steps into the shoes of geeky college student, Peter Parker. Always a point of contention among comic book readers is of course the hero’s costume and Garfield’s red and blue attire is no different.

We got our first look at the new Amazing Spider-Man costume back in February and since then, have been treated to a variety of set photos from the downtown shoot in New York. While those fuzzy images gave us a good look at the mechanical web shooters being employed in Marc Webb’s version of Spider-Man, we haven’t had a clear close-up of the new costume until now.





While this image reveals nothing new compared to what we’ve seen in the set photos of the costume and web-slinging images from months prior, it does offer much more detail into the mask and chest logo, re-affirming that this costume does feel like it’s torn straight from the books.

Photos aside, it all depends on the story, characters and tone of the film and next week, Screen Rant heads to San Diego for Comic-Con International where Sony will reveal the first footage for The Amazing Spider-Man, hopefully confirming what we heard yesterday about the film’s teaser trailer.

The Amazing Spider-Man was written by James Vanderbilt, Steve Kloves and Alvin Sargent and stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans , Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Embeth Davidtz, Campbell Scott , Irrfan Khan and Chris Zylka. The movie opens in theatres and 3D July 3, 2012.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

'Sherlock Holmes 2' Trailer is Bigger, Louder and Intense

Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law will be back for another Victorian romp in this winter’s Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, the sequel to Guy Ritchie’s “updated” take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous creations: the brilliant-but-incorrigible detective Holmes (Downey Jr.) and his ever-loyal comrade, Dr. Watson (Law).

An official teaser trailer has been unveiled for the followup to Sherlock Holmes, which hit it big at the box office and, in general, entertained moviegoers of all shades back in 2009. Thus we have the inevitable question: Can Ritchie and Co. catch lightning in a bottle a second time?

 A Game of Shadows certainly has the potential to be an improvement on its predecessor, seeing as that it pits Holmes against his most infamous opponent: the malevolent Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris). Heck, the first Sherlock Holmes was partly just an extended prologue for their inevitable confrontation!

Harris certainly looks the part of a diabolical madman, as does Girl With the Dragon Tattoo actress Noomi Rapace as the film’s new female lead, the gypsy Sim. Between them, Downey Jr. reprising his charismatic turn as the brilliant crime solver in tweed, and Law returning as the prim physician who’s willing to kick ass when necessary, A Game of Shadows has a great main cast. But does everything else appear up to snuff?

Take a look at the trailer link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yU1nnvrCy8&feature=player_embedded

Going off this footage, the Sherlock Holmes sequel combines the same elements (sinister mystery plot, hyper-kinetic set pieces, and clever repartee between Holmes and Watson) from the first film, in the hopes of delivering another fun and fast-paced thrill ride. So not only will A Game of Shadows seemingly up the ante, with respect to everything its predecessor had to offer, this time all the action will unfold on a bigger stage. Quite literally, in fact, seeing as that (according to the official synopsis) Holmes and Co. eventually track Moriarty “from England to France to Germany and finally to Switzerland.”

Bigger and louder is almost always the route follow-ups to tentpole pics go, with the Pirates of the Caribbean movies being an obvious example. However, as is especially true for the second and third entries in the Pirates franchise, those sequels sometimes end up either rehashing or literally recycling jokes and action spectacles from the original.

Besides the “Get that out of my face!” exchange, though, there’s thankfully not much winking or nodding back to the first Sherlock Holmes in this Game of Shadows trailer. The sequel looks to deliver goofy, but (for most people) still entertaining, slowmo action, shootouts, and over-the-top stunts similar to those in the original. Plus, Harris and Rapace (and the sadly-yet-to-be-revealed Stephen Fry as the brilliant-but-lazy Mycroft Holmes) look to be fun additions to the party as well.

One thing that should be clear by now, though (if it wasn’t obvious before): If you considered the mashup of period adventure elements with mindless action and stuff going boom in Ritchie’s first Sherlock Holmes to be dumb at best, literary blasphemy at worst… well, A Game of Shadows isn’t going to be your thing either. Everyone else can start looking forward to watching Downey Jr. as Holmes, running around in drag or trading barbs with just about everyone that crosses his path. 

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is scheduled to be released in U.S. theatres December 16, 2011.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

New 'Tin Tin' Trailer and Batman Poster

Steven Spielberg returns to the period adventure genre this winter with The Adventures of Tintin, an adaptation of the famous comic book character created by Belgian writer/artist George Prosper Remi (pen name, Hergé).

The Tintin teaser trailer was big on the mysterious atmosphere and revealed little about either the plot of the film or its characters, brought to life via the magic of motion-capture technology. Now there’s a new international Adventures of Tintin trailer that offers more insight into both story and characters (for better or for worse).

Adventures of Tintin, which is internationally titled The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, follows the titular crusading journalist (played by Jamie Bell) and his loyal white terrier, Snowy, as they set out to find the legendary ship known as the Unicorn -- before the evil Red Rackham (Daniel Craig) can get his mittens on it.

Joining Tintin and Snowy on their adventure is one Captain Haddock, brought to life by mo-cap expert Andy Serkis . This new international trailer for Spielberg’s film offers a much better look at Serkis’ bearded captain character, which begs the question: Does the mo-cap tech serve The Adventures of Tintin as well as it does the upcoming Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which also stars Serkis?

Here is the link for the new internation 'Tin Tin' trailer, enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hDmKOk37Uo&feature=player_embedded

In terms of story and action, Adventures of Tintin looks to deliver on both counts. Based on this early footage, Spielberg has crafted yet another fun period adventure that boasts plenty of thrilling chases scenes over sea, across the desert, and under the cover of night. That Spielberg recruited great writing talents like Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead), Steven Moffat (Doctor Who), and Joe Cornish (Attack the Block) to script the plot and dialogue should only help matters.

However, the mo-cap in Tintin comes off as more of a potential hindrance than a necessary move. Its effect on the cinematography of the film is especially noticeable, since it doesn’t allow for the traditional (read: seamless) editing style. As a result, there are times this Adventures of Tintin footage looks more like a video game rather than a film, in terms of how it’s shot.

As is always the case with mo-cap, though, the bigger issue is the expressiveness of the human characters (or lack thereof). While in this case they are actually meant to be more cartoonish and caricature-like in comparison to their surroundings (an imitation of the ligne claire drawing method pioneered by Hergé in his original Tintin comic books), their movement and mannerisms still look noticeably off. It’s an improvement on the animation in this past spring’s Mars Needs Moms, but not enough to avoid being a distraction.

One of the biggest film franchises of all time hits its ‘beginning of the end’ on Friday, as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 storms into theater screens, many of which are already sold out. Box office records will be broken and some tears will be shed as the 10-year journey through Hogwarts reaches its conclusion. For Warner Bros. however, the end of J.K. Rowling’s books creates space for the next big franchise that will become the primary focus for the studio: DC Comics.

Attached to the prints of Harry Potter this weekend will be the very first teaser trailer for what may arguably be the most anticipated film of 2012, The Dark Knight Rises, and also in theaters this weekend you may get to see the first official one-sheet for the film as well.

Released through the official site for The Dark Knight Rises, the black and white teaser poster offers a familiar-styled teaser that we’ve become accustomed to through Christopher Nolan’s work. Like the intense poster for The Dark Knight which saw Christian Bale’s Batman standing in front of a burning building with the Batman logo emblazoned into it this one-sheet offers city-scale destruction to form the iconic logo.

What are your thoughts on the new trailer for 'Tin Tin' and the poster for TDKR? Let your minds be open and your opinoins be voiced!

Monday, July 11, 2011

First 'Sherlock Holmes' Posters Reveal Old and New Characters

A trailer for Guy Ritchie ’s sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, will (unsurprisingly) premiere in theaters in front of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 this upcoming Friday. So keep an eye out for it to arrive online before the week is out.
In the meantime, two posters for the Sherlock Holmes sequel have made their way online, offering fans an early look at Jared Harris as the nefarious Professor Moriarty and Noomi Rapace as the mysterious gypsy, Sim.

The Mad Men actor and Girl With the Dragon Tattoo actress are the two big additions to the Sherlock Holmes franchise, which still features Robery Downey Jr. as the film’s eponymous detective and Jude Law as his ever-loyal (if often infuriated) associate, Dr. Watson.

In the first Sherlock Holmes, we were left wondering just what the top-hatted Moriarty looked like, since he remained in shadows throughout the film (hence the title of the sequel). Now, one of the new posters for the followup reveals just that – and also offers assurances that Downey Jr.’s Holmes (among other things) still isn’t in the habit of being clean shaven.

Harris as Moriarty appears to be going the same “You Can Tell I’m Evil Because of my Facial Hair” route that Orlando Bloom is in the upcoming Three Musketeers movie. Of course, the former has the screen presence and acting chops to make a bearded Moriarty work as Holmes’ refined but diabolical opponent, while the former Pirates of the Caribbean franchise star just looks… well, kind of silly.

Rapace, by comparison, did a fair amount of research for her turn as a gypsy, and her efforts look to have paid off. Rachel McAdamsIrene Adler  was fun, but arguably underused as the female lead in the first Sherlock Holmes, so hopefully Rapace’s Sim will be more involved in Holmes and Watson’s “wacky” adventures in the second installment.

Back in 2009, Sherlock Holmes was released in theaters just a week after Avatar began its multi-bilion dollar run at the U.S. and global box office. Holmes still managed to hold its own, bringing in some $524 million around the world and earning its fair share of critical accolades for being a fun and exciting period action-adventure pic that boasted a buddy pairing (Downey Jr. and Law) who had great chemistry.

This year, Game of Shadows will have to compete with another franchise-installment-with-a-clunky-title, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, during its opening weekend. Don’t be surprised if more people turn out to see Downey Jr. reprise his turn as a brilliant detective than watch Tom Cruise kick butt as the spy Ethan Hunt (though the M:I – 4 trailer suggests the Cruise vehicle may be worth checking out, too).

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows opens in theatre's around the U.S. on December 16, 2011.




 


Thursday, July 7, 2011

'Batman: Arkham City' News

Ok so todays post is a bit outside my realm of writing, but hey its Batman, so who gives a flying flip right folks? Anyway, there has been a lot of buzz and news floating around about all the goodies that are going to come with the new games release in October, so here they are gang!

1. We have of course seen the new look the Riddler will be getting in the game, along with his expanded role from just spouting riddles over Batman's cowl mike in Arkham Asylum.

Actually putting Riddler into the game and using innocent people as bait for his traps is not the only change this time around. Rocksteady has also taken care to make the act of finding Riddler clues both more difficult and more rewarding. It looks as if players are going to have to use all of the tools at their disposal to find Riddler’s clues and then save those in danger, Batman himself included.

While the Riddler is not exactly part of the main story in Batman: Arkham City, his role seems much larger than that of what gamers would traditionally label as merely a “side mission.”

2. The second bit of old, but still new news is the makeover everyone's favorite "waddling maestro of foul play", the Penguin is getting in the game.

While the classic portrayal of Penguin from the old televised Batman television series certainly fits the campy world in which he appeared, for many younger Bat-fans, Danny De Vito’s physically disfigured character from Tim Burton’s Batman Returns takes the top spot.

With just one image released of the monocled crime-lord it’s clear that Rocksteady‘s incarnation will be much more grounded in reality, with his gang of thugs far more dangerous, and far less gimmicky than the skeptics may have been expecting.


3. The last piece of news is that now, Rocksteady has released a full color image of Robin, and it certainly does not disappoint.



A black and white piece of advertising artwork can only do so much though, and now the developer has given a few more details on the reasoning behind the pre-order-bonus Robin’s rougher appearance, and what distinguishes their version from what fans may be used to.



Comic book fans are notoriously set in their ways, so there’s a good chance that the new incarnation of
Robin will raise a few eyebrows among the hardcore. But let’s be honest, in Rocksteady‘s horrific and ghoulish version of Arkham City, the standard orphan-acrobat archetype just wouldn’t ring as true as the rest of the fiction.

While Robin was initially created as a character for young comic book readers to identify with, the developer’s Senior Concept Artist Kan Muftic has now explained that they had very different intentions this time around:
“We wanted to create a Robin that players would identify as a contemporary character and move away from the traditional “Boy Wonder” image that most people know. Our vision of Robin is the one of a troubled young individual that is calm and introverted at times but very dangerous and aggressive if provoked. The shaved head is inspired by cage fighters, because we thought that Robin might be doing that in his spare time to keep him on his toes. Still, we kept all the classic trademarks of Robin’s appearance, such as the red and yellow colors of his outfit, the cape and the mask. We really hope that people will discover our Robin as one of their new favorite characters in the Batman universe. He is back and he means business.”
It’s one thing to make serious changes to the appearance and context of a superhero, but if the developers have any plans to expand Robin’s role in future games, it will be interesting to see how they weave this new fiction into the current storyline. Arkham City may be restricting the Boy Wonder’s role to challenge maps alone, the explanation for the design choices imply that the developers may have larger plans in mind.

We know that Catwoman will be a playable character, so it’s not much of a stretch to think of Robin playing the same role in a potential sequel. That will likely depend on how well fans react to the new sidekick, but we can’t help but think that at this point. Rocksteady has earned the benefit of the doubt.

What are your thoughts on the idea behind this new version of Robin? Are your initial concerns lessened with a fully-colored and hooded costume? Leave us your thoughts in the comments. 

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

New 'Captain America' Featurettes: Retelling the First Avengers Story


Whereas Marel’s Thor movie was designed to have more mainstream appeal -- and X-Men: First Class offered its own unique take on the X-Men mythology -- the upcoming Captain America: The First Avenger aims to be the Marvel movie of 2011 that remains most loyal to its comic book source material.

In the latest Captain America featurettes, the technical crew members that worked behind-the-scenes on the film discuss just that -- specifically, how the movie was designed to recreate Jack Kirby and Joe Simon’s original 1941 comic book work in cinematic form, as accurately as possible.

Cap’s outfit certainly reflects that intention, seeing how it lacks the streamlined structure of the costumes worn by contemporary costumed heroes like, say, Spider-Man or even Batman. As the new incarnation of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) puts it in these new clips, that was very much the intention.


Oscar-winning production designer Rick Heinrichs (Sleepy Hollow), Oscar-nominated costume designer Anna B. Sheppard (Inglourious Basterds), and Oscar-nominated set decorator John Bush (The English Patient) were all brought onboard to realize the 1940s setting of director Joe Johnston’s Captain America movie in an authentic style -- one that would also mesh well with the fantastical elements of the First Avenger’s origin story (HYDRA, Red Skull, etc.). Judging by the footage shown so far, their efforts seemed to have by and large paid off.

Here are the links to the latest videos on the upcoming film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFfQajuK1lM&feature=player_embedded#at=123 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBWsgDFs4wo&feature=player_embedded#at=114

Besides the excellent production values, Captain America looks to also feature some great live-action incarnations of characters like Steve Rogers, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), and the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). The supporting cast isn’t lacking either, with actors like Oscar-winner Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, Toby Jones, and Richard Armitage tackling a variety of either heroic or villainous parts in the film.

On the directing side of things: Johnston has proven himself capable of delivering imperfect-but-fun period action-adventures before, in the forms of The Rocketeer, Hidalgo, and even his Wolfman remake. While he’s yet to deliver a movie that most people regard as flat-out great, Captain America could conceivably be the film that bucks that trend.
As it stands, though, there seems to be two potential issues that could possibly hinder Captain America‘s performance at the box office:
  1. After Thor, X-Men: First Class, and Green Lantern, have most moviegoers gotten their fill of superhero flicks?
  2. While Cap fans will certainly appreciate the filmmakers’ attempt to remain loyal to the comic book source material, will the movie struggle to appeal to those outside the fanboy/girl demographic?
If Captain America is an exciting old-fashioned adventure as it promises to be, neither one of those aforementioned potential issues may matter. Plus, Cap is one of the more readily-recognized superheroes around (even outside the U.S.), so non-comic book readers who passed on watching Marvel films about Asgardian warriors or super-powered mutants might be more inclined to check out Cap’s movie.