Captain America – Page 4 – Douglas Ernst Blog

The Avengers: Marvel’s finest hour

May 5, 2012April 7, 2014by Douglas Ernst2 Comments

Captain America — Run to see ‘The Avengers’ this weekend. Jump over a bus and dodge some explosions and laser beams if you have to. You’ll be glad you did.

If someone said to you years ago that Marvel Comics was going to methodically lay out a series of movies, building an audience of a core group of characters that would culminate in one big insane summer tent pole film called The Avengers, you would not have believed it. Yet, as of May 4th, 2012 they pulled it off. And not only did they pull it off, but they shattered the mold for what was possible for a superhero franchise.

My sources are giving very early estimates for Marvel’s The Avengers of between $65 million and $67 million for Friday (including $18.7M midnights) based on matinee trends. Not a record. That would bring the worldwide total to $371 million so far… and counting.

How many articles have we seen over the years with some sort of headline that asked, “Is the superhero genre dead?” It seems like a every time there’s a comic property that flops there’s an Entertainment Weekly or Entertainment Weekly knockoff that runs such a story. What the authors fail to understand is that there is plenty of strong source material — it’s up to the studios, screenwriters, actors and directors to pull their end of the bargain. With The Avengers, a seriously large cast and crew (again, across multiple movies) came together in a collaborative effort and created something magical. The movie isn’t flawless, but it’s certainly close. It could have very easily collapsed under its own weight, and the fact that it didn’t says a lot about the people working behind the scenes.

On person who deserves many pats on the back is writer and director Joss Whedon. After hearing about the bizarre health care rant he scripted for Captain America I was worried. Very worried. Whedon wisely cut the scene from the film, and for the most part stayed away from the political soapbox. Luckily, he didn’t shy away from going over each character with a fine-toothed comb early on to really figure out what their motivation was. With hundreds of millions of dollars on the line Joss Whedon came through in the clutch. I’m not sure if he got through the ordeal without an ulcer or two, but if he didn’t Marvel should be paying his medical bills.

So how does one write a movie review and not actually talk about the movie? I just did. There’s not much I need to say. Do you want to see a movie that says, “this product was made by professionals”? Do you want to see something that’s funny, filled with action, and family-friendly? Do you like good, tight writing? Do you want to see a team of actors who all appear to have been on board with the director’s vision and who have given it their best shot to make that vision a reality? If so, go see The Avengers.

Pelosi seeks ‘windfall profits’ tax on Avengers ticket sales

April 16, 2012April 16, 2012by Douglas Ernst5 Comments

THOR (Chris Hemsworth) (L) and CAPTAIN AMERICA (Chris Evans) (R) — If House Democrats have their way, your favorite Marvel superheroes will be hit with a "windfall profits" tax once an arbitrarily defined level of success has been met. Republicans argue that this will result in fewer superhero movies making it to the market.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is trying to find an 11th hour solution to Marvel Studios’ The Avengers, which is primed to be one of this summer’s biggest blockbusters. Sources close to producers Avi Arad and Jon Favreau have confirmed that the California Democrat has been in touch with Marvel Studios, and that a “windfall profits” tax will be in place before Friday, May 4 if Democrats can cobble together enough votes.

The Associated Press received the following from Pelosi’s office late Monday:

“Investments.” “Risk.” “Reward.” Such is the language of the Republican Party. Extremists. The GOP would have you believe that it was a “risk” to set up an Avengers movie with a series of films based on many of the individual characters: Thor, Hulk, Iron Man and Captain America. They would have you believe that an Avengers movie was no sure bet, and that the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on these movies and their marketing campaigns by no means guaranteed success. Rubbish! It’s high time Hollywood paid its fair share. If Democrats have their way, Marvel Studios will be the first to pay a windfall profits tax on its flagship characters, in addition to their corporate taxes (which also need higher rates). Warner Bros. will then follow suit in August, when The Dark Knight Rises takes number one at the box office. Behind every Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark movie are greedy Hollywood producers; that will change starting today.

The Hollywood Reporter seems to back up the Minority Leaders predictions, at least in this isolated case, although the philosophical debate is something that will have to be settled inside the Beltway on on cable news airwaves:

Avengers also is tracking better than Lionsgate’s blockbuster The Hunger Games, which posted a record March bow of $152.5 million to score the third-best opening of all time behind Deathly Hallows Part 2 and Dark Knight, respectively.

According to first tracking, unaided awareness in Avengers is 13 percent, compared with 10 percent for Dark Knight and 11 percent for Hunger Games; first choice is 23 percent, tying with Hunger Games and higher than the 19 percent for Dark Knight.

Total awareness is 85 percent, compared with 76 percent for Dark Knight and 74 percent for Hunger Games; definite interest is 61 percent, versus 62 percent for Dark Knight and 54 percent for Hunger Games.

Asked to comment, House Majority Leader John Boehner set up a stark (pardon the pun) contrast between Republicans and Democrats:

“The windfall profits tax proposed by Democrats will go nowhere because Americans want more Marvel movies, not less—and taxing Marvel Studios will result in less movies. Let me tell you what House Republicans will do to this bill in a way that Marvel fans—and fans of The Hulk—can all understand. BOEHNER SMASH!“

Captain America: A Conservative Review

July 25, 2011July 27, 2011by Douglas Ernst1 Comment

Howling Commandos Captain America — How can you go wrong with a guy dressed in the America flag busting down doors, weilding weapons, and cracking Nazi heads? You can't. His "Howling Commando" friend with the derby hat, crazy mustache, and shotgun? Also very cool.

Captain America could have been bad. In fact, it probably should have been bad based on many of the director’s comments leading up to its release. Marvel’s decision to weirdly title the film “The First Avenger” in South Korea and Russia was also a PR blunder. But, in spite of the studio’s liberal tendencies, it’s been a financial success.

As it turns out, the grenade scene first witnessed in the full trailer was indeed a harbinger of good things to come! Want some honor, integrity, personal courage, and selfless service on a Saturday night? This is your movie. Captain America is by no means a perfect film, but it is good, solid family entertainment—the hero is wholesome, the good guys win, the bad guys lose, and it’s not necessary to shield (no pun intended) the kiddie’s eyes.

The biggest complaint conservatives should have about Captain America is that director Joe Johnson put together a good movie when he could have made a great one—if he had a better understanding of what makes America great:

“But I think that as far as good vs. evil, it’s something that is such a universal theme and there are translations of that good vs. evil theme in all times, and in all cultures, and all situations…but I think that it’s really more about the spirit of this guy, of our main character more than anything. And that spirit of determination and wanting to do the right thing is translatable into any nationality and any period really – it’s just sort of a universal theme.”

Joe is right, in that good and evil exist. There are universal truths. But this movie wasn’t about “this guy”—it was about Captain freakin’ America. And what makes America exceptional is that it’s one of the few nations throughout the history of the world with a respectable run on recognizing universal truths. It’s one of the few nations with an honorable human rights record. How disappointing is it that X-Men: First Class did a better job juxtaposing human beings’ dual nature than a superhero movie that takes place during World War II? (i.e., a young—innocent—Magneto must bring his nascent powers to the surface or watch his mother die if he fails, courtesy of the Nazi regime).

The Red Skull could have been Darth Vader evil. He should have been Darth Vader evil. Instead, he was this kind of cool, underdeveloped red and black guy with a lot of potential who got killed at the end of the movie—like Darth Maul. Joe Johnson went for a muted color palette when it came to Captain America’s final costume, but he also muted the good vs. evil dichotomy he wanted to highlight! It’s great that Steve Rogers was allowed to kill Nazis on screen, but even their nature was downplayed; Hydra is a splinter group of the Nazis shrouded in mystery. The Red Skull may have sought to take over the world, but at least he really did have superior genes, even if it was accomplished through the world’s first forays into gene therapy. Doesn’t his somewhat legitimate claim make him less evil than Hitler? If the guy in front of you has the strength and speed of a dozen soldiers it’s hard to argue with him when he says he’s a superior human specimen. But Joe Johnson doesn’t want you to think about it because you’re supposed to just think about “evil.”

Fair enough, but if Joe Johnson wanted a movie completely devoid of politics, perhaps Captain America’s World War II origin story wasn’t for him. Regardless, Kudos to the man for making a fun summer movie despite his best efforts at self-sabotage.

Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell vs. The Male Models.

June 26, 2011June 26, 2011by Douglas Ernst1 Comment

Men’s Fashion Week for Summer 2012 just wrapped up in Paris, which means I now get to write about it. Although, truthfully, I really should just post a slew of pictures, all of which would be humorous if they weren’t so sad. I’ve touched on the subject before, but every time I see a bunch of artsy males get together in skimpy outfits fit for an Adam Lambert choreographed dance number, I can’t help but think of Marcus Luttrell of Seal Team 10.

Marcus Luttrell Men's Fashion Week — The man on the left is either a male model who gets paid to prance around as a human bush, or he's auditioning to become concealment for a Navy Seal.

The fact is, I’m torn. It’s a marvel that Western Civilization has granted us the kind of peace and prosperity that allows grown men to walk around (and get paid!) in bush costumes masquerading as fashion and art. I also don’t want to outright dismiss “the bushmen” because, on some level, maybe they are portraying something of artistic value, even if I just “don’t get it.” But when I juxtapose pictures of former Navy Seal Marcus Luttrel with the male models of Paris, I can’t help but get a little depressed. It’s as if the ideal has been turned upside down. Instead of duty, honor, valor, and strength, the modern man is encouraged to become a hairless (leafy green?), passive man-boy who plays up any inner femininity that he might have. Instead of the selfless service of the seasoned soldier, it’s the vain, narcissistic, pouting man-children of Jersey Shore that get air time and viral videos. Perhaps that’s why I want so desperately for Captain America to rule the summer box office. See you on opening night—unless you’re disguised as a bush.

Captain America: Grenade Sacrifice Scene a Good Sign

June 25, 2011June 25, 2011by Douglas Ernst2 Comments

Captain America Steve Rogers Grenade — It's incredibly honorable to sacrifce oneself for the protection of others. We all have to go, and it's a good way to choose if you have the option. The fact that Marvel's Captain America depicts such a scene is a positive sign for moviegoers.

The new Captain America trailer is out. Regardless of what the film ultimately entails, someone should be given kudos for the selfless service scene involving a “scrawny” Steve Rogers attempting to sacrifice himself for what turns out to be a dummy grenade. It’s refreshing to see The Seven Army Values (acronym LDRSHIP) on display: Loyalty. Duty. Respect. Selfless Service. Honor. Integrity. Personal Courage. Those values are sorely missing amongst our civilian population, and apparently more so with liberals who play heroes on the silver screen (like Matt Damon and Ben Affleck) before engaging in very real high stakes illegal poker games with hookers and cocaine the next room over. Wait. You’re saying it wasn’t their hookers and cocaine? I’m sorry, I forgot that modern “high functioning men” are allowed to hang in circles of power players flaunting the rule of law while sniffing powdery white substances to take the edge off…It’s tough being Matt Damon and Ben Affleck! But I digress.

The point is, past indicators made me think Captain America was made to appeal to Euro-weenies and guilt-ridden liberals here at home, but there may be hope yet. Yes, I’m still upset that Marvel is so shameless they’d only promote the movie as “The First Avenger” in Russia and South Korea…but if the content of the film draws upon the principles that make this country exceptional it can still be salvaged.

The good thing about World War II (if you can find a silver lining) is that it’s one of the few times in human history that the contrast between good and evil was on such stark display that our moral relativist friends (Oliver Stone aside) tend to shut up. The problems will come with the Captain America franchise that follows. Bring Steve Rogers into a world where Time magazine has the gall to ask whether or not the Constitution still matters…and things will fall apart. Sure, there are great men out there like David Azerrad (a Canadian, no less!) who know a thing or two about the Constitution, but don’t count on liberal scribes to pen memorable adventures of Cap in Iraq or Afghanistan.

I suppose we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. As for now, count me in for Captain America on opening night.

Image Comics’ Mark Sable: Zombies Would Totally Unite America and The Taliban.

June 18, 2011by Douglas Ernst1 Comment

Captain America will be coming out this summer, but fans will tell you that for the past ten years he’s essentially been MIA on the War on Terror. In fact, the industry as a whole has shied away from any accurate portrayals the threat posed by Sharia Law. Captain America has spent more time hunting the Tea Party movement in recent years than he has engaging in the kind of Black Ops that have made Seal Team Six famous. For the longest time, fans of the medium have wondered when they were going to get their hands on war stories. Image Comics has stepped up to the plate. Unfortunately, there’s only one problem: American soldiers ally themselves with the Taliban.

Graveyard of Empires, written by Mark Sable, probably isn’t about Sharia Law’s incompatibility with the universal rights enshrined in our Constitution. It probably isn’t about an enemy determined to set the stage for a return of the Ottoman Empire. It probably isn’t about what makes an inordinate amount of men in that part of the world prone to chopping off heads and strapping bombs to their chest over religious differences. Instead, it is about the the one thing that can bring infidels and Islamic terrorists together: zombies!

Prior to their arrival, Sable and Azaceta spend a great deal of time developing the grim setting and violent characters that populate both sides of the war. Among them, a new commanding officer whose hopes of endearing himself to his entrenched troops are slim-to-none; an opium-abusing Explosive Ordinance Disposal specialist, driven to drugs by the stress of dismantling bombs; a treacherous Afghan cop; a mutinous American sniper; a Female Engagement Officer whose job is to work with the grotesquely oppressed women of Afghanistan; and an Afghan surgeon forced by the Taliban to implant bombs inside of people.

The Four Color Media Monitor puts it beautifully:

“So let’s see if I have this right: they acknowledge/allude to Afghanistan’s Islamic shariah oppression of women (or do they?), but damage all that with ridiculous ideas like a drug-addicted [bomb disposal expert], and a U.S. sniper who’s mutinous…” (italics added).

Is this a book I’m going to pick up? Sure. It’s piqued my interest, a testament to Mr. Sable. I also want to be able to write a thorough review. However, the seeds of moral equivalency seem to have been planted. My gut (and his twitter feed) tells me Mr. Sable—a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts—is liberal. Even if he’s not, his interview for Graveyard of Empires (perhaps the evil “American Empire” will be the latest casualty?) doesn’t give me hope:

Metaphorically, the zombies represent a force not unlike the Taliban. A foe with inscrutable motives that doesn’t seem to need to eat or sleep, and no matter how many you kill…they just keep coming.

I’ll cut Mark some slack, but for a guy who went to NYU and USC I wish he would have thought about his metaphor a bit more. The reason why the Taliban keep coming is because we refuse to crush them! The Mark Sables of the world would have said the same thing about the Japanese had we opted for a full-out invasion instead of dropping nukes during World War II. Can you imagine urban warfare in a city teeming with the Bushidō mentality? I’m not saying that we drop nukes on the Middle East…but I am saying that the United States needs rules of engagement that allow the military to do what needs to be done. You must be willing to have civilian casualties—especially when your enemy hides behind them. You have to win the war of information—something that’s increasingly hard when liberal writers always have to include “violent characters that populate both sides of the war.” You have to be willing to make “the international community” (largely composed of thug-despots, anyway) angry. In short: you have to fight for American interests, knowing that they are in the world’s interest, instead of some nebulous idea of what would get approval from a bunch of diplomats in Brussels.

I will be reading Graveyard of Empires. If it ends up defying expectations, I’ll say so. I did just as much with Superman: Earth One. But if it’s more liberal claptrap… this alienated fan will move one step closer to casting off the industry all together. Fight on!

Hat Tip: Four Color Media Monitor.

Al-Zawahiri on Attacks, Hatred of Infidel Creation: Chocolate Cheerios.

July 27, 2010July 27, 2010by Douglas ErnstLeave a comment

Ayman Al-Zawahiri is at it again, threatening another round of terrorist attacks

on U.S. soil, as if he’s offering up something new. Has this guy come down with a case of The Wikileaks? The last time I checked, at least 30 foiled plots are part of the public record. Regardless, we should at least pay attention to what he’s saying since it’s been my experience that liberals like Inception’s Ellen Page like to accuse conservatives of fear mongering when America’s enemies are on record as stating they’d like to turn your home into a smoldering ash heap sprinkled here and there with bubbling infidel blood splatters:

“Oh American people…We offered you a peace plan, and mutual benefit; but your governments were proud and haughty, and so the attacks against you followed one after another, everywhere – from Indonesia to Times Square, by way of Madrid and London. And the attacks are ongoing, and more will come one after another.”

While it’s sadly within the realm of possibility that someone like Ellen would mention Ayman’s “peace plan,” I’ll save you the trouble of actually looking it up. In short, al Qaeda peace plans usually involve a.) impossible demands because “peace” isn’t really what they want, or b.) defacto world wide submission to Islam.

As I mentioned the other day, in a sane world Marvel’s Captain America would be chalk full of stories pitting the super hero against terrorists and Taliban sympathizers the world over. Perhaps The Mole Man and his underground followers (not to be confused with the Neal Gabler Mole Men) have given them sanctuary within the caves of Afghanistan… Perhaps The Red Skull has used vast reserves of Nazi gold to fund training camps across the Middle East… And perhaps Cap saves the day by unearthing the MTP (Mother of all Terrorist Plots). Or was that “Motha”?

Or not.

When the next terrorist attack on U.S. soil happens (and it will happen, unfortunately), just revisit your mental checklist of all the liberal Hollywood types who downplayed the insatiable desire guys like Al Zawahiri have to wreck havoc on American interests at home and abroad.

danzig — While Danzig isn't a terrorist, guys like Al-Zawahiri want see the "Mother" of all terrorist plots realized on U.S. soil.

Captain America: Courting Jihadi Film Clubs and Euro-Wonder Weenies?

July 21, 2010November 3, 2015by Douglas Ernst3 Comments

cap — Dear Marvel: American Exceptionalism is real. Courting Jihadi movie goers, Euro-weenies, and moral relativists to make a few extra bucks is the wrong answer.

Regular readers know that I’ve been exposing Captain Liberal America and the hypocrisy of liberal writers at Marvel whenever I get a chance. That’s why it comes as no surprise that the guy at the helm of the new Captain America movie is setting the moral relativist tone early:

“He wants to serve his country, but he’s not this sort of jingoistic American flag-waver,” Johnston said. “He’s just a good person. We make a point of that in the script: Don’t change who you are once you go from Steve Rogers to this super-soldier, you have to stay who you are inside, that’s really what’s important more than your strength and everything. It’ll be interesting and fun to put a different spin on the character and one that the fans are really going to appreciate.”

Congratulations, Joe Johnson, you’re making Captain America without the American Exceptionalism. You’re giving the fans a “spin” they’ll “appreciate”? Well, I’m a fan and I don’t appreciate Captain America hollowed out and watered down into a United Nations Smurf Blue version of his former self so you can make a few extra bucks overseas. We already have DC turning Wonder Woman into World Community Consensus Woman in order to make an extra dollar when her movie finally gets the green light—we don’t need Marvel courting American Jihad sympathizers, terrorist wannabes, and the South Park meltdown extremists in the Middle East.

And, while I’ve said it before I have to ask again: When will the Black Ops Cap pulled off in Afghanistan be told in a Marvel comic? When do we get to see Taliban heads cracked? Wouldn’t it be nice to see Captain America’s shield decapitate terrorist scum just before they were going to chop off an “infidel’s” head (as a propaganda video was streaming online, to boot)? How great would it be if, just as the dull knife drew blood of an innocent Western woman and the hoots and hollers of “Allah Akbar” rang out if a red, white, and blue adamantium disc did what it was meant to do—preserve freedom while protecting the innocent and punishing monsters.

But that will never happen. I love you Marvel, but you’ve fallen on hard times. I always thought Captain America’s greatest enemy was the Red Skull. Who knew he’d be toppled by moral relativism?

Marvel’s Captain Liberal America finally exposed

February 15, 2010August 6, 2015by Douglas Ernst1 Comment

Big Hollywood is already poking fun at Marvel for the newest issue of Captain America that portrays the Tea Party movement as a bunch of racist extremist nut cases. However, this really isn’t anything new for Marvel.

Recently, the Civil War story line was Marvel’s Bush allegory wet dream (that lasted for months). After that there was Secret Invasion, which saw Captain America finally die for a bizarre liberal interpretation of “civil liberties” for super hero – and by extension super villain – communities.

Question for Marvel: In a world where your neighbor could walk into your house, rape your wife and kids on a daily basis, and then mind-wipe you so you never remembered it happened, wouldn’t the government have a vested interest in knowing about it? Wouldn’t it make sense to have a running list of how many people could blow up entire city blocks if they got cranky or their significant other cheated on them? Apparently not to Captain Liberal America, who in recent years should have donned a smurf blue UN helmet and renamed himself Captain Appeasement.

Do a little research into Cap’s exploits over the years and you’ll find no shortage of racist, xenophobic, bigoted Americans in Steve Rogers’ rogues gallery. When Cap isn’t fighting redneck extremists he’s often battling villains who were created by his own government.

How many years has it been since September 11th and how many al Qaeda plots has Captain America thwarted? Where are the Black Ops in Afghanistan? I know the answer, but this is a blog post and not a book on how big of a comic nerd I am.

In short: Marvel’s post 9/11 Captain America story lines have been pathetic displays of moral relativism that only dared to pass judgment if the subject of scorn is the United States of America.