Captain America: Good or Evil?

Our Caviar and Popcorn series returns with this week's movie, Captain America.

See below to read what our two resident film critics think about this latest Marvel remake of a comic book legend.

You may not agree with our critics, but they're never boring.

Burglethorpe:

It may shock some of you to know that I spent quite a few hours in dusty comic book bins when I was a kid--before I discovered literature.

I followed Frank Miller’s Batman religiously, and I was at ground zero when Neil Gaiman began his epic Sandman series.

So, it is not on principle that I yawned my way through Captain America, fighting narcolepsy, and the strong urge to snore.

It was entirely the fault of the movie, which unfortunately mistakes repetitive haymakers and amateurish fight choreography for Captain America’s straightforward idealism.

Yes, Steve Rogers is the imago of the most substantive and admirable parts of the American character; yes, he uses the shield to protect freedom, not prosecute it overseas in costly wars of opportunism fueled by stupidity, and nurtured by American ignorance.

Yes, Captain America couldn’t catch a good time on New Year's Eve at the Las Vegas Strip.

Steve Rogers in the role of Captain America is the best of us, but does the best of us have to be so... damned... boring?

The villain (played by the always adept Hugo Weaving) is fun to watch; he’s also fun to listen to, although he seems to have learned his German accent by rehearsing Warner Herzog monologues.

You’re probably going to see the movie anyway, but do yourself a favor and save it for the next time a six-pack of beer and a little late-night reading doesn’t put you to sleep.

This movie will do the trick.

Caviar Rating: 2

Joe:

You know, there was a time when men were men, and women were women. And people looked up to heroes.

We all know it, too.

America didn’t feel guilty about being the best. It felt responsible.

It led the world. Captain America is about that America, the one that liberated Europe and rebuilt Japan.

Once again, Marvel has done a great job of bringing a comic book superhero to the silver screen.

The story is a simple one, and is a great way to help you remember why America leads the rest of the world.

Because “quit” wasn’t in the national vocabulary.

Captain America, against incredible odds, defeats the German menace The Red Skull, who is bent on ruling the world.

And he does it with plenty of snappy action sequences and a brunette bombshell. Hayley Atwell fills out a red dress better than anyone since Scarlett Johansson.

The movie’s not all explosions and hot co-stars. There’s a better than average story here too.

We make some real emotional connections to the characters in this movie, which makes it tough when some of them die.

No spoilers on who, though.

Also, make sure to stick around after the credits. There’s an easter egg scene from the upcoming Avengers movie.

Popcorn Rating: 4