Captain America movie review

All Marvel superheroes have one thing in common: they were popular guys before becoming superheroes. Think about it. Thor, the god of thunder and lightning, was already destined for greatness when he was born; he's the son of a king. Mr. Fantastic (of the Fantastic Four) earned acclaim for his scientific efforts. Iron Man was a man of popularity, fame, and fortune. Steven Rogers, however, is a different story.

In "Captain America," Steven Rogers is a teenager living in 1942, a time when America was involved in World War II. He desperately wants to volunteer to serve in the army because, as he tells one character, he hates bullies "no matter where they're from." The problem? He's skinny, short, and he has multiple health issues. When a military scientist learns of this young man's determination, he makes arrangements for Steve to be placed in a special army division which, its colonel tells his men, "will escort Adolf Hitler to the gates of Hell."

We live in a culture where the "heroes" are the strong, the athletic, the good looking. Nobody really thinks about the secretary who's sitting at a desk typing memos, answering phone calls, and making schedules. What we tend to think about is the boss who runs the company like a well-oiled machine. Everybody thinks about the doctor who saves patients, not about the transcriptionist who types up the doctor's dictations so the doctor can get more work done. As the military scientist says, it's time for the little guy to step up. And step up he does. Even before he's given performance enhancers (surprise, surprise), Steve shows us his mental prowess, his unrelenting determination, and his courage in the face of death.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, another performance-enhanced man is working on world domination (no surprise there). His name is Johann Shmidt, the head of the Nazi's technological division called HYDRA; however, HYDRA is preparing to break free of Hitler and conquer the world on its own. It even has its own salute.

Back in America, Steve has become famous, but not in the way we'd expect. Because of a mishap with the performance-enhancing formula, the experiment is considered a failure. A senator who witnessed the experiment, however, uses Steve as a stage actor to boost war bond sales. Steve doesn't mind, but he knows he's destined for something better.

Questions:

The military scientist tells Steve that a strong man knows the value of power and, consequently, loses respect for that power. Do you see that happening today? If so, how and were?

The military scientist and the colonel have a small argument over who should be chosen to receive the formula. The scientist insists that it be Steve. The colonel insists that it should be the strongest, fastest guy in the battalion. In the end, who is more worthy of the formula? Why?

Captain America is rated PG-13. It contains war violence, a character getting punched, and the villain executing some men. A character makes a suggestive remark to a woman ("we gonna wrestle? 'Cause I've got some moves that you'll really like"). An officer throws a grenade at his own men to test their courage. A character holds an emotional conversation with a woman while he's going down in a plane.

Tintin movie review

Indiana Jones has returned! What? It's not Indiana Jones? Well, he doesn't have the fedora or the bull whip, but he does have a nose for adventure and the courage to follow through on every expedition.

Tintin is a journalist who has been on various escapades. This time around, he stumbles onto a treasure hunt when he buys a model ship christened "The Unicorn." By the time his apartment is ransacked and the model is stolen, Tintin knows something's up. But what is it? What's so special about The Unicorn? Although he doesn't know it yet, Tintin is about to embark on the most exciting escapade yet, and meet a new friend in the process.

If you take the treasure hunting of Indiana Jones and throw in the swashbuckling action of Pirates of the Caribbean and the faithfulness of Lord of the Rings, you've got Tintin. The movie is rated PG for adventure violence and some drinking. A man is shot to death in one scene, but the only blood seen is the blood used in his dying message. There is fighting between good guys and bad guys, including a duel using cranes (the machines, not the animals). A character is addicted to alcohol, but gets dry before the film ends. This same character says the reason he gets drunk is so he can forget what his grandfather told him about his heritage, which is a good explanation for why people turn to alcohol in the first place.

Thor movie review

Cinema has seen its fair share of superhero movies, from the hilarity of The Incredibles to the darkness of Watchmen; however, "Thor" is the first movie in which the hero is a god (okay, he's not a god, but the Vikings thought he was). Honestly, I have to say that the creator of Marvel comics, Stan Lee, is having a stellar career having his comic-book heroes come to life on the big screen (and making cameos in them). There are more on the way.

In "Thor," the mystic kingdom of Asgard is under the benevolent rule of Odin "Allfather." After defeating his enemy, the kingdom of Jotenheim, Odin returns to Asgard to reign in peace and to raise his two sons, Thor and Loki, to succeed him. Fast forward two decades and we see that Thor has become an esteemed warrior and Loki a master trickster. As Odin is about to name Thor his successor, he learns that four warriors from Jotenheim have sneaked into the palace to steal a powerful weapon. These warriors are stopped, but Thor isn't satisfied. He takes Loki and four warriors to Jotenheim to exact vengeance for the deed. As they are overwhelmed by a massive force (and a massive creature), Odin arrives and saves his sons and their friends. When they return to Asgard, Odin chastises Thor for his arrogance and recklessness. Thor responds by calling his father an old man and a fool. Odin answers regretfully that he was a fool for thinking that Thor was ready to rule Asgard. He strips Thor of his power and banishes him to Earth. He speaks an incantation into Thor's Hammer, Mjolnir, and throws it after his son.

"Thor" is a story of learning humility. Once a proud warrior, Thor is forced to reckon with his circumstances while interacting with humans. Meanwhile, back in Asgard, Loki realizes that certain facts about himself have been kept from him. As we watch, we learn that Loki's trickery extends beyond mere mischief. On Earth, Thor stays with three humans: Jane Foster, who thinks he's crazy, but is still interested in him for astronomical reasons; her science partner Darcy (the only applicant); and Jane's uncle, Erik Selvig, who believes that Asgard is merely legend.

Questions

1. How does Thor use his hammer, Mjolnir at the beginning of the movie? How does he use it at the end? What is the right way to use a weapon?

2. Erik Selvig doesn't believe that Thor is who he says he is until he sees him in his true form. Were there any signs before then that would convince Erik that Thor was telling the truth? What evidence is there that proves that what God says in His word is the truth?

3. We see in the movie that Loki is a master of guile. Is using trickery a good thing? In what ways? In what ways are using trickery bad?

4. A long time ago, the Vikings believed that Odin, Thor, and Loki existed, and they worshiped them. Compare these three "gods" with the one true God. Who is more powerful? Who is more worthy of worship?

"Thor is rated PG-13 for scenes of intense sci-fi action and violence. There are several battle scenes. There is one battle scene in which a warrior is wounded. No blood is seen and the warrior survives. In the same battle, the six Asgardians face an overwhelming force AND a monstrous creature that will give small children nightmares. Another battle scene involves Asgard's deadly guardian, The Destroyer, which destroys anything that's hit by its infernal blast. Knowledge of Loki's treachery may cause children to feel a bit uneasy when it seems as if nothing will be done about it.