Cars 2 and Captain America

Working in clearing over the summer is good, but it’s the evening and weekend activities that I look forward to the most. This week I saw two movies and I saw the show currently on at the Coliseum called ‘Napoletango’, which is a show you come out of wondering whether you thought it was good or just downright strange. However Bruce Forsyth and Antonio Carlucci (TV chef some people have never heard of and some people think is really famous) were there to see it.
So for the movie section, the viewing this week was Captain America. Possibly not one I would have been interested in if I did not know the people I do. It was a good, well put together, comprehensive film. I enjoyed it; it had many of my favourite British actors in it, a tiny bit from Richard Armitage (Robin Hood/Spooks/Vicar of Dibley) and Natalie Dormer (The Tudors). As well as Dominic Cooper (Mamma Mia) as Howard Stark and Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter (The Duchess)in more main roles. It is always nice when you see people who you have watched on British Television and the National Theatre stage progress to the big screen. Less British, but no less excellent small parts came from Stanley Tucci and Tommy Lee Jones. Stanley Tucci is one of those people is always in supporting roles but also nearly always makes a movie.

Anyway, actually about the film! It is another super hero origin movie but it’s not a cliché, it is set in the 1940s and the Captain’s super powers are due to medical science. It is also part of a “set”, the Marvel Hulk, Iron Man, Thor and Captain America films title characters will all be in The Avengers next year. I have seen all of these films and have to say I don’t think much of Hulk, Iron Man is all right, Captain America is good and solid but my favourite is probably Thor. Its humour and the impressiveness of the worlds of Asgaard and Jodenheim are what tip it on top for me.

I also saw Cars 2, as a digital animation student this was an interesting one for me. It was undoubtedly gorgeous with a lot impressive effects in terms of explosions and the scene with Finn McMissile. Being a Pixar film you would expect nothing less than the best animation around. In terms of story it’s about Mater not Lightning McQueen, however I felt the same about it as I did about Cars. It’s really good but other Pixar films are great. Look out for the adverts on the London race track that say ‘Lassetyre’ after director and overall genius John Lasseter. Absolutely go and see it, but as soon as it finishes run away because the song over the credits is awful.