Captain America (Chris Evans) actually met Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) years ago

As The Avengers nears it's North American debut, it has already opened in several other countries, I noticed one interesting fact. That Captain America has met Black Widow before now. Well the stars who are playing the respective heroes, Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson. The two starred in the 2004 teen comedy, The Perfect Score, about a bunch of high school seniors who plan to steal the SAT answers. That was eight years ago, and I'm sure the pair had to idea they would be saving the world as super-heroes in the comic book extravaganza, The Avengers. Just a cool little random fact.

As Black Widow and Captain America, Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans

 have come a long way from their high school days.....

Case in point...The Perfect Score

CAPTAIN AMERICA is another winner from Marvel Studios

I keep waiting for Marvel Studios to drop the ball and release a stinker. Well they are three for three this year with Thor, X-Men:First Class, and now Captain America. The story is set in 1942 and centers on a young man named Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans) who is repeatedly rejected for enlistment in the army due to his numerous health problems and physique. But when a scientist named Dr. Erskine (played by Stanley Tucci) recruits him for his super soldier project to turn him into the perfect weapon to defeat Hitler, he accepts. Rogers is not the first person whom Erskine has tried his experiment on. Years ago Johann Schmidt (played by Hugo Weaving) was subjected to the treatment but had a dangerous side effect as his skin was mutated into a horrible red and skinless shape. And now he is power mad to rule the world, even disobeying orders from his superior Hitler himself. He calls himself The Red Skull now. Flash forward a few years and now Rogers survives the process and gains superhuman strength, speed and endurance to become a super soldier. His initial training sequences while he is still the scrawny recruit under Colonel Chester Phillips (a scene stealing performance by Tommy Lee Jones) are priceless. Rogers also catches the eye of British agent Peggy Carter (played by Hayley Atwell who shines in a great role). Also on board is Howard Stark , yes Tony Stark's dead. He is played by Dominic Cooper and like father like son, has a weakness for the ladies and drink.

The first half of the movie is structured as the origin and more plot driven before it gives way to the action packed second half. Not to say the first half doesn't have action. There is an exciting chase sequence by Rogers after some enemy agents who have destroyed the location of the super soldier research building. Rogers is at first kind of worried and unsure that he can become the hero we all know he can be. So a lot of his early scenes are him learning on the go. Very comparable to Peter Parker/Spider-Man.

When he finally dons the uniform of Captain America, awesome and indestructible shield included, you can't help but swell up inside and say here we go. His fight scenes with Hydra agents and then finally The Red Skull himself are pretty intense. But this movie is more than just about the action. The budding and tender romance between Steve and Peggy is not normally seen in a comic book movie and it is very well done. You really care and hope that these two will hook up. The finale wraps up with a slam bang aerial showdown aboard Red Skull's huge aircraft as he intends to strike multiple targets all over the world with it's destructive power.

This was pure comic book bliss and the ending sets up the forth coming Avengers movie perfectly. As Cap will be joined by fellow heroes Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye under the guidance of Nick Fury (once again played by Samuel L. Jackson). AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! But we have to wait until next year for that. In the meantime we can enjoy Captain America till our hearts content.
B+

Movie Review: THE LOSERS

The Losers is a cool movie based on a comic book series that bears more than a little resemblance to The A-Team. Except that this crew is a little bit more colorful. There's team leader Clay (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who played The Comedian in another comic book film adaptation, The Watchmen); Roque (Idris Elba); Pooch (Columbus Short); Jensen (Chris Evans, ex Human Torch of the Fantastic Four films); and Cougar (Oscar Jaenada). They form an elite CIA Black Ops team that on their latest mission has to take down a South American bad guy. Problem is they get framed for a crime they didn't commit and are left for dead. Unable to return stateside, the guys try to eke out a living in South America when a mysterious woman named Aisha (played by the sultry Zoe Saldana, fresh off her one two punch of 2009's Star Trek and Avatar) comes calling. She offers them a deal: help her get Max (played by Jason Patric) the guy who set them up and she will clear their names. They don't trust her at all, but accept the job anyway. In the meantime Max is brokering a deal with some middle eastern scientists to build a deadly new weapon which he plans to use to start a major new war. In comes the Losers to take him down. Lots of gunplay, fist fights and car chases make this a very entertaining movie. Things are kept light and never get too serious as lots of humor come from Evans, Short and the slightly loony Patric. The entire cast is solid, especially Saldana as the lone female in this guy heavy film. She more than holds her own with the boys and has one brutal throw down fight scene with Clay that lets her give as good as she gets. The Losers is a winner in my book.
B