Every time I watch Raider's of the Lost Ark I always wonder why there aren't more great movies like it. When I watched Captain America the first time I loved it, but if your like me you tend to not fully understand just how much you liked a movie until you've seen it again. Especially when it's a movie that you've been looking forward to the most all year, expectations are high and you tend to break everything down while you watch the movie, instead of just enjoying it.
I did enjoy Captain America the first time of course, but I went again today because now I knew I could relax and really soak in all the movie has to offer. Hot Damn! Numerous time's during the movie I could feel a big grin on my face, and it wasn't just the comedic parts. It was the the overall sense of joy and wonder meant I was feeling. I was getting caught up in the story, action, and music all at once.
The second time you watch it the movie flows even better than the first time. I still cannot believe that the movie is only 2 hours long, you would never know it by the pace of the movie. When you realize just how much needed to be put in this movie you would never think that 2 hours would be enough time. Well you would be wrong, there really is never a dull moment and in fact there is never a wasted moment either. Some movies you watch and you just know some of the scenes were unnecessary, to the point that it's a little annoying. Joe Johnston has no time to waste and fortunately he wisely took what was most important and left out anything that didn't contribute to the film.
What Joe Johnston has done in a word is Epic. He makes you actually care about the characters, even some of the smaller ones, something you don't get in a lot of movies. The pace of the film is excellent, it's so akin to Raider's it's unbelievable. That's not to say that he ripped off Raider's, he just understands when he sees a exceptional adventure film and does a fantastic job of mimicking what we all love. I could hug the man just for giving me the nostalgia reminiscent of my childhood, like the first time you saw Star Wars or Indiana Jones, you just absolutely fell in love.
A major reason this film is such a blast is the fact that they chose to keep it a period piece. Seriously if they hadn't decided that A) I don't think Johnston would've been the right choice, and B) I honestly don't think it wouldn't been very good. The whole notion of the Red Skull or Hydra would be absurd - i.e. GI Joe (although that movie was bad on a plethora of levels - all of them), but by introducing Captain America where he originated it works awesome. By simply putting the movie in the WWII period you allow the mind to escape to another world. You accept things you otherwise would not and because it's not the time you're living now your imagination gets fired up, something that seems harder and harder to do in today's age.
I've listened to my grandfather tell war stories from his days in WWII and it always seems like such a magical time. A horrible time, and yet a beautiful time. It's something you only see in the movies now, and actually you see it less and less. They really were the greatest generation. They had conviction, and loyalty that you would be hard pressed to find in such great quantity today. We're still a great nation, with great people, but it's very hard to look beyond the negatives of the present, which is why being transported back in time is so much fun.
This movie is a Masterpiece! And it may not be for most of you, but that's alright. I'm a huge fan of science fiction and period pieces, and this just hits all the spots for me. The only sad thought I had during this whole movie was thinking about how few movies there are that make me feel this way.
I enjoyed this movie more than any other Marvel movie, even more than Iron Man. It was just fun to watch a movie and have fun again on every level. The action was great! The story was great! The romance was great! The music was great! Seems like it's been a long time since I've felt all those at once. So much passion was put into this film, it makes me really appreciate everyone involved. They could have just rushed out a Captain America movie to set up the Avengers but they took their time, and actually they let Joe Johnston make it the way it should have been made. I'm looking forward to the Avenger's as much as anyone, but I am a little sad we only got 1 movie of Cap prior to it, well at least it was 1 great film!
If you choose to see it again I think you'll find it more enjoyable, because at that point you won't be all wound up like I was. Being overly excited can really hamper the movie.
I have to stop now because I'm having a hard time condensing my thoughts, I'll be here all day if I don't stop somewhere.