Saturday, September 27, 2014

Destiny: The Imploding Hype Train


NOTE: P&P’s impressions of Destiny’s Alpha and Beta.

Ever since Destiny, Bungie's FPS/RPG/MMO/I DON'T KNOW, released, everyone has had only one question: Did it live up to the hype?  And instead of dancing around the answer for an entire article, P&P can simply say: Nope.  But before you run outside for the first time in months and start flinging your feces around, hoping for it to land somewhere in my general vicinity, you should know this: it doesn't mean the game isn't fun.  It just means Bungie made too many promises that they couldn't keep.  "Well then, Mr. Smartypants, would you like to explain exactly how Destiny failed to meet the hype?"  Sure, but first you must understand that…

DESTINY IS LIKE GREAT SEX:
You're standing in a violently loud club, when suddenly, your world stands still.  Directly in front of you, twenty feet away, is the most beautiful girl or handsome fella you've ever laid eyes on.  Surrounded by sweaty drugged-out ravers and numerous ugly friends, this individual looks like Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, himself carved them out of the most immaculate piece of marble on earth.  So what do you do?  You drag them right into your bed without the mention of dinner or a movie.  And you're not disappointed.  Their thrusting and gyrating mechanics are flawless and could go on for hours.  You can't believe who or what you've found, so instead of waiting three days as required by a silly law, you take them back to your bed the next night too.  And again, you have monumental sex that no one will ever understand.

"If this guy's exhaust comes anywhere near my robe, so help me God..."

Lying in the sheets, soak and wet from ecstasy, you do something unfathomable: you decide to have a conversation, and when your angel opens their mouth, out falls stories about bubblegum and handbags or football and beer.  You think, "well that was interesting," but then shrug and reflect on the fantastic sex you've been having.  So before the next night's romp session, you decide to buy multiple mirrors—which is creepy, yet necessary—and decorate the bedroom.  And in the reflections this Greek god or goddess looks exquisite from every angle.  Filled with such fond scenery, you attempt to converse again, and once more you hear about bubblegum, handbags, football, and beer.  And that's when it finally hits you: the angel lying next to you doesn't have any stories or adventures.  They lack depth.  They lack complexity.  They lack—*gulp*—a soul.

Now, someone that hasn't had a variety of different partners might marry a bubblegum/beer talker (not that there's anything wrong with that).  But someone with experience might feel that without some substance to fill the remaining hours of the day, your exquisite monkey-sex partner is just an empty shell.  A gorgeous, ridiculously talented empty shell, but an empty shell nonetheless.  And when you do finally find an exquisite person that can make you laugh and tell stories that keep you enthused for hours, the angelic empty shell will just become a distant memory of what could have been.  And that, my joystick fondling friends is exactly what Destiny is like—give or take a few orgasms of course.  "So what you're saying is Destiny is like awesome sex and I should come back often?"  You seem to have missed something important.  It was probably the word s-e-x that confused you.  No matter.  Let's move on.

"Man, these 7 o'clock shows are becoming more and more repetitive.  Where the hell 
is the purple ball?"

THE HYPE:
Bungie promised a universe like Star Wars to gamers.  Worlds where you could travel and meet other Guardians and unearth fantastical stories that span time and space.  They’d create a game where you'd have an experience like no other game before it.  But what Bungie really delivered is Diablo 3 in a first person shooter perspective (relax).  It may not resemble Diablo 3 or dip into fantasy elements, but the mechanics underneath are exactly the same.  You go to an area, kill everything in sight, collect the loot (or in Destiny's case the lack thereof) and move on to the next area.  When you've killed everything in every area, you go back to previous areas and kill the same things over and over again, until you collect the right loot to level up.  Both games thrive on the principle of wanting to get to the next level and both games can be extremely fun, but only…if you're okay with a grinding mechanic.  The problem is that's not what Bungie promised when the advertising train started rolling.  So the gamers that believed they were getting a Halo type shooter with the depth of Mass Effect were utterly disappointed. 

THE STORY:
What story?  Did someone say something about a story?  I clearly didn't say anything about a story.  You?  It wasn't me.  Well okay then, moving on.  (Go anywhere on the web and you'll find numerous articles about how Bungie bumbled this aspect of the game)

"Yeah, umm...I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but your face looks like it's 
having sex with an octopus."

A ROBUST WORLD:
It's funny how all of humanity and every Guardian left in existence fit perfectly on a rooftop of a tower (pun intended).  When you think about games like Mass Effect or Fallout 3 or even Borderlands 2, you immediately remember all the fun you had just walking around and talking to the NPC inhabitants.  There always seemed to be a story to find and somewhere interesting to explore.  But not here.  Certainly not in Destiny.  Even the NPC's in the Tower have absolutely nothing to say.  They just stare at you.  And if you count them up (not counting factions or vendors) there's probably about five.  So why isn't there unique NPC's in the Tower or on other planets?  Umm…don't know.  Why are all the other areas (besides the Tower) just filled with enemies?  Why aren't there other outposts for Guardians?  After various shrugs, you'll quickly realize there are no other outposts, NPC's, or towns anywhere.  And sadly, that creates a big empty void where a remarkable story could have been. 

"Yes, I'll take the double latte macchiato, light foam, soy milk, and a galactic hot dog or--Wait, do 
you have anything on the menu NOT made from Dreg?

LAZINESS OR A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO GAME CREATING:
It probably took you about 15 hours to finally decide to open up your inventory and have a look.  And in your pixelated satchel you discovered all this junk you've collected with absolutely no description of what it is or what to do with it.  "Discover the world in your own way (paraphrasing)," Bungie reps tell you.  So they've made a game just like life: you spend an outrageous amount of time wondering what to do, and when you finally figure it out, you die shortly after.  Without the help of the online community deciphering all this crap, you'd have Guardians just wandering around the Tower, grinding on each other.  Is this method of game-making profound or just down right lazy?  That's for you to decide.

BUT WHAT ABOUT MULTIPLAYER:
Yes, there's that.  Multiplayer is fun after obtaining decent loot and upgrades, and can actually become quite an addictive part of the game.  But then everyone looks at Halo (and how could you not?) and realizes there's not much here, besides a couple of game modes and terrible matchmaking.  And just like in the Beta, if your whole team drops out, it leaves you holding your nuts and twiddling your thumbs.  So that's fun.

"Hi there, I was wondering where you got that extremely sweet smelling cappucino?"
"..."
"Yeah, if you could just point me in the right direction, that'd be great..."
"..."
"Hello?  Lady?  What is with all the mute idiots around here?  The hell with this...Ghost, where's the purple ball?"

CONCLUSION:
Destiny, sadly, didn't come close to living up to the hype Bungie built.  The funny thing about all that is if Bungie just explained what they were delivering (a grinding first-person shooter) in the first place, there wouldn't have been any outcry from gamers.  But then again, Bungie wouldn't have sold as many copies as they did.  So from a pure marketing standpoint, the hype worked.  Destiny is a beautiful game and as far as shooters go, has top notch gameplay.  Even though the story, dialogue, and world-building completely missed the mark, the level design is completed with care, the characters look gorgeous, and the game can be damn fun at times.  Will Bungie fix all these problems with Destiny 2?  Only time and a lot more hype will tell.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

DVD Movie Review - Neighbors


Neighbors begins with the perfect premise that illustrates the reality of married life with children, but then sadly transforms into one long-winded joke about wangs.

STORY:
Mac Radner (Seth Rogen) and his wife, Kelly (Rose Byrne) are both swaying on the fence between a party life and actually becoming grown adults.  Helping lead the way into lame adulthood is their new baby girl that they just love to leave home alone, while ingesting mushrooms and getting baked.  Everything seems to be moving forward as planned until the new neighbors, a Fraternity led by rambunctious Teddy (Zac Efron), just can't stop dancing to very loud, obnoxious club music.  When Mac and Kelly realize their baby isn't going to get any sleep, they decide to get rid of the Fraternity that moved next door.  Efron loving, terrible parenting, boner jokes, airbag ejector seats, dildo Kung-Fu fighting, and the ugliest sex scene imaginable ensues.

"So what you're saying is they're like mini adults, except they crap all over themselves?"
"Exactly."

THOUGHTS:
The premise behind Neighbors—a new couple with baby tries to lead a normal, boring life, but the Frat next door is driving them crazy—really is the perfect comedy premise for couples that are in the exact same boat.  Everyone can relate to having a job they dislike or responsibilities that need to take precedence over getting drunk and having a good time.  But after the first fifteen minutes, the movie takes a wrong turn and you end up watching a comedy meant for high-schoolers and college pot heads. 

The problem is the line between Rogen's character (a new dad just looking to raise a healthy child), and Efron's character (a party animal that sees no reason in worrying about the future) start to blur, which in turn, also diminishes the conflict between the two.  It's one thing to have a young father and mother dream about the glory days and see it next door and become a little jealous.  But it's completely something else, having them actually leave their child home alone so they can go swallow a bag of magic mushrooms and hammer trays of Jello shots.  This plot line goes beyond silly humor and falls directly in the vicinity of absurd parenting.  How can parents be worried about their little girl sleeping or growing up healthy, when all they're doing is scarfing down drugs and raving?  And when the Fraternity pranks start ruining the Radner's lives, it's hard to sympathize, because they're bigger idiots than the college kids.

"Oh my God, it's like listening to screams from my deepest, darkest, nightmares."
"Yeah, maybe I should stay home and watch our daughter?"
"Why?  Nothing's more sacred than a mother's love." 

THE FUNNY:
There are truly funny moments floating around in Neighbors: new parents running and screaming down the halls of a hospital with their baby; awkward police calls about noise; parents stepping into illegal territory just to keep their child safe; and—no matter how many times you've seen this in trailers or advertisements—the airbag gag is certainly unique and hilarious.  But the problem is these scenes are few and far between the immature humor that riddles the rest of the movie.  Between pubic hair, drunken stupors, grown men sword fighting, and multiple scenes of guys holding their junk, the movie completely falls off the intelligent-comedy rails and plunges into the cliché-juvenile-wang-joke territory that you've seen a million times over.  To make matters worse, the jokes themselves overstay their welcome, creating dialogue that should've been funny, but easily becomes annoying instead.

"I can't take it anymore.  Maybe if we just left her in the park, the wolves could raise her."
"Wouldn't work.  I don't think there's enough wolves running around in the suburbs."

THE ACTING:
If you've seen any Seth Rogen comedies, ever, then you've already seen his character Mac Radner.  Rogen, sadly, has been playing himself for years, and after multiple versions of the same character just with a different name, everything begins to get a little old.  Luckily, Rose Byrne is there to add some actual acting, but even her character is a little uneven as she attempts to be a good mother but then turns around and parties all night long (And whose baby actually sleeps through the entire night allowing parents to go out and get bombed until dawn?).  Zac Efron plays the worried Teddy excellent, but the rambunctious Teddy, horribly.  He doesn't seem to be having any fun with the role.  The supposed "humorous" lines that he delivers are recited with the attitude of an office worker who just wants to get through the day and then go home and sleep.  Dave Franco plays Efron's buddy, Pete.  And just like Efron, Franco seems to be at home with the level-headed Pete, but when it comes to partying and attempting to be funny, everything falls apart.  Even Franco and Efron together don't have the buddy-comedy feel that's needed to make any scenes depicting their Fraternity life worth watching.  McLovin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) pops up as part of the fraternity and remains more of a fixture throughout the film, while Andy Samberg and Lisa Kudrow show up for a few minutes, and of course, the free lunch.  The rest of the cast act like they're extras in a really bad MTV music video, peppered with more dildos and boners than the network would allow.

"As you can clearly see, your Honor, the person in the center of this photograph is the reason 
behind my clients' homicidal tendencies."

CONCLUSION:
On paper and in the trailers, Neighbors looks like the perfect adult comedy for couples and young parents.  But too many immature jokes that last way too long hinder what could have been a great comedy.  In addition, stale acting from most of the cast helps push Neighbors into the "Eh" movie category.  But the film isn't a complete loss.  It teaches two very valuable life lessons: one, never become friends with your neighbors because sooner or later, everyone will hate each other.  And two, don't mess with exhausted, aggravated parents.  They will kill you for peace and quiet.  So if you can't get enough Seth Rogen or penis jokes or maybe you just want to see Zac Efron with his shirt off, then this film is definitely for you.

2 1/2 out of 5 Stars (minus a star for cliché jokes & bad acting, and a ½ star for regurgitated Rogen)

Saturday, September 13, 2014

DVD Movie Review - Godzilla


In a new twist, Godzilla roars onto the screen, slapping other monsters, while demolishing cities in the process.

STORY:
A tiny lizard is flushed down the toilet, accidentally falls into some green ooze, grows to the size of a skyscraper, and then attempts to take over the world.  Wait a minute…that can't be right.  Hold on.  Okay, here it is: giant ancient lizard awakens after a long nap to enjoy a nice quiet weekend in Hawaii.  What does he find?  Giant bat-like creatures getting rowdy in Vegas and San Francisco.  So the giant ancient lizard (nicknamed Godzilla by bullies in middle school) steps in to rough them up.  Oh, and Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his father Walter White (Bryan Cranston) run around frantically trying to find bombs and monsters and live normal lives.  Giant ass-beatings, giant fat lizards, giant screams, giant explosions, giant electromagnetic mating calls, and tiny human filler ensue.

"Oh my God, do you know what this is?"
"Looks like the 1982 video game Joust, where a knight rides a pixelated ostrich."
"Exactly."

THOUGHTS:
Let's face it: no matter how much nuclear mumbo jumbo, fantastic CGI, human deaths, or utter destruction is shown, Godzilla is still and will forever be a campy monster flick.  Sure, it's the best Godzilla film that has come out since the big guy's inception, but that doesn't change the fact that the movie is riddled with hokey dialogue and human beings that nobody really gives a crap about.  You're watching this film to see a massive lizard smack other monsters while having no regard for human life or the buildings they live in.  And you know what?  There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.  So it's safe to watch Godzilla as long as you know exactly what you're getting into.

This reboot monster flick is supposed to be a direct descendent of the original 1954 Godzilla film, where a clumsy man in a rubber suit crushed miniature houses with his tubby feet.  So do you need to watch that film?  Nope.  All the ridiculous plot nonsense is here again, allowing you to discover the true nature of the big guy the Japanese call Godzilla.  Yeah, but just what is this Godzilla?  He's (she's?) here to balance out nature.  So when other ancient creatures awaken and break the giant creature code of no rowdy conduct or no alcoholic beverages, Godzilla is there to step in as the lame adult and straighten them out.  The big guy may have to destroy a few cities in the process or wreck a bridge here and there, but that's all part of the process.  It says so on his résumé.

"I just love it when you call me Kick Ass.  Wanna help me lube my snorkel?"

SO HOW'S THE ACTING?
The short answer?  About as good as a monster flick's acting can be. The long answer?  Alright, take a seat.  Aaron Johnson plays Ford Brody, one of the few humans caught in the monster crossfire.  He's just a man looking to get back to his family.  But a fat lazy lizard with fiery breath gets in his way.  So he spends the rest of the movie showing you that Kick-Ass has finally figured out where the gym is and also tries his darnedest to look emotional but not stunned by the skyscraper-sized bats and lizards now roaming the earth.  Brian Cranston steps in as Ford's daddy, Joe, who tries to convince everyone that strange things are happening.  Cranston is the best actor in the film, and thankfully, his character departs right before the real absurd dialogue is unleashed. 

Juliette Binoche jumps in front of the camera for mere moments to play Ford's mommy and run from smoke, while Elizabeth Olsen portrays Ford's wife, Elle, who spends most of her time staring upward at a green screen that will eventually be filled in with Godzilla.  But the crown-jewel-actor of campy dialogue and utter nonsense lines is Ken Watanabe (Hey, somebody had to do it).  He plays Dr. Ishiro Serizawa, the man that has been following the events of Godzilla since 1954.  Now, it's not that his acting is bad; it's just that the lines he needs to say in order for the plot to thicken (or clump) are absolute silliness.  He literally drops the, "They call him"—dramatic pause while staring directing into the camera for dramatic effect—"Godzilla."  Watanabe is a great actor, but he probably shouldn't have wandered too far away from Christopher Nolan.

"You don't think he'll crush this bridge and sink us..."
"Pfft.  Not a chance, dude.  We have a tank."

SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?
There you are standing in the theater concession line for 20 minutes trying to cover your nose from the stench of slimy stale popcorn and burned butter, and all you can think about is watching a humongous fat lizard destroy everything in his way, while pummeling other massive non-fat creatures.  And what happens when you finally sit down and the film starts?  You have to sit through a tedious hour of human garbage before the big guy even graces the screen.  And then when some creature sparring is finally about to take place, the movie cuts to even more human hooey, completely dropping the action just as Godzilla was about to throw down.  Say what?  The title of the film is Godzilla, right?  So shouldn't he (she or it…no offense monsters) be the focus?

You'll quickly realize that the human aspect of the film is just interfering with the real reason you splurged on the movie in the first place.  For example, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes did something profound: it focused on the apes (cue fat lady fainting) and because of that, happened to be a fantastic film.  People know why they go see a monster flick and it's clearly not to see humans whining and crying about the past.  Just show more giant tails smashing into buildings in clever ways or more MUTO's getting body slammed.  What they should've called this film was Walter White and Kick Ass Take a Vacation…then it would've made more sense.

"Holy crap.  Look at the size of those--"
"Damn it, Private, stop staring at the monster's privates.  And that's an order."

CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD==> Beyond the few minutes of actual creature fighting in the movie, some of the story just so happens to be slightly ridiculous.  If you watched the film once and felt warm and fuzzy inside after the credits, then watch the film again.  Only after the second viewing can you understand how goofy some of the scenes actually are.  For instance: How does the US military—the most fearsome and technologically advanced military in the world—keep track of Godzilla?  Easy.  Grab a couple of aircraft carriers and keep one on either side of him as he takes a dip in the ocean.  Here's intelligence for you: the military knows that Godzilla's path is going to take him directly through the Golden Gate Bridge.  So what do they do?  They line the bridge with school children, so they'll have a front seat as Godzilla walks right into it.  Question: If Godzilla spent the entire time swimming just below the surface of the water, why didn't he just swim under the bridge instead of walking through it?  That's like running and jumping every other step along a track, and then when you finally reach the hurdle, you just smash your genitals right into it.  Common sense…gone.  You also can't deny that watching a MUTO munching on a submarine that just so happens to be sitting in a tree, isn't as hilarious as it sounds. <==END OF SPOILERS

"Enough with the car key memes...I'm not even drunk!"

CONCLUSION:
Godzilla is exactly what you think it is: a somewhat campy monster flick.  It has serious tones and a few comedy beats, peppered with corny dialogue.  The sad thing is most of the time you’re wading through human story lines just to get to the fun.  The giant head-tearing-body-slamming-face-bashing kind of fun that doesn't happen often enough.  Still…Godzilla is the best iteration of the big guy you'll see, so if you're a fan of the clumsy rubber lizard, then you'll have to see this film.  If you're looking for a romantic comedy with extra Gosling topping, then you've definitely come to the wrong f*cking place.  If you've already seen Godzilla in theaters and want to catch the action in your very own living room, then you're in luck, because fast-forwarding through the unnecessary human gibberish couldn't get any easier.

3 1/4 out of 5 Stars (minus a star for human whining & ¾ of a star for hokey dialogue)

Saturday, September 6, 2014

DVD Movie Review - Captain America: The Winter Soldier


The Winter Soldier is an old-school espionage movie that just happens to have Captain America throwing his shield around in it.

STORY:
Captain America/Steve Rodgers (Chris Evans) has been having a tough go at life lately.  Yes, he did save the world from Hydra in WWII and from invading aliens in the Avengers, but being an ice cube for decades hasn't really helped his psyche.  And now he's in the present just trying to catch up with everything he missed and come to terms with the death of friends he once knew.  But before he can yell, "I smell a rat," the Captain ends up deep inside a conspiracy that might cause trouble for SHIELD.  On the run with no one he can trust besides an ex-Russian agent code-named Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Rodgers has no choice but to fight back and find out exactly what's going on in his country.  Non-parachute plane jumping, witty one-liners, over-protective utility vehicles, window hopping, elevator scuffles, assassinations, and shield landings ensue.

"Hey, I just...just want to say thank you."
"For?"
"Under the Skin."

THOUGHTS:
The Winter Soldier is about as grounded as a Captain America storyline can get and that happens to work magnificently with the franchise.  The movie starts off with the Captain leading a team of special Ops soldiers on a quiet boat rescue.  No explosions, no machine guns, no aliens, no team of extraordinary super heroes or gods.  Just the Captain and his trusty shield bouncing off enemy faces.  You'll come to realize that this scenario takes the franchise down a much more serious road, but also allows more room for excellent story telling.

But don't go thinking the movie is all drama or action.  The real star of the film is the witty writing, which never takes a break no matter how action packed the plot gets.  The banter between Rodgers and anyone becomes the real heart of the movie, keeping the characters genuine and making them easily relatable.  It also keeps the film light even though the themes are heavier than any other Marvel film.  Trust and freedom are two of the hardest issues for any writer to add to a popcorn comic book movie, but The Winter Soldier pulls all these threads with ease and has no problem making you yearn for more once it's all over.

"I'm going to be honest here, Cap.  I have no idea why you think a game of D&D is crucial 
in helping us save the world."

SEXUAL TENSION:
Since Rodgers' main squeeze from the first film is now old and gray, the movie needed a strong female lead.  And the best thing they could have done is write the Captain opposite the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson).  Every storyline—if it wants to hold readers/viewers’ attention—needs a good love story thrown in the mix.  And even though there's no sex or even heavy petting, you still ponder whether Steve and Natasha will end up together throughout the film.  Their dialogue suggests that they're old friends looking out for one another, but there's always a feeling of whether something else is lingering there too.  This adds humor and realism to both characters, while keeping viewers emotionally connected.

MAKING CAP HUMBLE:
Throughout the film, while Rodgers is running around pounding baddies into the ground, there are also a few dramatic issues unfolding.  The addition of Anthony Mackie (Falcon) is not only perfect casting but also helps humanize Cap by adding to the story the troubles of war and how tough it is for veterans afterwards.  Anthony Mackie's character, Sam Wilson, also happens to be dealing with loss.  And having these two together talking through their issues, along with joking and taking down the enemy, creates a much needed friendship subplot.

"Listen, I don't give a crap what name you have or had on your wallet.  I'm the f*cking Natural."

ACTING:
The main three: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, and Anthony Mackie are excellent as their superhero counterparts, and work well together as a small team.  Sebastian Stan returns as Bucky Barnes, spending most of the time silent and brooding.  As a friend his appearance works, but as a foe there's a tiny bit to be desired.  And even with over two hours of movie the character still needs to be flushed out a little more.  With Cap 3 already scheduled, hopefully the Bucky Barnes character will be more of the focus.  Robert Redford steps in as Secretary Alexander Pierce, and shows the rest of the cast how old school acting gets it done.  Toby Jones pops up again as the crazed Dr. Arnim Zola, to spew movie plot and get a makeover as an ancient computer.  Samuel L. Jackson—surprise—plays Samuel L. Jackson with the name tag: Nick Fury.  And rounding out the cast is Danny Pudi from community fame.  He jumps in for one line and to be Chris Evans' doorman.

OUTLANDISH COMIC BOOK IDEAS:
The only slight problem with the plot is after attempting to ground Captain America with espionage and conspiracies, the action and story can be over-the-top ridiculous at times.  But it is a comic book movie after all, so ridiculousness is part of the equation.  Does the helicarrier (how does a giant ship stay in the air, anyway?) sequence or Hydra's cliché goal of world domination, hurt the film?  No.  It's a Captain America story, remember?  Thankfully, most of the time, you get to see the character grow throughout the film.  However, don’t be surprised when you see a character flying around with a jetpack and bird wings, or robotic arms pounding people into the ground.  A computer with the brain of a human?  Alright.  The Captain taking out fighter jets with just his shield?  Why not?  These instances are just part of the massive world built by the Marvel Universe.  So if you can’t handle bizarre action sequences that defy physics, then you might want to sit this one out.
 
"Oh, come on.  Bean burritos can't be that bad, so stop acting.  Guys?  Guys..."

CONCLUSION:
Chris Evans may not have been everyone's first choice as the Captain, but after three solid performances (counting the Avengers) you really won't be able to see anyone else in the red, white, and blue outfit.  The Winter Soldier digs its claws deep into espionage and the Captain's emotions, all while remaining true to the character and creating a much more grounded story.  Note: don't forget to fast forward through the credits and watch the two extra scenes to help establish the plot of the next film and beyond.

4 1/4 out of 5 Stars (minus ¾ stars for underdeveloped Winter Soldier)