Captain America: The Winter Soldier review

By: Peter Lewis

In the past three to four decades the American comic book has become much more respected from an artistic standpoint; despite this, the books tend to have a rough transition to the silver screen.  Comic adaptations on film have struggled in finding a true identity, in the sense of either capturing the escapism from the source material or being too serious and darker than the public’s perception of comics being children’s stories.  In the early 2000s, this became apparent as many comic adaptations were released to the cinema.  In 2002’s Spiderman, the film was much more serious in storytelling, but had dialogue that uncomfortably mirrored a 1950s comic.  With 2005’s Batman Begins, the comic film could easily be serious, gripping, and memorable, but at a slight cost to the humanity the comics possessed.  Yet, in 2008, Iron Man was released and did very well at doing all of the above and setting off the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Under the Marvel Studios brand with Disney, this has become the most notable series for being a guide for how to do a comic adaptation that stays true to its source material.

However, the main criticism of Iron Man centered on serious themes (a good example being Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Iron Man). The Marvel Cinematic Universe did, to an extent, hold back to keep family friendly while heavily focusing on action.  Critics also have pointed out that, compared to DC’s Dark Knight Trilogy, 2013’s Man of Steel, and even the Marvel imprint owned by 20^th Century Fox, X-Men, this film wasn’t as compelling with storytelling; in other words, many though DC and Fox had the surreal factor down, while Marvel Studios stuck to the safe basics.

I’m not going to agree or disagree with the criticism above, but I definitely see where the criticism has stemmed from.  With this, it was clear Marvel Studios wanted to change after 2012’s blockbuster and successful The Avengers film.  Last year, 2013, saw Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World take more chances, but still remain safe, especially at the climax of the films.  This time around, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the sequel to both 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger and 2012’s The Avengers, was the next film in the franchise to attempt to keep this new creative model going.  In many ways, Captain America: The Winter Soldier may have found a way to combine both escapism and the surreal much better than many had thought possible. 

Set two years after the events of The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier shows Captain Steve Rogers, played by Chris Evans, adjusting to the modern world around him from his most recent environment, 1940’s World War II United States.  The film wastes no time getting into the action and plot as Steve Rogers, Captain America, is sent on what seems to be a routine mission which turns into a conspiracy against SHIELD, the pseudo CIA of the Marvel Universe.  With this, Rogers becomes trapped between the agendas of Director Nick Fury, played by Samuel L Jackson and Alexander Pierce, played by Robert Redford.  Rogers is accompanied by allies Natasha Romanoff, played by Scarlett Johansson, Sam Wilson (“The Falcon”), played by Anthony Mackie, and Maria Hill, played by Cobie Smulders.  The group is forced into immediate action against the enemy known to SHIELD as the Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Shaw, and the forces tearing apart SHIELD as well as the values Rogers believes in.  

Be aware the plot is not as simple as it seems above; it’s short to avoid spoilers because the plot of Captain America: The Winter Soldier is very complex and has surprises and shocks all around.  It’s best to know that the film is Marvel Studios stepping up its game in a big way.  Captain America: The Winter Soldier is an incredible political thriller and comic adaptation and works very well. 

Acting here is great.  Evans, as he did in his previous films as Captain America, is nearly perfect and good at giving the character a new outlook, rather than being simple patriotic overload as the character had been in the past.  Evans provides a very likeable character with great value, showmanship, and morality.  Scarlett Johansson reprises her role of Black Widow for the third time and receives more deserved screen time for easily her best portrayal of the character yet.  Unlike her past two films, her character receives more background and is more utilized and Johansson handles the role very well.  Anthony Mackie debuts as the Falcon and, to his credit, does a very nice job for his first time in the Marvel Universe.  The Falcon, however, is noticeably absent for the film’s second act; when he does get screen time, he gives his character a good service and sets him up for future editions in the series.  Samuel L Jackson yet again plays Nick Fury and is a true force on screen.  While not doing what he usually does (yelling, swearing, and beating people), Jackson is still a great part of the series and here finally gets more screen time than past films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have given him.  Finally, Cobie Smulders reprises her role from The Avengers, but this time also gets more screen time and shows very good acting ability and a great development for her character.

As for Redford and Shaw, both depict their characters well and give the film a much needed plot challenge in the best way.  Alongside the cast and story, Redford and Shaw both shine and, with Evans and Johansson, steal the show.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier introduces new directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, who will be taking over the Captain America series.  I’ll admit I was skeptical of them taking over as their track record leading up to this was very minimal (and to me unimpressive), but the Russo brothers were incredible behind the camera.  They both took the source material and script extremely seriously and clearly worked hard to put out the best film.  They opted for more character study and story development than action.  When it is utilized, it’s very compelling and intense because their build up to it was great.  They both worked tremendously well with the writing from Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. Captain America: The Winter Soldier takes a more serious tone and slightly minimalizes the humor and action from past films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe imprints, but when it is put in it works very well.  Along with the golden boy and overseer of Marvel Studios, Producer Kevin Feige, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is easily at the top of the list in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, outdoing its predecessor and even 2008’s Iron Man.

Is the film perfect?  Nearly, but I did have two minor, and I mean very minor, complaints with the film.  For one, where Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World were primarily centered around the characters, Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a combination of a Captain America, The Avengers sequel and SHIELD sequel.  In the film’s defense, the first film was a set up for the Avengers and SHIELD storyline, so it makes sense for SHIELD to play a major role.  For the most part, I’d look more to the development of Captain America as a character and storyline.  Second, the film saves it major action for the climax, but ends up being typical Marvel Studios blockbuster action.  It works well, but for a film that felt fresh and new, it would have been nice to see something new done for the climax for a change. 

Overall though, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a fantastic and fresh film worth a view.  For Marvel and Disney, it’s a continuation of success and shows that they aren’t content with putting out the same story, but would rather continue to try to innovate for their cinematic universe to be one of the best in film history.  Without a doubt, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is one of the best comic adaptations in recent memory and worthy of praise

Robots of the future



By: Autumn Hill

Imagine yourself lost, deep in the forest on a cold autumn night, and nightfall is rapidly approaching. Too windy for search aircraft and too dark for ground teams to find you, this could be a life threatening situation. Fortunately for you, it is ten years into the future and hundreds of tiny intelligent robots will be combing the woods for you throughout the night. The future is growing closer and robots are advancing rapidly. Robotic engineers are designing the next generation of robots to look, feel and act more human, to make it  easier for us to warm up to a cold machine.

Realistic looking hair and skin with embedded sensors will allow robots to react naturally in their environment. For example, a robot that senses your touch on the shoulder could turn to greet you. Subtle actions by robots that typically go unnoticed between people help bring them to life and can also relay  non verbal communication.

Artificial eyes that move and blink. Slight chest movements that simulate breathing. Man made muscles to change facial expressions. These are all must have attributes for the socially acceptable robots of the future.

The brain behind the beauty will be the key to turning a realistic looking machine into a lifelike robot. Artificial intelligence plays a pivotal role in successful human/robot interaction. “With robots, we are inventing a new species that is part material and part digital. The ambition of modern robotics goes beyond copying humans, beyond the effort to make walking, talking androids that are indistinguishable from people. Future robots will have superhuman abilities in both the physical and digital realms. They will be embedded in our physical spaces, with the ability to go where we cannot, and will have minds of their own, thanks to artificial intelligence. They will be fully connected to the digital world, far better at carrying out online tasks than we are,” says MIT scientist Illah Nourbashk.

Noel Sharkey, Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, University of Sheffield adds,“An exhilarating dash into the future of robotics… that will appeal to anyone with an interest in robots.” Robots have already been designed, but how far will they go in the future? Relying on robots in the future could become a reality very soon.

Cell phone addiction



By: Brad Tripp

Walking down the street next to your buddy, you text your him “stop sign.” He curiously questions your text as you watch him literally walk straight into a stop sign. While staring at your phone, you too run into a stop sign on the other side of the road. Both of you are laughing from seeing each other smacking the stop sign with your head. Would this ever happen to anyone not staring a phone? As of 2013, Pew Research says that 91% of Americans own a smart phone.

 Now, think about this: has there ever been a day where you don’t check your phone?

Americans are addicted to the cell phones. This has been a growing problem and is occurring everywhere.  According to an article called “The Evolution of the Cell Phone,” mobile web on a cell phone was introduced in the 1990’s and has been growing with faster speeds, color screens and better reception ever since. With this speed came growing and new websites that allow people to contact others faster and while on the go. This can sometimes lead to an overabundance of folks walking with their head down, staring at their phone.

 According to the website Socialmedia.com, in 1998, the first forms of social media were introduced into mobile phones and computers. These forms included instant messaging and blogging. The Huffington Post newspaper shows that over the last five years the time spent on our phones has grown. In 2010, the average time spent was about three hours a day, to almost five and a day in 2013. Do you know anyone who spends tons of time on his or her phone rather than outside, or doing something more productive?  Maybe you? Well, just think what could have been done in those three to five hours daily.

Is social media the one to blame for addiction to cell phones or are we? Our addictions are our problems and no one else’s. This is because we are human and make our own decisions. No one programs us to make us get on and website or even the internet, so how can we blame someone else for our own problems? Social media isn’t the issue when it comes to addiction. Without us there’d be no social media. Social media wouldn’t even exist if people didn’t use it.

How can this be solved? Addiction is not something solved easily, especially if the person is unwilling to participate. One way to help shake an addiction to your phone is to find people to interact with face to face, read up on things you’re interested in, and/or find a new (or old) hobby. Another way to overcome a cell addiction, according to psychcentral.com, is to track your usage and to wean yourself slowly from it.

All in all, phones are a big part of our lives, but they aren’t our whole lives. So check yourself and ask: Am I addicted?

The future of space travel





By: Peter Lewis

The space race of the Cold War has led to numerous advancements in science, medicine, and everyday life.  Exploration of the cosmos has put man on the moon, seen light-years into the darkness, and might even show us how we got here.  NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, has been at the front of the exploration and advancement.  Their crown jewel, and an American staple for decades, the Space Shuttle Program, has led to many of today’s societal advancements.  Yet, in 2011, the final shuttle mission was completed and the program retired.  Since, NASA has had to rely on Russia for space travel to the ISS, or International Space Station.  With Russia and China becoming more involved with space travel, especially with China’s rover on the moon now, many wonder what NASA’s plans are for the next generation of space flight and discovery.  NASA has revealed plans broken into five categories: exploration, the ISS, aeronautics, technology, and science.

In exploration, NASA has the new space craft named Orion.  Orion’s main goal will be to allow astronauts to take longer trips at greater distances from Earth’s orbit with a new space launch system, or SLS. 

Other goals include landing astronauts on an asteroid that has been captured and relocated, as well as a planned trip to Mars in the 2030’s.  The main goal though is to allow NASA’s astronauts to explore the solar system.

For the ISS, plans will remain the same: multiple crews staying up there for long durations of time for a year to continue scientific research.  NASA is currently looking for American companies to help provide cargo and crew transport on the station.  The goal for this is to help with said missions to Mars and the asteroid.

In aeronautics, NASA looks to the US to remain the leader in flight and keep it a cornerstone of the US culture.  With this, the public can expect better, safer, more mobile, and more environmentally conscious planes for travel.  With supersonic speed and new software, NASA looks to change the flight industry in the coming decades.

With technology, NASA looks to continue to make advancements and discoveries that have helped medicine and life today.  Development of human and robotic exploration of the solar system is under way, with advancements in solar electric propulsion, solar sails, and cryogenic storage tanks for refueling.

NASA’s scientists hope to find out more about the universe as well as Earth with more return missions to the moon coming soon. 

It’s safe to say even with a period of stoppage of sorts at NASA, it has not hindered their ambitions and, once Orion is up and running, it will be back to business.

Useful cell phone accessories



By: Brad Tripp

The car increases speed, the blinker is shown and into the next lane she goes. The speed limit allows increased speed. She reaches her target speed and goes around the corner. Her phone falls out of cup holder and onto the floor. It begins to ring very loudly. What she wouldn’t do for a Bluetooth headset or maybe a phone holder. Today’s technology offers thousands of small conveniences, also known as accessories, to make life with your phone easier.

Every phone is different, from its size to content. To help make a phone a better experience for anyone, accessories are a must. Some popular accessories include screen protectors, cases and headphones, plus much more. Besides these common accessories, there are many not so common accessories out there.

One accessory that few people are aware of is the expandable memory card. Not to be confused with the SD card (typically used in cameras), expendable memory cards are also called micro SD cards. Amazon.com has them in a variety of options, expanding memory from half of a gigabyte up to 64 gigabytes. These can range from $5 to $60, depending on brand and memory size.

Another somewhat uncommon accessory is a swatch. According to Amazon.com, these are Bluetooth remotes to control your phone to make a call, get a message or receive notifications without getting out your phone. A swatch would be perfect for riding in the card or using while your hands are busy elsewhere.

Other things you may know about for your phone include Bluetooth headsets, headphones and styluses. Bluetooth headphones and headsets allow hands free talking for moments of walking, running or driving. Headphones allow you to listen to music or calls for mere enjoyment and sound quality while offering privacy. You can find these on many websites and in department stores. According to a comparison between Wal-Mart and Amazon, prices on these vary on quality and range from $5 to $300.

All in all, phones are a part of most Americans’ lives and accessories simply help to make them easier to use and to keep us safe.